Chinese tech giant Huawei's entry into Malaysia will help boost the country's adoption of 5G technology with the signing of a provisioning agreement on Thursday.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Arshad Raja Tun Uda, chairman of Maxis, a leading converged communications and digital services company in Malaysia, said the agreement was an important step forward for the country.

"Across the world, there is an accelerating adoption of digital technologies. This has revolutionized the way we live and work. Transformation is upon us yet again. Companies are leveraging smart solutions to be more efficient, enable customization and improve the user experience like never before.

"As we move further into the digital age, we need a next-generation network that is robust and powerful enough to support advanced applications -- things like connected homes, smart city and smart agriculture, just to name a few. This is where 5G comes in," he said.

The agreement will see Huawei supply 5G equipment and services over a period of three years, allowing Maxis to modernize its existing networks to be compatible with 5G ahead of rolling out the technology for public use.

It also includes technical support by Huawei's experts, including training programs and planning, operating and maintenance of the 5G network.

Ryan Ding, the president of Huawei Carrier Business Group, said the collaboration would see Malaysia usher in a rapid digitalization.

"With 5G technology deployment, we foresee Malaysia will go through a phase of rapid digital transformation. 5G technology is expected to accelerate the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), which will be a part of implementation of an end-to-end solution that covers the supply chain to meet the requirements of building a smart nation.

"Our vision is aligned with the government of Malaysia in bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world," he said.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who witnessed the signing, said Malaysia could not afford to be left behind from the latest technological advances and welcomed the cooperation.

"Collaboration between global players and local vendors is important to support a thriving technology ecosystem in Malaysia. I am pleased to see Maxis and Huawei taking advantage of this environment and supporting the growth of Malaysia's digital economy," he said.

5G networks are the next generation of mobile Internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections, with Huawei already having emerged as a leader in the field and having engaged in a large scale deployment of the technology.