11 Mar 2021
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.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Solid first half 2021 for TM: revenue up +8.2%, EBIT up +29.9%, dividend declared
First half 2021 Key Highlights (vs first half 2020) Group Revenue grew 8.2% to RM5.57 billion from RM5.15 billion Cost optimisation continues to yield results. Group Reported Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) increased by 29.9% to RM977.3 million, from RM752.4 million last year Group Reported Profit After Tax and Non-controlling Interests (PATAMI) rose 27.3% to RM544.0 million, compared to RM427.2 million last year Record breaking unifi customer growth; fixed broadband customer base grew 15% to 2.55 million Declares interim dividend of 7.0 sen per share totalling RM264.2 million in line with dividend policy Continues to focus on value creation and ESG for sustainable growth Telekom Malaysia Berhad's (TM) revenue for the first half of 2021 (1H2021) grew strongly by 8.2% to RM5.57 billion, compared to RM5.15 billion in the same period last year. In a statement today, the company said this achievement was driven by growth across all its customer segments – unifi, TM ONE and TM WHOLESALE. On the back of this higher revenue and better cost efficiency, Group EBIT rose by 29.9% to RM977.3 million, from RM752.4 million last year. Subsequently, Group PATAMI grew 27.3% to RM544.0 million, from RM427.2 million in the same period last year. The Company continues to invest in future growth by modernising its network and technology platforms, to deliver the best current and future solutions for its multi-segment customers. CAPEX spending in the first half of the year stood at RM597.0 million or 10.7% of revenue. Of the amount invested, 65% was for network access, 16% for core network, and the balance 19% for support systems. Fibre broadband of choice – highest ever new unifi customers recorded in 2Q2021 unifi recorded several operational milestones with more than 210,000 new customer activations in the second quarter of 2021 (2Q2021). This is the highest number of unifi activations in a quarter in its 11-year history. unifi achieved an important milestone of 2.0 million customers in May 2021. By the end of June, the overall fixed broadband customer base had gone up to 2.55 million, representing a solid 15% growth over the past 12 months since June 2020. This growth was enabled by the higher number of ports added in 2Q2021 and wider fibre network coverage, exceeding the targets committed in the JENDELA plan, achieving 138% of its commitment in 1H2021. unifi also increased its sales and installation capacity to meet strong fibre broadband demand. unifi also saw positive uptake of device bundles with the enhanced unifiYourWorld campaign offering smart lifestyle devices, unlocking the unlimited possibilities to enrich users' digital lifestyle and needs. unifi brought live streaming of the recent Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on 13 HD channels for free via unifi PlayTV app and unifi Plus Box, to enable Malaysians to support our athletes competing at the games. Customer touchpoints and support remains in operation with stricter SOPs As more Malaysians are working from home, conducting business online, participating in online learning and keeping the family entertained while staying safely at home, TM observed that internet usage went up by 45% since the start of MCO in March 2020. All customer support services remain in operation with stricter SOPs to continuously serve customers. Customer care lines remain open and attended to over 3.6 million customer interactions in 1H2021. TMpoint outlets and key partner stores remain open for service applications and essential transactions while adhering to strict SOPs. TM is also expanding and renovating selected TMpoint outlets with localised flavour, self-serve kiosks and implementing many other improvements to enhance its customers' experience. New service installation and restoration activities remain available for customers with SOPs in place to ensure the safety of both, customers and TM personnel. Notably, TM activated unifi Rovers nationwide to help customers sign up easily. Due to the higher volume of interactions during this pandemic period, customers are encouraged to use self-serve digital channels such as the unifi portal and myunifi app which are available 24/7 for service registration, service diagnostics, account-related enquiries and payment. A more simplified and personalised digital bill was also introduced for bill payment convenience of customers. TM ONE is committed to accelerating MyDIGITAL aspirations with cutting-edge digital infrastructure and solutions TM ONE continues to be the digital enabler and trusted partner for enterprise and public sector customers by providing dependable connectivity and delivering new customer projects in 1H2021. As customers pursue to accelerate their digitalisation adoption, this has translated into new contracts and renewals. Following its appointment as the sole Malaysian Cloud Service Provider (CSP) under the MyDIGITAL blueprint, TM ONE sees growing demand for its Cloud services from enterprises and government agencies. In addition, TM ONE also served international demand to fulfil hyperscaled requirements as the local data centre provider. With its complete suite of cybersecurity solutions under TM ONE CYDEC, TM ONE has formed alliances with strong global and local cybersecurity players to further enhance its ability to detect and eliminate cyber threats for enterprise and public sector customers. This will help pave the way for digital trust and cyber resiliency to help nurture a safer and more robust national cyber ecosystem. TM WHOLESALE strengthens domestically, further builds partnership ecosystem globally Domestically, TM WHOLESALE continues its growth momentum as the preferred infrastructure partner for High Speed Broadband (HSBB) access services. It also achieved further expansion of infrastructure coverage and capacity for Next Generation Backhaul services for several mobile network operators. TM WHOLESALE also secured bandwidth capacity upgrades for major Domestic Wholesale Data solutions and services. Internationally, TM WHOLESALE strengthened its partnership ecosystem with more global telcos and hyperscalers for International Data services. TM WHOLESALE also secured more deals with global telcos and hyperscalers for International Ethernet services. It also expanded its digital media delivery network ecosystem with growth from domestic and international digital content players. Focused on value creation and ESG for sustainable growth TM continues to focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles of sustainable and ethical business practices in serving the nation: Governance: TM is committed to uncompromising integrity. All its suppliers have signed the TM Integrity Pledge and more than 90% of Warga TM have progressively completed the Uncompromising Integrity e-learning module. TM also ensures that its corruption mitigation practices are independently certified - having completed the Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) certification and the Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan (OACP). Social: TM aims to deliver social impact by ensuring the wellbeing of its Warga TM and the nation. TM is committed to bridging connectivity through the JENDELA plan. TM remains fully supportive of the Government's recovery plan - "Pelan Pemulihan Negara" - via its connectivity, digital infrastructure and solutions as well as various social contributions. Environment: TM continuously strives to reduce its annual carbon emissions from electricity usage through the retirement of old networks, implementation of an Energy Management System and improvement of energy-saving practices. TM is continuously improving these sustainability efforts while at the same time upholding its commitment to its stakeholders. Imri Mokhtar, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of TM commenting on the results: "I am pleased to report that we have recorded a solid performance in the first half of the year and we are on track to meet our 2021 targets in line with market guidance. Coming off an exceptional first quarter, we recorded notable improvements in our 1H 2021 revenue and profitability against the same period last year. "This was driven by higher revenue achieved by all of our customer segments – unifi, TM ONE & TM WHOLESALE and better cost efficiency. The current nationwide movement control order (MCO) has certainly influenced our business landscape and customer operations, but we are delighted with the momentum of our value programmes and the commitment of our frontliners. "Our revenue in 1H2021 recorded an increase of 8.2% at RM5.57 billion against RM5.15 billion in the same period last year, driven by revenue growth from all customer segments. Our EBIT has increased by 29.9% from RM752.4 million to RM977.3 million. Malaysia's economic growth outlook for 2021 continues to be challenging with the prolonged movement restrictions brought about by Covid-19. Notwithstanding the headwinds, our role remains. We will continue to serve the nation by meeting the demand for internet and data, both at the retail and wholesale fronts. This is evident through the acceleration of the number of ports deployed and the fibre network expansion under our Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) commitment, which is well ahead of schedule. We remain steadfast and will leverage our comprehensive connectivity, digital infrastructure and other smart solutions to support the nation's digital aspirations under the MyDIGITAL blueprint.
TMpoint Kajang reports one (1) new positive Covid-19 case
Safety protocols activated – outlet closed for sanitisation till 27 December 2020 Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) wishes to confirm one (1) new positive case of COVID-19 amongst its employees at TMpoint Kajang on 13 December 2020. The employee is currently receiving treatment at a Government hospital. Following the confirmed case, TM has taken immediate action to close its TMpoint Kajang until 27 December 2020 for disinfection and sanitisation in accordance to the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health (MoH). Meanwhile, other TMpoint outlets remain in operations in adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as well as TM’s added safety guidelines to ensure our customers continue to be served. TM management and staff are together praying for the speedy recovery of all those affected by the pandemic. Meanwhile, detailed contact tracing is being carried out by the MoH, assisted by TM’s COVID-19 Crisis Response Team (CRT), to identify and inform those whom had close contact with the positive case. Identified close contacts are being contacted by MoH for further advice and action. TM would like to remind everyone at all times to stay safe – practice social distancing, maintain personal hygiene and adhere to the SOPs as advised by the Government. TM would like to reiterate that it has taken and will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of its customers, employees and community.
unifi encourages MSMEs to maximise Government Digitalisation Grant and accelerate their digitalisation journey with its suite of digital-first solutions
Government’s announcement to increase digitalisation grant to RM200 million next year is a big step in the right direction unifi is set to accelerate MSMEs in their digitalisation plans with its complete range of digital-first solutions. This comes after the Government’s announcement to raise the Digitalisation Grant for Malaysian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to RM200 million next year. The increase is a big step in the right direction and is expected to have a significant impact on the push for digitalisation especially in a period when businesses are looking at technology to fast track their road to recovery and beyond. Along this road to recovery, unifi Business has positioned itself to become the preferred digitalisation enabler for MSMEs with its digital-first solutions while playing its part as a responsible corporate citizen in supporting the Government’s push to digitalise MSMEs. Anand Vijayan, Chief Commercial Officer of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) said MSMEs should fully utilise this opportunity to accelerate their digitalisation journey and unifi Business is here to support them. “The decision to raise the digitalisation grant to RM200 million is a big move in the right direction and we’re ready to support the needs of MSMEs in Malaysia that want to accelerate their digitalisation journey.” “As a government-appointed Technology Service Provider Partner (TSP) under the MSME Digitalisation Grant, we have the complete range of digitalisation solutions for MSMEs in every step of their digitalisation journey,” said Anand during a virtual media briefing session held today. Since unifi launched its bespoke initiative that leverages on the Digitalisation Grant in August this year, the response from MSMEs have been overwhelming, further strengthening the brand’s position as the digital partner of choice among the MSMEs. Currently, unifi serves a significant portion of the nation’s MSME ecosystem with more than 375,000 MSMEs subscribed its solutions nationwide. Under this Grant, MSME entrepreneurs can subscribe to unifi Business Solution packages with savings of up to 50% across 12 months. In addition, unifi is offering prizes worth RM1.5 million to encourage MSME entrepreneurs to start digitising their businesses. Meanwhile, Mohamad Yusman Ammeran, unifi Head of SME Segment who was also present at the session said feedback from MSMEs showed that digitalisation served as a booster that helped these businesses recover and thrive. “The pandemic has transformed the business landscape in Malaysia and digitalisation is the way forward. We see a positive impact in the many businesses that we’ve supported during this very challenging period and I’m happy to see that many not only recover but have thrived thanks to our digitalisation solutions despite the challenges,” said Mohamad Yusman. unifi has a host of solutions to cater to the different needs of individual MSMEs. These include Microsoft 365 which allows businesses to increase productivity with real-time solutions to connect and collaborate anytime, anywhere. This solution also offers access to files in real time across multiple devices while ensuring a high degree of data integrity. For new businesses venturing into the digital marketplace, unifi offers a comprehensive Digital Marketing Solution where they can enhance their online presence with increased visibility especially on social media. Another unifi Business innovation is the cari@unifi Premium Listing site, a solution that allows businesses to reach a wider customer base through online listings and articles on the hugely popular local e-commerce platform, cari@unifi. In addition, unifi also organises complimentary awareness and training programs for MSMEs to increase their digital proficiency. On top of that, unifi has business consultants at 83 MSMEs Corners nationwide to provide advice and guidance to business owners – the only technology company in the country to provide such services. To encourage sign-up for the Digital Grant, unifi is also offering exciting prizes to successful applicants under its “Sign Up & Drive Away” contest. Prizes include nine (9) four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles during the contest period which will end 31 December 2021. Other interesting prizes include laptops, smartphones and tablets. For more information on unifi Business Solutions and SME Digitalisation grant offerings, please visit www.unifi.com.my/business/smegrant.
NEWSLETTER
Just drop your details and stay updated with the world of Telekom Malaysia. We promise – no spam!