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Tag: Celcom

  • Revolutionizing Workplace Wellness: CelcomDigi Debuts 5G-Enhanced MediHub for Comprehensive Employee Healthcare

    Revolutionizing Workplace Wellness: CelcomDigi Debuts 5G-Enhanced MediHub for Comprehensive Employee Healthcare

    CelcomDigi Berhad, a leading telecommunications company, has launched MediHub, a state-of-the-art healthcare facility utilizing 5G technology. The aim of this facility is to provide its employees with readily available professional healthcare services within their work environment.

    The MediHub: A Comprehensive Healthcare Solution

    MediHub, located within the CelcomDigi compound, is a comprehensive health solution offering both physical and mental health services. It functions as an accessible platform for employees to engage in virtual consultations with licensed healthcare professionals, including medical practitioners, psychiatrists, and psychologists. The primary objective of MediHub is not just to treat illnesses, but also to create a safe and supportive atmosphere for employees to thrive professionally.

    Specialized Areas within MediHub

    The facility comprises two main areas: the Care Room and the Mind Room. The former is a virtual clinic that allows employees to consult with licensed medical practitioners via MediDoc, a secure telehealth platform. As such, employees can receive medical advice, diagnoses, and prescriptions without leaving their workplace. Alongside this, the MediKiosk, a smart health station, performs quick vital checks and provides instant health reports to ensure accurate, real-time data forms the basis of each consultation.

    The Mind Room, on the other hand, focuses on mental wellness. It provides a private space for employees to receive counselling and emotional support from licensed psychiatrists and psychologists. This room also houses stress management sessions and a relaxation area. Moreover, the Mind Room offers self-assessment tools like DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21) to help employees understand their emotional health and proactively work towards mental resilience.

    CelcomDigi’s Commitment to Employee Wellbeing

    T. Kugan, Chief Innovation Officer of CelcomDigi, emphasized the company’s dedication to utilizing technology for improving everyday healthcare for its employees. He highlighted how the integration of 5G connectivity with AI-driven solutions from CelcomDigi’s AI Experience Centre (AiX) can deliver accessible healthcare facilities. He further noted that these innovations are contributing to the betterment of Malaysian enterprises and the nation, as well as supporting the holistic wellbeing of their organization.

    CelcomDigi is deeply committed to the wellbeing of its employees and exemplifies this by consistently promoting an inclusive, high-performing work environment. In 2024, it became the first Malaysian organization to achieve ISO 45003:2021 certification, underlining its commitment to a resilient, people-centric culture.

    AiX Innovations in Healthcare

    MediHub represents the application of CelcomDigi’s AiX innovations, combining 5G connectivity and AI to deliver scalable and convenient healthcare solutions. With the support of over 56 local and international ecosystem partners, AiX integrates more than 61 solutions across eight verticals, with 28 use cases already in place. This initiative demonstrates the practical applications of digital healthcare in providing real-time connectivity, AI-driven insights, and a seamless experience.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the purpose of the MediHub?
    The MediHub is designed to provide accessible professional healthcare services to CelcomDigi’s employees within their workplace. It focuses not only on treating illnesses but also fostering a supportive environment for professional growth.

    What services does the MediHub offer?
    The MediHub offers both physical and mental health services. It enables virtual consultations with medical practitioners, psychiatrists, and psychologists. The hub also provides stress management sessions, a relaxation area, and self-assessment tools for mental health.

    How does CelcomDigi use technology to enhance healthcare?
    CelcomDigi utilizes 5G connectivity and AI-driven solutions to provide scalable and convenient healthcare services. The company’s AI Experience Centre (AiX) integrates these technologies to deliver real-time connectivity and insights, demonstrating the practical applications of digital healthcare.

  • CelcomDigi Launches Innovative AI Traffic Solution to Alleviate Congestion in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

    CelcomDigi Launches Innovative AI Traffic Solution to Alleviate Congestion in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

    CelcomDigi has joined forces with several Malaysian government authorities to launch a pilot program featuring an artificial intelligence-powered traffic intelligence platform in Petaling Jaya. This ambitious initiative unites MyDigital Corporation, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), and Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) in a concerted effort to test a comprehensive solution aimed at managing urban mobility through advanced analytics. The project is a crucial part of the Digital Economy Blueprint, aligning with Malaysia’s vision for smart cities.

    Tackling Urban Congestion Head-On

    In collaboration with MBPJ, CelcomDigi aims to combat chronic congestion, extended wait times at intersections, and pressing road safety issues. The pilot program is being implemented in high-traffic zones such as PJ Sentral, SS2, and stretches of the Damansara–Puchong Expressway (LDP)—areas notorious for gridlock and frustration. Amidst the data streams, a little AI magic suggests there could even be a way for drivers to find a better route than the usual “shortcut through the neighborhood”.

    Transforming Traffic Management with AI

    The innovative platform will merge CelcomDigi’s data with existing council systems, allowing for real-time traffic insights to fine-tune traffic light cycles, enhance urban planning, and recommend alternative routes during peak congestion, construction, or emergencies. By deploying predictive analytics, the platform aims to alleviate bottlenecks and optimize traffic flow, serving as a critical tool for long-term infrastructure planning. The tactical suggestions generated could enable authorities to respond more swiftly to traffic snarls, showcasing the powerful intersection of AI and 5G technology in modernizing public infrastructure.

    A Collective Step Towards Smarter Cities

    At the launch event, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo praised this collaboration, highlighting how it exemplifies the potential of strategic partnerships among governmental bodies, industry leaders, and technology providers to propel Malaysia’s smart city ambitions. CelcomDigi’s Acting CEO, Albern Murty, emphasized that this pilot signifies a transformative opportunity where connectivity and artificial intelligence converge to tackle urban challenges effectively. Adding to the sentiment, Petaling Jaya Mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon noted that the initiative promises not only to enhance the lives of local residents but also aims to set a precedent for other Malaysian cities to follow suit.

    Building a Digital Foundation for Future Growth

    This initiative is also in synergy with the National Digital Network (JENDELA), a broader plan focused on fortifying Malaysia’s digital infrastructure. Should the pilot yield positive results, the scope could expand to encompass other urban areas, fostering a more connected and sustainable transportation ecosystem across the nation.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the main goal of the CelcomDigi pilot program?
    The primary objective of the CelcomDigi pilot program is to leverage an AI-powered traffic intelligence platform to optimize urban mobility in Petaling Jaya, addressing issues like congestion, long wait times, and road safety.

    How does the AI platform improve traffic management?
    By integrating real-time traffic data with council systems, the platform generates actionable insights to refine traffic light cycles, guide urban planning, and suggest diversions during peak times or emergencies, ultimately aiming to reduce bottlenecks and improve traffic flow.

    What are the potential future implications of this initiative?
    If successful, the traffic intelligence platform could serve as a blueprint for other urban centers in Malaysia, supporting the development of a more connected and sustainable transportation ecosystem while complementing national digital infrastructure initiatives.

  • Celcom Partners With Allo to Boost Connectivity Solutions

    Celcom Partners With Allo to Boost Connectivity Solutions

    Celcom has announced that it has signed a partnership deal with Allo aimed at improving telco-related services and connectivity solutions.

    Among the areas that they seek to focus on are fiberization, network resiliency, connectivity, information and communications technology (ICT), internet of things (IoT), 5G and smart solutions.

    In a statement, Celcom said the partnership will enable a faster fiber infrastructure rollout by Allo while facilitating the rapid deployment of high-speed broadband in targeted industrial areas, network base stations and fiberization of Celcom-selected sites.

    The collaboration between Malaysia’s major telecom provider and Allo, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), will also seek to speed up the progress of smart cities through digital connectivity by both parties.

    “The development of a good digital ecosystem requires the cooperation between various sectors, including public and private sectors, towards achieving the nation’s aspirations that have been outlined in the government’s plans for the benefit of the people. Today’s initiative should be continued because the cooperation between companies will of course bring results that have high impacts to the people and the nation,” said Dato Sri Haji Mohammad Mentek.

    TNB President and CEO Dato’ Indera Ir. Baharin Din said TNB, through Allo, is fully committed to undertaking efforts that benefit the nation’s economic recovery and supports the Government’s initiatives to make lives better and brighter for Malaysians.

    “By leveraging on over 25,000km of TNB’s fiber optic infrastructure, Allo has peninsula-wide coverage to support a rapid and cost-effective deployment of high-speed broadband connectivity services. We believe the digital economy sector is crucial to the future development of Malaysia’s economy by supporting the growth of the nation’s GDP. Our role as the catalyst for the nation’s economy is closely related to the implementation of a modern, reliable, and extensive connectivity network as underlined in the MoU between Allo and Celcom today. Through a reliable connectivity ecosystem that is offered by Allo and Celcom, it can be a driving force for comprehensive value creation across the industry, the development of smart cities, and the ability to transform the socio-economic landscape in Malaysia,” he said.

    Commenting on the collaboration, Datuk Idham Nawawi, chief executive officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad said that Celcom and Allo’s strategic partnership will leverage the strengths of both organizations towards the acceleration of digitalization across Malaysian Homes and Enterprises as well as      significantly boost network operational efficiency.

    “The opportunity to provide high quality and affordable fibre connectivity to homes across the nation is immense, and through this partnership, both parties can play a much larger role and make significant impacts towards digitising Malaysian societies. The strength of Celcom with the widest mobile network and the potential reach of Allo’s fibre via TNB’s infrastructure opens this partnership to a world of new opportunities,” Idham said.

    The collaboration is also expected to boost efforts from Allo and Celcom to drive connectivity and digitalization across industries with technology solutions and services such as ICT cybersecurity solutions, cloud, data centers and managed services, as well as IoT smart city solutions.

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  • Celcom-Digi Merger Granted Clearance By Malaysian Authorities

    Celcom-Digi Merger Granted Clearance By Malaysian Authorities

    Malaysia’s communications regulator has given Celcom and Digi the greenlight to advance on their proposed joint venture.

    According to a statement released by Digi, Telenor Group’s Malaysian subsidiary, the two major telecom operators have “received a Notice of No Objection from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)” to go ahead with the proposal.

    The notice came a year after Celcom and Digi submitted the merger application to the government. With it, both companies are now moving forward to deliver improved network quality and coverage. The merged companies are expecting to invest in network expansion to back the increasing demand for data and digitalization.

    Furthermore, Digi and Celcom are now planning to boost 5G capabilities.

    Chairman of Axiata, Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, was quoted in the statement as saying, “We thank the MCMC for their approval and guidance to reach this significant milestone. We reiterate our commitment to ensure that the proposed merger delivers benefits to the nation as a whole. It is aimed at combining the best of Celcom and Digi so that our customers and community have good options in accessing solutions to participate more equitably in this digital era.”

    Meanwhile, Digi’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Haakon Bruaset Kjoel, added,  “Today brings us a step closer to creating a strong Malaysian company with the combined scale, experience, network, and innovation leadership to drive Malaysia’s digital growth in the coming years. Together, Celcom and Digi will bring better innovations to meet our customers’ growing digital needs and for all participating in the digital economy to capture new growth opportunities in a fast-changing world. We will now focus on completing the remaining necessary steps to conclude this transaction and work on delivering a seamless integration programme to bring the vision and value of the merged entity to reality for the benefit of many.”

    The completion of the merger will now be determined by the decision of the Securities Commission, Bursa Malaysia, by both Axiata and Digi shareholders, and other customary terms and conditions. The new merged company will then be named Celcom Digi Berhad and will continue to be listed on Bursa Malaysia.

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  • Malaysia confirms utilizing SWN model for 5G implementation

    Malaysia confirms utilizing SWN model for 5G implementation

    The Malaysian government is sticking to its plan of deploying 5G through a single wholesale network (SWN). In a joint statement from the ministries of finance and communications and multimedia, up to 70% equity in the wholly state-owned 5G company, Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), will be available to telcos.

    Malaysian finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz emphasized that the maintenance of the SWN model is the government’s firm stance on policy continuity. “The implementation of 5G will drive the country’s socio-economic transformation and this is estimated to contribute RM 659 billion to the value of GDP until 2030,” Aziz explained.

    The finalized decision has come in contrast to the concerns among wireless carriers that a single, shared 5G network could hamper digital competitiveness. Nonetheless, the government will retain a 30% equity stake in DNB while the majority of the stakes are intended for operators. It is worthy to note that this special-purpose vehicle company was established in early March 2021 to drive 5G infrastructure development in Malaysia.

    Accessing DNB’s 5G network is estimated to cost less than what major local telecom operators such as Celcom Axiata, Digi, Maxis, and U Mobile have incurred during 4G rollouts. In line with this, DNB has offered free 5G services to service providers until March 31 as part of its commercial trial. Aiming to achieve 80% coverage of populated areas by 2024, the trial is bound to be extended until June 30 to allow more operators to sign up.

    Access to high-quality 5G services would accelerate the recovery of the post-pandemic Malaysian economy. Moreover, “the SWN model will help bridge the urban-rural digital divide to enable all Malaysians to enjoy high-quality 5G services and be widely available to them through telecommunications companies,” said Malaysian communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa.

    In retrospect, the Malaysian government refused the prior recommendation of having a dual wholesale network (DWN) model and selected Ericsson to develop the country’s 5G network infrastructure.

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  • 211 operators globally investing in 5G

    211 operators globally investing in 5G

    At least 211 operators across 87 countries are investing in 5G, according to statistics compiled by consultancy company Hadden Telecoms.

    Operators investing in 5G are at a variety of stages, ranging from network deployments, to technology testing, demonstrations and pilot trials.

    To date, 15 operators have commercially launched 5G services, including Telstra and Optus in Australia, which are offering fixed wireless 5G services on the 3.6-GHz band. Vodafone Australia and the market’s national broadband network operator NBN Co are also investing in 5G.

    South Korea’s KT, LG U+ and SK Telecom meanwhile switched on their 3.5-GHz 5G networks last year, initially for enterprise customers only, and are planning to simultaneously launch commercial services for consumers shortly.

    The list of operators investing in 5G in Asia Pacific also includes China’s big three operators China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, Hong Kong’s 3 Hong Kong, China Mobile Hong Kong, HKT and SmarTone, and India’s Bharti Airtel, BSNL and Reliance Jio Infocomm.

    In Japan, KDDI, NTT Docomo, Rakuten Mobile and Softbank are spending heavily on 5G, while Malaysia’s Celcom, DiGi, Maxis, Telekom Malaysia and U Mobile and the Philippines’ Globe and PLDT are also trialing the technology.

    Singapore’s M1, Singtel and StarHub, Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata and Mobitel, Taiwan’s APT, Chunghwa Telecom, Far EasTone and Taiwan Mobile, Thailand’s AIS, Dtac, TOT and TrueMove and Vietnam’s Viettel are also at various stages of 5G development.

    “Operators globally are preparing for the large-scale introduction of 5G, the first services have launched, and the devices ecosystem is rapidly building and poised for the imminent scale availability of a range of smartphone models,” Hadden Telecoms director Alan Hadden said.

    “Dozens more operators are expected to launch their respective 5G services in the coming 12 months.”

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  • Celcom Axiata enters partnership with ZEE5

    Celcom Axiata enters partnership with ZEE5

    Malaysia’s Celcom Axiata has formed a partnership with Indian video content provider ZEE5 and telco API ecosystem provider Apigate to offer access to the ZEE5 content portfolio to its subscribers.

    Under the three-way agreement, Celcom will use Apigate’s Direct Carrier Billing API to provide customers with a secure payment mode to subscribe to ZEE5’s portfolio.

    ZEE5, a subsidiary of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, offers around 100,000 hours of Indian movies, TV shows, news and original content across 11 Indian languages and English.

    ZEE International CEO Amit Goenka said securing partnerships like the one with Celcom is a key component of the company’s aggressive global rollout plan for the next fiscal year.

    “Malaysia is a high focus market for us, given its huge affinity for Indian and South Asian content and growing appetite for online video content,” he said.

    “We will soon be launching content in international languages too including Malay, and we are extremely glad to partner with a key local operator like Celcom to jointly grow the opportunity in this market.”

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  • Samsung buys Spanish AI firm Zhilabs in prep for 5G

    Samsung buys Spanish AI firm Zhilabs in prep for 5G

    Samsung Electronics announced that it has acquired Barcelona-based artificial intelligence startup Zhilabs in a bid to further enhance its 5G capabilities.

    Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

    Zhilabs will be fully owned by Samsung, but it will continue to operate independently under its own management, the South Korean vendor said in a statement.

    Zhilabs provides AI-based network and service analytics solutions and its products are used by telecoms carriers including Celcom, Maxis, NTT East, Telenor, O2, Vodafone, TIM, and Telefonica.

    Samsung said AI-based automation will play a central role in the introduction of new services driven by 5G, such as industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and connected cars, as carriers seek to implement new automated solutions and network virtualization features.

    “5G will enable unprecedented services that generate exponentially greater data traffic, for which automated and intelligent network analytics tools are vital,” said Youngky Kim, president and head of networks business at Samsung Electronics.

    “The acquisition of Zhilabs will enable Samsung to help carriers meet these demands to measure and ensure the quality of each subscriber’s service experience.”

    The acquisition of Zhilabs is also part of the company’s pledge, announced in August, to invest 25 trillion won ($22 billion) in AI, 5G, automotive electronics components and biopharmaceuticals technologies.

  • Axiata Q1 profit falls 37% on rising costs

    Axiata Q1 profit falls 37% on rising costs

    Malaysia-based Axiata Group has reported a 37% slump in net profit for the first quarter ending in March, due in part to higher capex, financing and depreciation costs.

    Net profit fell to 368 million ringgit ($90.1 million) despite a 5.4% year-on-year increase in revenue to 5 billion ringgit.

    Axiata’s domestic subsidiary Celcom Axiata had what the company called a “challenging quarter,” with revenue declining 13.4% year-on-year.

    As a result of new regulations, Celcom had to temporarily suspend almost all value added services during the quarter due to customer complaints, resulting in VAS revenue falling by 19.8%. Celcom’s normalized profit fell 22.3%.

    But Indonesia’s XL Axiata had a strong first quarter, with net profit more than doubling and revenue growing 2.5% as a result of the strong performance of the Axis brand, acquired in 2014.

    Axiata Group also reported a steady performance in its emerging markets segment of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Cambodia. But the contributions from regional associates Idea Cellular in India nd M1 in Singapore both declined.

    “The first quarter showed mixed results with XL, Dialog and Smart performing exceptionally well while Celcom’s performance impacted the Group’s results,” Axiata Group CEO Dato’ Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim said.

    “However, I am pleased to note there are many positive signs; Celcom has been aggressively rolling out more LTE sites and a number of competitive and exciting data products and services over the last two months. I am confident with these initiatives in place, Celcom will be back on track to finish the year respectably.”

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  • Celcom excludes Nokia from 4G upgrade project

    Celcom excludes Nokia from 4G upgrade project

    Malaysia’s Celcom Axiata has excluded Nokia from its new five-year 4G network upgrade project, cutting its selection of vendor partners down to just Huawei and Ericsson.

    The company has signed an infrastructure agreement with Huawei and Ericsson for a project expected to have capex costs of up to 2.2 billion ringgit ($566.7 million).

    Celcom’s existing network infrastructure was built based on a three-partner collaboration of Nokia, Ericsson Malaysia and Huawei. But Celcom chief of operations Ramanathan Sathiamutty said the operator is cutting its partners down to two to streamline partner management

    Under the new contract, Ericsson and Huawei will be responsible for the full turnkey delivery of a radio access network to support the 4G rollout and prepare for the introduction of 5G.

    Celcom has budgeted between 1.8 billion and 2.2 billion ringgit as capex for the rollout. The amount spent will be contingent on whether Malaysia introduces spectrum refarming for the 900-MHz and 1800-MHz bands – if refarming is announced, the budget will be 2.2 billion ringgit.

    The operator said the upgrade will allow the company to offer broader coverage with fewer sites, allowing it to realize group-level cost savings.

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  • Central Market signs up to 11street Malaysia

    Central Market signs up to 11street Malaysia

    One of Kuala Lumpur’s oldest and most famous markets for cultural items and handcrafts is about to have an online sales outlet, through 11street Malaysia.

    Central Market has signed a memorandum of understanding with the online marketplace to make its retailers’ offerings available. This will enable customers anywhere to browse and buy products from Central Market’s diverse mix of retailers, including home and living, fashion, sports and leisure, electronics and even groceries.

    11street - Central Market 2

    “This strategic collaboration will enable a business that started in the 19th century to make its products available across the country through a 21st-century medium,” says 11street CEO Hoseok Kim. Dating back to 1888, the market has 300 tenants and has become a landmark for souvenir shopping.

    “Collaborating with 11street has been a fantastic development for us,” says Central Market complex manager Cheong Wai Mun. “One of the secrets of Central Market’s unbroken track record of success has been its location within the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Being close to a public transportation hub has also helped make it a major attraction for both tourists and Malaysians. Now, with the brand new presence on 11street, Central Market has broken its reliance on geography.”

    Market tenants have welcomed the move.

    “All of Central Market’s tenants will benefit from the solid marketing support 11street offers its clients,” says Kim. “That includes education and training programs that cover effective product listing, digital content strategy, integrated online marketing, and photography.”

    To mark the launch, a series of promotional offers and discounts of nearly 40 per cent will be offered by Central Market tenants on 11street until next February.

    New ambassadors

    Meanwhile, 11street has announced that actor/entertainer Zizan Razak and YouTube singer Elizabeth Tan will be its brand ambassadors this year.

     

    11street ad

    They will make their first appearance at 11street’s first anniversary celebrations, at Nu Sentral Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur on April 11. Also attending will be celebrity influencers Intan Ladyana and Atikah Suhaime. will present to the jubilant birthday celebration.

    During the event, 11street will be announcing its collaboration with Xpax, a prepaid brand for youth under Celcom Axiata.

    Leading up to the event, 11street is running on-site promotions from April 1, with discount coupons for customers. There is also a contest with a helicopter ride followed by a dinner with Razak and Tan as a prize.

    Established in Korea in 2008, 11street has 400,000 sellers serving more than 30 million consumers worldwide.

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