U Mobile has expanded its ULTRA5G coverage to an estimated 2.3 million people across Sabah, marking a significant milestone in the telco’s 5G rollout for East Malaysia. The expansion was made possible through an infrastructure partnership with CTS Horizon, which supplied the fiber backhaul connectivity underpinning the upgraded network.
U Mobile ULTRA5G Infrastructure Upgrades Across Sabah
U Mobile first appointed CTS as its key fiber leasing partner in April 2025 to support 5G deployment across Sabah and Labuan. Since then, CTS has delivered more than 500 leased fiber circuits across West Sabah, East Sabah and Labuan, meeting the rollout’s backhaul capacity and redundancy requirements on schedule.
Since first activating ULTRA5G in Kota Kinabalu in August 2025, U Mobile has steadily extended coverage to Penampang, Tuaran, Papar and Keningau. More than 545 sites across Sabah are now supported by upgraded fiber backhaul infrastructure, capable of delivering up to 10Gbps per site. This represents a tenfold increase over the previous maximum capacity of 1Gbps typically used for 4G connectivity.
The upgraded infrastructure also incorporates network redundancy to minimize service disruptions and improve overall network availability. Indoor ULTRA5G coverage is available at select locations including Wisma Merdeka, Imago Mall and Kota Kinabalu International Airport.
CTS’s local expertise was highlighted as particularly important given Sabah’s challenging terrain and existing infrastructure gaps. The company brings over 31 years of experience operating fiber optic networks in the state, supplying connectivity solutions to telecommunications providers, government agencies and businesses.
Pokdepinion: Sabah finally getting proper 5G is long overdue.
