30 May 2024
TM Announces a Positive Start in 1Q 2024, Sustaining its Continuous Growth Trajectory
Q 2024 Key Highlights (vs 1Q 2023)
- Operating revenue grew 1.8% to RM2.84 billion
- EBIT increased 37.5% from RM473.3 million to RM650.9 million
- PATAMI increased 28.7% from RM330.1 million to RM424.8 million
KUALA LUMPUR, 30 May 2024 – Telekom Malaysia Berhad (“TM” or “the Group”), today announced a positive start to the fiscal year, with a strong financial performance for the first quarter ended 31 March 2024 (1Q 2024).
The Group saw its revenue increase by 1.8% to RM2.84 billion, driven by solid performance from TM Global and growth in Unifi’s subscriber base. Correspondingly, Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) grew 37.5% to RM650.9 million in the quarter under review on the back of lower total Operational Cost.
TM’s Profit after Tax and Non-Controlling Interests (PATAMI) increased by 28.7% to RM424.8 million, demonstrating its sustained profitability.
Meanwhile, the Group’s Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) stood at RM204.0 million, or 7.2% of its revenue. These investments were aimed at expanding the Group’s network infrastructure nationwide and regional submarine cable systems.
Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer said, “Entering 2024, the operating environment remains challenging due to increased competition and evolving market dynamics. Nevertheless, the Group has shown a positive growth trajectory in the first quarter of 2024. This is evidenced by increased revenue, improved profitability, and steady growth in our fixed broadband subscribers, reaffirming our strong position in the market.
“To sustain our positive momentum, we will continue enhancing our retail convergence offerings and value-added solutions in delivering improved customer experience. At the same time, we maintain a strong focus on modernising our data and network infrastructure, as well as enhancing our business-related offerings to meet current and future digital needs.
“Moving forward, as part of our transformative journey towards becoming a Digital Powerhouse by 2030, our priorities over the next few years include growing our core businesses, enhancing beyond connectivity by embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and capturing new business growth to meet future demands. In addition, we will continue to optimise costs and enhance profitability to ensure better returns for our shareholders,” Amar concluded.
The Group maintains a positive outlook for the current year, staying aligned with the previously provided 2024 guidance.
Lines of Businesses (LOBs) Performance
Unifi maintains leadership in converged services
Unifi maintained consistent year-on-year (YoY) growth with a 1.8% increase in fixed broadband subscribers, reaching a total of 3.135 million. This is driven by convergence marketing strategies, aggressive sales and customer retention programmes. It recently launched UniVerse, the best convergence plan to date for broadband, mobile, entertainment, and digital lifestyle solutions, designed to enhance connectivity, content and Home Hub needs of today’s customers. For more information about Unifi UniVerse, visit www.unifi.com.my.
During the quarter, Unifi Business, the leading digital solutions partner of over 400,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) nationwide, partnered with Maybank Islamic Berhad to launch ‘Go Niaga’, a mobile banking bundle to help businesses manage finances and improve income with digital payment options. It also launched e-Pharmacy Solution, a mobile app enabling e-prescriptions via teleconsultation to provide digital inclusion and accessible healthcare for prescribed medications and wellness especially to the underserved communities.
Looking ahead, Unifi will continue to solidify its role as a leader in convergence to deliver unmatched converged digital services.
TM One drives innovative solutions for enterprise and Government
TM One, the enterprise and government sector business solutions arm of TM continues to adapt to market dynamics while seeking new opportunities for growth. During the quarter under review, it recorded a revenue of RM673.0 million.
In February, TM One launched the Innovation Lab and Enterprise 5G Lab to accelerate the realisation of emerging digital services and solutions. These labs bring together the latest technologies, digital leaders, inspiring ideas and collaborative spaces to create tailored solutions for its customers and partners. These facilities were set to further develop key areas like Enterprise 5G and innovative AI-powered industry solutions to help organisations thrive in the digital era.
Moving forward, TM One will continue to strengthen its core connectivity offerings while driving innovation in digital services, expanding partnerships, and developing solutions that empower its customers.
TM Global positions Malaysia as a digital hub for the region
TM Global saw a 12.1% YoY increase in revenue to RM742.8 million in 1Q 2024, fuelled by demand for domestic and international data. It has remained as Malaysia’s preferred network infrastructure provider, catalysing the digital industry, fostering 5G ecosystem and expanding High-speed broadband (HSBB) Access in the country. Globally, it provisioned significant managed wavelength capacity for hyperscalers, connecting key regional data centres. It also recorded substantial growth in Content Delivery Network (CDN) traffic to cater to the demand from digital players, enabling Malaysia as a digital hub for the region.
TM Global recently received recognition in two categories: Telecom Company of the Year – Malaysia, and the Wholesale Company Initiative of the Year – Malaysia, at the Asian Telecom Awards held in Singapore. This is the second consecutive year TM Global has received these accolades, maintaining its leadership as a shaper of the telecommunications landscape in Malaysia and across ASEAN.
TM Global will continue to broaden its digital infrastructure solutions while forging strategic alliances with global carriers to facilitate seamless digital connectivity and services across borders.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Orbix International School takes safety seriously by adopting TM R&D’s EWAR
TM R&D assists Orbix International School in adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with deployment of EWAR towards curbing the spread of COVID-19 virus. Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), through its innovation arm, TM Research & Development (TM R&D), further promotes the adoption of digital solutions in the education sector by deploying its Early Warning, Alert & Response or "EWAR" at Orbix International School (Orbix), a private school in Muar, Johor. EWAR is an Artificial Intelligence (A.I) driven contactless temperature screening solution internally-developed by TM R&D. In an effort to digitalise the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) outlined for schools, Orbix has installed EWAR Compact, one (1) of EWAR's product categories, within their premise to better facilitate the temperature screenings of their students, teachers and visitors towards curbing the spread of COVID-19 virus. Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Sharlene Thiagarajah, Chief Executive Officer, TM R&D said, "We are honoured to be working with an educational institution such as Orbix to deploy our cost-effective and innovative solution in response to the required safety protocols. This illustrates the flexibility and readiness of education vertical in adapting to the new normal. At TM R&D, we are ever ready to assist businesses and organisations to get back on their feet safely." "We truly believe that deploying the EWAR Compact at schools or any educational institutions can provide students and teachers with a near-normal return to school experience as possible. We hope that this effort can encourage other schools and educational institutions to install EWAR Compact and simplify the adoption of the new SOPs in our battle against COVID-19." EWAR Compact is an AI-driven, one-on-one contactless thermal screening solution with a high accuracy of +/- 0.3℃, fast (~1sec) detection and voice prompt. In addition, AI-based facial recognition capabilities can also be applied with the solution. With EWAR Compact, students and teachers can go to schools with peace of mind, knowing that their schools are using the most effective technology available to safeguard their health. "Besides that, we are delighted to see more schools adopting digital solutions as this will expose teachers and students on how technology can help improve lives through safety. The exposure to EWAR Compact will also help students to experience digitalisation in action first-hand, and witness the benefits of digital adoption even before they enter the workforce. We hope this will help groom an industry-forward talent pool which will subsequently drive the nation's digital aspiration, befitting TM Group's role of the enabler of Digital Malaysia," she added. "Deploying EWAR Compact was a vital step for us as we were looking for the most effective technology available in safeguarding the health of our students and teachers. So far, we have received positive feedback on how EWAR Compact has enhanced the efficiency of temperature taking while simultaneously improving social distancing," said Govindan Nair, Chief Marketing Officer of Orbix Education. "The students especially have shared that they like how interactive the solution is. As we are firmly committed to ensuring the health and safety of our students, it is also important for us to expose our students to how innovation results in real-world solutions," he added. Back in July, TM R&D has successfully installed EWAR Compact at 12 selected schools under the purview of Bangsar / Pudu District Education Office (PPDBP) namely Victoria Institution, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato' Lokman, SMK Seri Saujana, SMK Desa Petaling, SMK Cochrane, SMK Taman Maluri, SMK Alam Damai, SMK Bukit Jalil, SMK Dato' Onn, SMK (P) Bandaraya, SMK Convent Jalan Peel and SMK Seri Permaisuri. During the early stages of the Movement Control Order (MCO), TM R&D has introduced two (2) main product categories under EWAR, namely EWAR Crowd and EWAR Compact as part of its contribution in the fight against COVID-19. The solution comes with four (4) main capabilities that close the critical loop from detection to containment. It is non-intrusive and has use-cases for both crowd and one-on-one scanning, respectively. EWAR Crowd comes with a dual-camera (thermal and optical) and is designed to conduct a rapid body temperature screening of approximately 10-15 individuals per second simultaneously at high traffic areas. It can easily be deployed in locations with mass traffic flow such as offices, shopping complexes, transportation hubs, universities, schools, tourist attractions, airports, immigration centres, and hospitals. EWAR Compact on the other hand is more suitable for a one-on-one contactless thermal screening. This can eliminate the need of the hand-held temperature taking, which can subsequently improve social distancing and minimise long queues. Both EWAR models have been installed at more than 150 sites across several industry verticals and have gone regional to help keep businesses safe beyond Malaysian shores. The solutions have been installed at the quarantine and treatment centre for COVID-19 cases at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) in Serdang, large and mid-size office lobbies, hotels, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) payment counters, various sales galleries and Gamuda Land construction sites, just to name a few. TM R&D has been growing from strength to strength since 2016, winning seven (7) globally recognised awards over the last two (2) years. Our innovations cut across multiple verticals such as the Smart Retail Analytics and Smart Safety Helmet, all developed internally by local talents in TM R&D. As the organisation continues to expand beyond connectivity and into new value-added digital and smarter platforms, its role in TM has become more prominent and exciting. For more information about TM R&D and its products and services, please log on to www.tmrnd.com.my. Follow us on LinkedIn (TM Research & Development) for more news and updates.
TM Joins Asia Link Cable System Consortium To Boost Submarine Cable Capacity From Malaysia To Asia
KUALA LUMPUR, 14 September 2023 - TM Global, the domestic and international wholesale business arm of TM, solidified its commitment to advancing Malaysia’s digital landscape by announcing its recent participation as a consortium member of the Asia Link Cable System (ALC). This strategic move positions Malaysia as one of the key destinations connecting Malaysia to Hong Kong SAR. Asia Link Cable; image credited to HMN Tech TM’s entry into the consortium was made official during the signing of the Construction and Maintenance Agreement (C&MA) with all consortium members held in Penang recently. The current seven members from the ASEAN and North Asia regions include Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel); China Telecom Global Limited (CTG); China Telecommunications Corporation (CTC); Globe Telecom (Globe) and DITO Telecommunity Corporation (DITO) of the Philippines, Unified National Networks Sdn Bhd (UNN) of Brunei and Global Transit Singapore Pte. Ltd (GTS). Commenting on this partnership, Khairul Liza Ibrahim, TM Global’s covering Executive Vice President said, “Our inclusion in the ALC consortium marks another milestone in TM Global’s ongoing efforts to position Malaysia as a digital hub in the region. “Malaysia emerged as the region’s top destination for technological investment, particularly data centre businesses. Leveraging our strategic location, the ALC is expected to attract more international submarine cables to land in Malaysia and entice global technology players to leverage our data centres. “This strengthens our efforts to provide reliable, diversified and uninterrupted global connectivity solutions to customers. It also enables us to better support the deployment of hyperscalers’ data centres, and deliver to the future requirements of 5G networks in the country,” she added Spanning a total distance of approximately 7,200 km with an initial design capacity of 24Tbps, the Cable Landing Station (CLS) for ALC will be strategically located at TM Exchange Kuala Sedili, and will capitalise on its proximity to TM’s Iskandar Puteri data centre in Johor. The Sedili CLS is the sixth international CLS in the country, including Kuala Muda, Morib, Mersing, Cherating and Melaka. Its construction is projected to be completed by 2025. The ALC will significantly boost the data-transfer capacity of TM’s existing submarine cable systems, catering to the increasing bandwidth demands across the ASEAN and North Asia regions. Furthermore, the ALC adopts an open cable system design that is adaptable and compatible with various technologies and upgrades. This better positions TM and other consortium members to address the growing bandwidth demand for higher data capacity. With 32 owned and leased submarine cable systems spanning more than 340,000 kilometres around the globe, TM is committed to providing the highest service performance and best quality experience to customers domestically and internationally.
MIDA as the lead agency of MITI in implementing strategies for Industry4WRD; collaborates with TM ONE for the deployment of high-speed internet connection for the nationwide programme
MIDA as the lead agency of MITI in implementing strategies for Industry4WRD; collaborates with TM One for the deployment of high-speed internet connection for the nationwide programme TM One, the enterprise and public sector business solutions arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) had successfully deployed high speed broadband (HSBB) accessibility services to 33 industrial areas within the Northern, Southern and Eastern regions; including Sabah and Sarawak, in February 2021. The implementation is in support of Industry4WRD, a National Policy on Industry 4.0, that was launched by Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), designed to transform the Malaysian manufacturing industry and its related services to be smarter, more systematic and resilient. The deployments followed the signing of a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) in July 2020 with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) - as the implementation agency for the Industry4WRD funds - for the installation of new high-speed internet network infrastructure to boost and secure data connectivity; accelerating Industry4WRD adoption among industry players and businesses. The deployments were completed ahead of schedule, initially aimed to be completed by June 2021, and are focused on systematically addressing and removing key connectivity bottlenecks in the priority locations. Dato' Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA commended, "We are pleased to establish this proactive engagement and collaboration with TM, through TM One; reflecting our shared commitment to ensure seamless and stable connectivity of Industry4WRD undertakings by our investors. This HSBB commitment is crucial to advance the level of digital compatibility, in strengthening Malaysia's economy amidst the pandemic and beyond." "The profound importance of high-speed internet connection to support the adoption of IR4.0 by businesses in Malaysia has led the MITI to propose for MIDA to obtain specific funding under the Industry4WRD agenda, towards the implementation of HSBB in the identified industrial areas across Malaysia. The Government has made the allocation under the Development Fund to MIDA, amounting up to RM19 million," added Dato' Azman. Meanwhile, Mohd Roslan Mohd Rashidi, Vice President Sales, TM One informed, "We are happy to announce that we had successfully completed the HSBB deployments ahead of target in these areas despite the Covid-19 situation. This collaboration with MIDA has enabled us to increase our momentum towards delivering efficient, widespread and affordable HSBB access across the country. Amidst the pandemic, industries and businesses have to leverage and keep up with the latest digital transformation trends to remain relevant in this digital age. They now rely heavily on Internet connectivity and the latest technologies to be more productive, efficient and competitive; enabling greater automation and richer insights through big data analytics. We are also seeing a shift in the way information technology is utilised through cloud computing, system integration and Internet of Things (IoT). Industries are also enhancing human capacity through artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous robots." "A robust national digital infrastructure is the key enabler to build a high-income digital economy. In serving the digital economy, TM hopes to further enable the transformation of core processes across all priority sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, oil and gas, besides promoting the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. This collaboration fits well in TM's unique role as the enabler of Digital Malaysia," he added. As Malaysia's national telecommunications provider, TM is a trusted institution, committed to enabling a Digital Malaysia future as an advance-tech nation with its digital and socio-economic aspirations through reliable network infrastructure and connectivity excellence. TM is ready to provide the best customer experience with innovative and reliable solutions towards fulfilling the objectives of the MyDIGITAL Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint, and in supporting widespread quality connectivity for Malaysians nationwide.
NEWSLETTER
Just drop your details and stay updated with the world of Telekom Malaysia. We promise – no spam!