Japanese operators KDDI and SoftBank are following the terms of the proverb: “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The pair have extended the terms of their shared 5G program, called 5G Japan, to include nationwide coverage and 4G infrastructure. Meanwhile, Malaysia is struggling to agree on the terms of its second national shared 5G network. The two Japanese MNOs were first driven together by the arrival of Rakuten Mobile in late 2020, which threatened to unseat their position in the domestic market. Rakuten started an ambitious greenfield Open RAN 5G network build, which gave other operators cause for concern. Subsequently, KDDI and SoftBank agreed to build shared infrastructure for rural…