U Mobile has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) to explore 4G and 5G in-building coverage at the Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex (ICQC) in Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru. The complex is the Malaysian gateway of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, the cross-border rail line due to connect the two countries.
The agreement is an early step rather than a finished rollout. It sets out that the two sides will work through the commercial, technical and operational framework needed to extend U Mobile's network into the building, subject to a definitive agreement and the relevant approvals. In short, the coverage is being planned now so it is ready when the RTS Link opens to the public.
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The scale is the reason it matters. The RTS Link is expected to carry about 40,000 passengers a day once it begins operations, and the Bukit Chagar complex will be the point where cross-border commuters clear immigration and customs. Reliable mobile signal inside that building affects everyday tasks for travellers: checking journey times, arranging onward transport, and staying in touch with family and work while crossing the border. The initiative will also cover roughly 600 government agency staff already based at the complex.
What the deal actually covers
Under the MoU, U Mobile would connect its network to MRT Corp's in-building coverage infrastructure and extend 4G and 5G signal across the facility. Beyond phone coverage, U Mobile says the same 5G in-building setup can underpin later AI and digital use cases inside the complex, from smarter building operations to a smoother passenger flow. The telco puts its 5G in-building footprint at more than 250 sites across Malaysia.
Wong Heang Tuck, Chief Executive Officer of U Mobile, said the RTS Link is "a major step forward in strengthening cross-border mobility between Malaysia and Singapore," and that extending coverage through the ICQC is meant to keep commuters, visitors and government staff connected at the gateway. Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim, Chief Executive Officer of MRT Corp, said the travel experience "begins well before passengers board the train and continues long after they disembark," and that reliable connectivity should be built into the journey rather than added on afterwards.
The announcement follows U Mobile's wider network push this year. The operator recently reported that it had reached 90% 5G coverage in populated areas of Malaysia, nine months ahead of schedule, as it builds out its own 5G network. In-building coverage at high-traffic sites is the next front in that expansion, a pattern we have also seen with Penang Port's private 5G deployment.
For now, there is no live date for connectivity at the RTS Link gateway and no detail on capacity, because the MoU is the groundwork rather than the switch-on. More details are expected from U Mobile and MRT Corp as the project moves toward a definitive agreement.
