21 Sep 2018
TM reiterates commitment to enhance the broadband experience of Streamyx customers
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today reiterated its support of the Government’s aspirations of improving the reach and experience of broadband services in Malaysia, and its commitment to address the issues faced by Streamyx and its loyal customers in a more comprehensive manner.
In July, TM announced its upgrade plans for Streamyx (pre-unifi) customers tounifiin coverage areas or double the speed for those in non-coverage areas. The upgrade will enable its existing broadband customers to experience faster speeds at their existing package price. Following the announcement, TM has received many enquiries and much feedback from customers who are eager to know whether they are eligible for the speed upgrade. TM is grateful for the feedback given and is working hard to realise the broadband aspirations.
TM has been continuously investing to enhance both its fibre and copper network over the years to deliver high speed broadband with wider nationwide coverage. The copper network is a legacy network and has always faced many challenges, mainly technological limitations. This requires a longer term and more permanent solution, which will take time to implement. Additionally, TM has continuously invested in the rollout of LTE 4G network and WiFi hotspots to complement its fixed network to provision broadband services anywhere, anytime via home@unifi, mobile@unifi and wifi@unifi. TM’s LTE 4G services coverage currently exceeds 77% of the household population in urban and rural areas and together with our partner, complimenting it with 90% 3G services coverage. To enable the convenience of mobility, the Company also enhanced its WiFi coverage and service quality with more than 12,000 hotspots nationwide to date.
Through its Broadband Improvement Plan which began in 2016, TM has been working hard to enhance the experience of both unifi and Streamyx customers, concurrently. Understandably, it has been easier to execute the unifi speed upgrades, which are served by fibre. TM is now giving specific focus to Streamyx and high-rise broadband customers served through its own or the buildings’ copper networks.
Imri Mokhtar, Executive Vice President of unifi, said: “Over 1 million home and business customers nationwide are today on broadband over TM’s copper network – both on landed and high-rise properties. With rising demand of a more digital lifestyle and business needs, what was before termed as a high speedinternet’, may not cut it anymore. We hear your 1 million voices. We remain committed as Malaysia’s nation building partner to invest and build the needed network that brings value to our customers, shareholders and other key stakeholders and for the country’s digital economy.”
“Based on our customer and network analytics, over 340,000 customers reside in a fibre broadband area, but are somehow not yet part of the 1.26 million unifi community. To date, we have successfully upgraded nearly 50% of these customers to unifi at no extra cost to their current bill. We urge remaining customers to grab this opportunity and complete this attractive unifi upgrade exercise by March 2019,” he added.
Imri explained: “Starting from 2010, TM has continuously expanded Malaysia’s fibre broadband coverage. Nonetheless, such coverage is yet to reach all of our existing broadband customers. Copper limitation is more pronounced for Streamyx customers, with 8Mbps being the best broadband speed that can be delivered today. We value your trust and sincerely appreciate your loyalty and more so for your patience and understanding. Where technically possible, we shall double the Streamyx speed at no extra cost to your current broadband bill. Close to 180,000 Streamyx customers can look forward to this free upgrade.”
Streamyx customers who are eligible for the speed upgrade will be contacted via email and phone. TM urges customers to update their latest contact details i.e., telephone number and email address to facilitate this process. This can be done both via the unifi portal and unifi care app. To address the remaining Streamyx customers, TM is working towards a more definitive solution and has initiated discussions with major stakeholders to deliver better broadband experience nationwide by exploring various fit-for-purpose technologies.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Communities in Sri Aman can now enjoy TM’s unifi high speed broadband service
unifi, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) Group’s premier Convergence Communications Services Provider is officially made available in Sri Aman, Sarawak with the recent launch of the high speed broadband service in the area - further strengthening TM’s presence as Malaysia’s Convergence Champion, bringing unlimited experiences, unmatched choices and unbeatable value to more Malaysians. The launch was officiated by Y.B. Dato’ Masir Kujat, Deputy Home Minister who is also the Member of Parliament of Sri Aman, together with Jafer Sadig Abdul Lathiff, Acting State General Manager, TM Sarawak. Speaking at the event, Jafer said, “The launch of unifi in Sri Aman signifies our milestone in the deployment of unifi to towns outside the major cities of Sarawak. This initiative directly supports the state’s Digital Economy Transformation agenda and as Malaysia’s Convergence Champion, TM is committed to empower our customers across all segments, delivering an enhanced digital lifestyle to more Malaysians. By making unifi available in Sri Aman, TM does not only reach out to our customers, but also to enable the local communities, particularly here in Sarawak to experience TM’s full suite of offerings. With the speed of 100Mbps, our unifi packages will definitely enable you to do so much more!” “We are committed to continue empowering a digital lifestyle for all Malaysians by offering comprehensive suite of converged services across all segments – fixed, mobile and nomadic. As technologies evolved, we offer steady reduction in price per Mbps over the years hence increasing our customers’ affordability. For local businesses, TM is excited to be an enabler and accelerator of your business opportunities so your business can grow and expand beyond boundaries. TM as the trusted partner in nation-building initiatives, has been investing in sub-urban and rural areas in addressing digital divide for national interest and we remain steadfast in our role as the country’s key enabler for national communications infrastructure,” Jafer elaborated. Meanwhile, YB Dato Masir Kujat said, “The unifi service offering in Sri Aman is timely considering the state of Sarawak is currently embarking on digital economy to further propel its economy growth. In order for digital economy to be implemented successfully, the telecommunication infrastructure to support high-speed internet connectivity needs to be made available with the latest fiber optic technology. The network has to be extensive throughout the state not only covering the urban areas but also the sub-urban and rural areas. This is to ensure that the rural communities are not left behind in experiencing the high-speed internet hence reducing the digital gap with their urban counterparts.” Besides the existing unifi LITE, ADVANCE and PRO plans with speeds of 100Mbps, TM is currently offering unifi edu and unifi ebiz packages specifically for students and e-entrepreneurs. The unifi edu package offers broadband access that comes with unifi wifi at an attractive price to support the development of youth and IPT students with access, which they can utilise to further improve their academic performance, wherever they are at their convenience. Meanwhile, in addressing the needs of key economic drivers such as technopreneurs, as well as to support the local SMEs and start-ups, unifi ebiz pack was introduced with the addition of ICT solution add-ons such as Instaweb, a helpful tool that enables self-built business websites and analytical capabilities to help boost their online businesses. For unifi customers who wish to remain connected even when outside their home, TM has recently launched ‘i-foundit!’ app where customers can access unifi wifi at over 7,300 unifi wifi hotspots (and growing!) nationwide. The 'i-foundit!' app can be downloaded via Google Play Store or Apple App Store for free. For more information on how TM can make your life and business easier, visit www.tm.com.my .
TM reiterates commitment to enhance the broadband experience of Streamyx customers
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today reiterated its support of the Government’s aspirations of improving the reach and experience of broadband services in Malaysia, and its commitment to address the issues faced by Streamyx and its loyal customers in a more comprehensive manner. In July, TM announced its upgrade plans for Streamyx (pre-unifi) customers tounifiin coverage areas or double the speed for those in non-coverage areas. The upgrade will enable its existing broadband customers to experience faster speeds at their existing package price. Following the announcement, TM has received many enquiries and much feedback from customers who are eager to know whether they are eligible for the speed upgrade. TM is grateful for the feedback given and is working hard to realise the broadband aspirations. TM has been continuously investing to enhance both its fibre and copper network over the years to deliver high speed broadband with wider nationwide coverage. The copper network is a legacy network and has always faced many challenges, mainly technological limitations. This requires a longer term and more permanent solution, which will take time to implement. Additionally, TM has continuously invested in the rollout of LTE 4G network and WiFi hotspots to complement its fixed network to provision broadband services anywhere, anytime via home@unifi, mobile@unifi and wifi@unifi. TM’s LTE 4G services coverage currently exceeds 77% of the household population in urban and rural areas and together with our partner, complimenting it with 90% 3G services coverage. To enable the convenience of mobility, the Company also enhanced its WiFi coverage and service quality with more than 12,000 hotspots nationwide to date. Through its Broadband Improvement Plan which began in 2016, TM has been working hard to enhance the experience of both unifi and Streamyx customers, concurrently. Understandably, it has been easier to execute the unifi speed upgrades, which are served by fibre. TM is now giving specific focus to Streamyx and high-rise broadband customers served through its own or the buildings’ copper networks. Imri Mokhtar, Executive Vice President of unifi, said: “Over 1 million home and business customers nationwide are today on broadband over TM’s copper network – both on landed and high-rise properties. With rising demand of a more digital lifestyle and business needs, what was before termed as a high speedinternet’, may not cut it anymore. We hear your 1 million voices. We remain committed as Malaysia’s nation building partner to invest and build the needed network that brings value to our customers, shareholders and other key stakeholders and for the country’s digital economy.” “Based on our customer and network analytics, over 340,000 customers reside in a fibre broadband area, but are somehow not yet part of the 1.26 million unifi community. To date, we have successfully upgraded nearly 50% of these customers to unifi at no extra cost to their current bill. We urge remaining customers to grab this opportunity and complete this attractive unifi upgrade exercise by March 2019,” he added. Imri explained: “Starting from 2010, TM has continuously expanded Malaysia’s fibre broadband coverage. Nonetheless, such coverage is yet to reach all of our existing broadband customers. Copper limitation is more pronounced for Streamyx customers, with 8Mbps being the best broadband speed that can be delivered today. We value your trust and sincerely appreciate your loyalty and more so for your patience and understanding. Where technically possible, we shall double the Streamyx speed at no extra cost to your current broadband bill. Close to 180,000 Streamyx customers can look forward to this free upgrade.” Streamyx customers who are eligible for the speed upgrade will be contacted via email and phone. TM urges customers to update their latest contact details i.e., telephone number and email address to facilitate this process. This can be done both via the unifi portal and unifi care app. To address the remaining Streamyx customers, TM is working towards a more definitive solution and has initiated discussions with major stakeholders to deliver better broadband experience nationwide by exploring various fit-for-purpose technologies.
TM turns in revenue of RM5.78 billion YTD for 1H2018 amidst challenging environment
Key Highlights of 1H2018: Performance to-date: Group Revenue of RM5.78 billion Group Reported Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) at RM1.61 billion Group Reported Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) stood at RM444.5 million; Group Normalised EBIT at RM433.0 million Group Reported Profit After Tax and Non-controlling Interests (PATAMI) was RM259.1 million; Group Normalised PATAMI stood at RM261.1 million Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today announced its financial results for the first half of the year ended 30 June 2018. The Group posted revenue of RM5.78 billion year-to-date, 2.7% lower from RM5.94 billion in the corresponding period last year. This was primarily due to a decline in voice, data and other telecommunication related services as well as provisions recognised against wholesale revenue impacted by regulatory mandated access pricing. Group Reported Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) for 1H2018 was RM1.61 billion as compared to RM1.80 billion in 1H2017 mainly due to the lower revenue. Stripping off non-operational items, such as unrealised forex loss on trade settlement, Group Normalised EBITDA was 13.9% lower, at RM1.60 billion. Group Reported Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) for 1H2018 was RM444.5 million as compared to RM560.9 million in 1H2017. Stripping off some non-operational items, in particular unrealised foreign exchange loss on international trade settlement, normalised EBIT stood at RM433.0 million. Group Reported Profit After Tax and Non-controlling Interests (PATAMI) was at RM259.1 million, whilst Group Normalised PATAMI was RM261.1 million, after setting aside non-operational items such as unrealised forex impact on borrowings and international trade settlements. Datuk Bazlan Osman, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer, TM said: "The first six months of 2018 has been very challenging for us, from rapid developments in the market to increasing regulatory pressures. Given the current landscape, these events further add challenges to our financial performance. Being cognizant of the potential impact to TM, we had revised our 2018 Headline KPIs as well as Capex guidance in early July 2018. Alongside this revision, we also launched our Performance Improvement Programme (PIP 2018) as a broad initiative to overcome the headwinds. The PIP 2018 is guided by four (4) main pillars - Revenue Uplift, Sustained Profitability, Improved Cash Flow and Increased Productivity. We expect the regulatory and sector challenges to persist in the near-to-midterm and undertaking these PIP 2018 initiatives are necessary measures to ensure the sustainability of our business for the long term." The total capital expenditure (CAPEX) for 1H2018 amounted to RM710 million or equivalent to 12.3% of revenue. Of the total capex investment, 18% was allocated for Core Network, 59% was for Access, and the balance 23% for Support Systems. “Delivering convergence and going digital remains our priority. We will continue to focus on growth, yet be more prudent in our spending and sweat our existing assets. As such, we are also revising our capex guidance for the full year to 19 – 20% of revenue.” “We currently have 2.30 million broadband customers and in terms of convergence, we saw more customers moving up the value chain with having triple-play services and above, evidenced by our convergence penetration now at 47% compared to just 37% in 2Q 2017,” he added. At the media briefing, TM also announced that its unifi Basic plan, which is a 60GB broadband-only unifi plan will now be extended to everyone beginning September 2018 (no longer exclusive for households with income of less than RM4,500 per month). “Affordability and accessibility of quality highspeed broadband services is important to TM, and we are committed to lead the charge to unlock the potential of a digitally-savvy Malaysia. As such, we are happy to announce that we are extending the unifi basic plan to all,” he concluded. Comparison: Quarter-on-Quarter (2Q2018 vs 1Q2018 Results) For the current quarter under review, Group Revenue stood at RM2.94 billion, higher by 3.1% QoQ mainly attributed to an increase in data, internet and other telecommunication related services. Group EBITDA rose 10.3% QoQ to RM845.9 million from RM766.7 million the previous quarter. Stripping off non-operational items, such as unrealised forex loss on trade settlement, Group Normalised EBITDA was 5.9% higher, at RM823.4 million. Group EBIT grew by 27.2% QoQ to RM248.9 million from RM195.6 million in 1Q2018. On a normalised basis, EBIT improved by 9.6% QoQ to RM226.4 million from RM206.6 million in 1Q2018. Group PATAMI was at RM102.0 million, lower by 35.1% QoQ from RM157.1 million in the preceding quarter, whilst Group Normalised PATAMI was RM155.8 million QoQ, higher by 48.0% QoQ, after setting aside non-operational items such as unrealised foreign exchange impact on borrowings and international trade settlements. Comparison: Year-on-Year (2Q2018 vs 2Q2017 Results) For the current quarter under review, Group Revenue stood at RM2.94 billion, lower by 1.5% YoY mainly due to voice and data services. Group EBIT stood at RM248.9 million, lower by 3.2% YoY from RM257.1 million in 2Q2017. On a normalised basis, EBIT was lower by 25.6% YoY to RM226.4 million from RM304.5 million in 2Q2017. Group PATAMI stood at RM102.0 million, less 51.5% as compared to 2Q2017; whilst Normalised PATAMI also decreased 25.1% YoY to RM155.8 million from RM208.0 million in 2Q2017. Prospects for the Current Financial Year Ending 31 December 2018 The recent regulatory challenges and market environment have had major impact to the overall revenue estimates and earnings of TM Group in the current quarter. TM anticipates that the challenging environment will persist for both of our retail and wholesale segments. In the midst of these challenges, TM will continue our focus towards strengthening performance of our core business and operations.
NEWSLETTER
Just drop your details and stay updated with the world of Telekom Malaysia. We promise – no spam!