Tag: Singtel

  • Singtel Advances Quantum-Safe Cybersecurity with Key Partnerships

    Singtel Advances Quantum-Safe Cybersecurity with Key Partnerships

    The enhancement integrates Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) technologies—designed to withstand the advanced computational capabilities of quantum computers—from cybersecurity leaders, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet, into Singtel’s nationwide Quantum Safe Network (QSN).

    Through its collaboration with Palo Alto Networks, Singtel will implement a PQC-powered IPSec VPN, utilizing the latest encryption standards from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology to secure data transmission and authentication.

    Fortinet’s role includes integrating Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and PQC solutions to foster a secure, scalable, and commercially viable QSN. This partnership will leverage Fortinet’s quantum-resistant PQC software, encryption hardware, and advanced security platforms to build robust quantum-safe architectures tailored for enterprise needs.

    These joint efforts will ensure the security of encryption keys across key applications like identity, mobility, and authentication, providing enterprises with stronger resilience against potential quantum-enabled cyber threats.

    Keith Leong, Managing Director, Enterprise, Singtel Singapore, stated, “Quantum computing presents a significant threat to traditional encryption methods, and has the potential to disrupt our digital economy by potentially decrypting sensitive data, exposing businesses to significant risks. The addition of Palo Alto Network and Fortinet’s enhanced software solutions to our QSN ensures our enterprise customers get more industry-leading choices to secure their business against both current and future quantum threats, regardless of their hardware requirements. We encourage enterprises to take the  necessary steps to secure their critical assets sooner rather than later.”

    Steven Scheurmann, Regional Vice President of Palo Alto Networks in ASEAN, highlighted Palo Alto Networks’ commitment to helping enterprises prepare for the future by integrating their quantum-resistant VPN solutions with Singtel’s Quantum-Safe Network. This collaboration aims to protect critical data from both current threats and the potential risks posed by future quantum computers.

    Jess Ng, Country Head for Singapore and Brunei at Fortinet, noted that, as quantum computing progresses, the approach to cybersecurity must evolve accordingly. She expressed Fortinet’s pride in partnering with Singtel to enhance the nation’s defenses against emerging threats, emphasizing that, “By integrating Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) into Singtel’s Quantum-Safe Network, building hybrid architecture, and leveraging quantum-safe solutions, we are helping enterprises stay ahead of future risks. Through the development of industrial and government use cases, we are committed to building a foundation for a more resilient and secure digital future.”

  • Singtel and Ericsson to Roll Out Singapore’s Most Energy-Efficient Radio Cell on 5G Network

    Singtel and Ericsson to Roll Out Singapore’s Most Energy-Efficient Radio Cell on 5G Network

    Singtel has announced the deployment of Singapore’s greenest radio cell, the Ericsson AIR 3268, to its 5G network. This is part of Singtel’s ongoing sustainability and decarbonization measures towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and paves the way for more such radio cells to be deployed across the country to augment its nationwide 5G coverage.

    The AIR 3268 radio is expected to save up to 18% more energy and weigh approximately 40% less than earlier generations of 5G radios. At just 12kg, its proportions simplify upgrades and make new site acquisitions and installations easy on towers, rooftops, poles and walls – even in challenging locations. It also makes a 5G site 76% lighter than a 4G site that typically requires multiple radios while providing the same network capacity. This further reduces Singtel’s overall 5G network energy consumption, up to 58% lower than 4G today.

    The AIR 3268 is designed to provide real-time channel estimation and ultra-precise beamforming – or elimination of undesirable noise interference – to accelerate 5G mid-band spectrum deployment and boost capacity, coverage and connectivity speeds, thus enhancing mobile experiences for customers.

    Anna Yip, chief executive officer, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “We are always looking for ways to deliver Singapore’s greenest 5G network while further reducing our carbon footprint. By integrating energy-efficient technologies into our operations and infrastructure, we aim to build a better, more sustainable future as we continue to deliver the best network performance and user experience to consumers and enterprises through our 5G solutions and services. With an optimized network, even end-users will be able to conserve energy on their mobile devices, making them part of the movement of building a better future together.”

    Martin Wiktorin, head of Ericsson Singapore and Philippines, noted, “Sustainability and energy efficiency are a priority for us at Ericsson. Deploying our energy-efficient AIR 3268 radio as part of Singtel’s 5G network is a significant step in our larger sustainability plan, which is focused on breaking the energy curve by activating energy-saving software, building 5G with precision and operating the site infrastructure intelligently. This will serve to manage mobile traffic growth while reducing energy consumption.”

    Deployment Simplicity and Improved Energy Efficiency

    Singtel 5G is a greener technology with higher data transfer rates compared to any previous wireless technology generation, working on a wide spectrum of 100 MHz, which provides cell capacity comparable to four Singtel 4G bands combined.

    The deployment of the AIR 3268, the lightest and smallest Massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) in the industry, is another step in Singtel’s energy-saving improvements as it explores smart and sustainable mobile technologies that optimize power and energy utilization in its operations.

  • SingPost names new CEO for international

    SingPost names new CEO for international

    Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) has elected Mr Li Yu as CEO for its international business with effect from 12 September 2022.

    Mr Yu possesses over 17 years of experience spanning across Engineering, Operations, Project Management, Customer/Sales support, Strategy, and Technology implementation. He joins SingPost’s management team from United Parcel Service (UPS), where he was most recently responsible for its APAC Global Logistics and Distribution.

    Yu also has experience in transformational P&L and commercial leadership under his belt. He had led an eCommerce portfolio as part of the broader logistics line of business, and grew businesses including those in the eCommerce, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail sectors in previous posts.

    Mr Yu will be establishing long and short-term business strategies for the International businesses, strengthening its corporate and board governance focusing on operational excellence, transformational growth, social responsibility, and sustainability.

    He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science, Industrial Engineering from University of Toronto in Canada. He has lived and worked in North America, Shanghai, and Singapore.

  • Singtel and Intel Launch 5G MEC Incubator for Sustainable Enterprise Digitalization

    Singtel and Intel Launch 5G MEC Incubator for Sustainable Enterprise Digitalization

    Singtel has announced a strategic partnership with Intel to establish a 5G multi-access edge compute (MEC) incubator to unlock the potential of 5G connectivity and high-performance computing at the edge. This jointly established, next-generation 5G MEC incubator enables enterprises to develop new 5G use cases and advance the development of innovation applications across verticals.

    The incubator will be supported by Singtel’s Paragon, a one-stop orchestration platform for 5G edge computing and cloud services, and powered by Intel’s 4th Gen Xeon Scalable processors and Intel Data Center GPU, to enable enterprises to plan for 5G adoption in advance.

    Having reached nationwide 5G standalone coverage in Singapore recently, Bill Chang, chief executive officer, Group Enterprise and Regional Data Centre Business, Singtel, noted in his opening address that the latest collaboration with Intel marks an important milestone in the telco’s journey as a digital enabler for enterprises to transform with 5G.

    “Singtel’s 5G network and Paragon MEC platform are transforming operations in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, smart logistics, healthcare, retail, transportation and urban planning,” said CEO Chang . “With Intel, we’re collectively bringing together our best-of-breed knowledge, expertise, assets and ecosystem to help address business needs, improve operational efficiencies, unlock new opportunities and advance in a 5G world.”

    The alliance will focus on developing the application and ISV ecosystems to deliver transformational enterprise and consumer use cases like high-definition content delivery, cloud gaming, video analytics, virtual-augmented-mixed reality and metaverse.

    Christoph Schell, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Intel, stated, “As enterprises navigate a significant digital transformation, technologies like 5G, edge, artificial intelligence and cloud play a key role in helping to deliver new use cases. Our collaboration with Singtel will help accelerate use of these technologies to solve real business challenges by utilising our unique combination of hardware and software spanning Xeon, GPUs, Smart Edge, OpenVINO and more, and also a broad portfolio of ecosystem innovations.”

    Through Singtel and Intel’s strong global ecosystem, enterprises can tap into expertise in connectivity, compute infrastructure, devices, applications and servers to power 5G use cases, including ready-to-deploy applications for rapid trials and pilots for R&D.

    Enterprises can expect always-on connectivity with high-performing applications that deliver lower latency and greater resilience to meet new business requirements. With this partnership, 5G MEC can be adopted more readily, reliably and affordably. Another key benefit is sustainable digitalization for enterprises, as Intel extends its expertise in CPU power and sustainable technology to provide sustainable technology from cloud to edge to help enterprises optimize power usage.

    As 5G continues to disrupt industries, Chang noted that growing 5G innovations with an ecosystem of partners “allows enterprises that scale 5G innovations built on the platform to gain a much larger market access through Singtel’s group of telcos in the region.”

  • Singtel to Invest Additional US$100 million into Innovative Tech

    Singtel to Invest Additional US$100 million into Innovative Tech

    Singtel plans to invest a further $100 million into Singtel Innov8, its corporate venture arm, raising its total capital commitment to $350 million. One of the earliest corporate venture capital firms in Southeast Asia, Innov8 invests in start-ups that align with Singtel Group businesses in the areas of 5G, artificial Intelligence, the digital economy, sustainability, cybersecurity and emerging technologies. It operates on an evergreen fund model, re-investing returns from portfolio exits into new investments. With the capital injection, Innov8 will further expand its portfolio of investments in Southeast Asia, the United States, China, Israel and Australia.

    “This capital infusion is meant for identifying and growing innovative start-ups with new technologies and capabilities that are synergistic and in lockstep with Singtel’s strategic reset to drive greater improvements in our core operations, accelerate our new growth engines, and place us at the forefront of new and fast-evolving areas,” said Yuen Kuan Moon, Group Chief Executive Officer of Singtel and Chairman of Singtel Innov8. “As we sharpen our business focus, we will recycle our assets and capital into selected growth areas, reshaping our portfolio to better serve our stakeholders and build momentum for the longer term.”

    Edgar Hardless, Chief Executive Officer, Singtel Innov8 added, “Singtel Innov8 is empowered to move quickly to capture investment opportunities in the fast-paced venture market. Our mandate is flexible, allowing us to invest in both early and growth stage companies. We believe in backing founders to execute on their vision and support the company’s growth through partnerships with the Singtel Group. Innov8 facilitates access to businesses units across the Group’s footprint, evangelises innovative technologies within the Group, and supports partnerships with the business units. This additional funding and our proven approach will help drive further investment deal flow and greater collaboration with the start-up ecosystem, unlocking more value for both the Group and our portfolio companies.”

  • Singtel’s 5G SA Network Exceeds 95% Nationwide Coverage

    Singtel’s 5G SA Network Exceeds 95% Nationwide Coverage

    Singtel has achieved over 95% standalone 5G nationwide coverage. This comes more than three years ahead of the regulatory target of end-2025, effectively making Singapore the first country in the world to be fully covered by standalone 5G.

    Singtel’s standalone 5G network now covers more than 1,300 outdoor locations and over 400 in-building, as well as underground, creating immense opportunities for the development of ground-breaking applications and immersive experiences for both enterprises and consumers. Singtel was officially awarded the 3.5GHz and the millimeter wave spectrum as part of the 5G license issued by the IMDA in June 2020, and an additional 2.1GHz spectrum in November 2021 which supported the achievement of this critical milestone.

    “We’re extremely excited about this important milestone for both Singtel and Singapore as nationwide standalone 5G coverage is a major leap in technology that will spur unprecedented digitalization. Despite disruptions from COVID and the knock-on impact on manpower and resources, our planners and engineers managed to accelerate our 5G deployment, working through the pandemic to lay the groundwork and build a whole new infrastructure for a secure and resilient 5G network. This means that Singapore can now exploit the full capabilities and best applications that 5G can offer, paving the way for innovation and new growth that will propel our country forward,” said Yuen Kuan Moon, Singtel’s Group Chief Executive Officer.

    He added, “As a homegrown Singaporean company, we feel honored to have provided the critical infrastructure and essential services that have sustained the nation’s progress through the years and are pleased to launch this next-generation technology to commemorate Singapore turning 57. With a world-class 5G network in place, we look forward to keep doing our part in enabling Singapore’s next phase of growth as a global smart city.”

  • Singtel and Hyundai to develop advanced manufacturing facility for 5G future

    Singtel and Hyundai to develop advanced manufacturing facility for 5G future

    Singtel has signed an agreement with Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) to deploy Singtel’s 5G infrastructure network solutions at its Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre in Singapore (HMGICS) which includes an electric vehicle production facility. The HMGICS, the first of its kind in the world, will leverage Singtel’s leading-edge 5G campus network with mobile edge core solutions that will provide uninterrupted high-speed connectivity and massive bandwidth to enhance HMGICS’s high-precision quality control in manufacturing operations.

    HMGICS is the HMG’s open innovation hub for research and development in advanced mobility ecosystems with the aim of revolutionising the future mobility value chain. Apart from introducing smart mobility solutions in areas such as electric vehicles (EV), autonomous vehicles, and new forms of mobility products and services in Singapore, the HMGICS will also serve as a testbed for human-centred intelligent manufacturing and verification of Industry 4.0 technologies. Augmented by Singtel’s capabilities in 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), and Hyundai’s deep expertise in smart automotive manufacturing solutions as well as robotics, HMGICS will be the leading facility for the development of a metaverse for the manufacturing industry.

    Lim Seng Kong, Managing Director, Singtel Enterprise Business, said, “Singtel’s 5G network and MEC solutions will overcome the performance limitations of WiFi to deliver the promise of digital twins and eventually metaverse for advanced manufacturing operations. With innovation from Hyundai and enablement from our 5G solutions, we are looking at a new concept of manufacturing where the station comes to the cell, unlocking opportunities for hyper-customisation and other novel applications. Together, we are paving the way for Singapore to be the centre for Smart Manufacturing in the region.”

    Singtel’s Paragon, an all-in-one platform for 5G networks, edge computing management and services orchestration, will enable the factory to manage and analyse the manufacturing process and performance of the networks, thus allowing real-time monitoring and feedback. Paragon will also support Hyundai’s new capability that allows customers to personalise their chosen vehicles and watch their cars being manufactured live via their smart devices. Once ready, the vehicles will be transported by specially designed autonomous guided vehicles to the Centre’s 620-metre-long Sky Track where customers can test drive them.

    Hong Bum Jung, Chief Executive Officer of HMGICS, said, “Through this partnership, HMGICS will feature the Hyundai Motor Group’s first deployment of a 5G network in vehicle manufacturing, leveraging 5G for a cloud-based centralised mobile robot management solution. We believe that Singtel’s 5G solution will not only redefine the manufacturing process, but the partnership will realise Hyundai’s vision of becoming the first mobility innovator to build a Meta-Factory concept, a digital-twin of an actual factory, supported by a metaverse platform. The game-changing Meta-Factory will enable us to test-run a factory virtually, in order to calculate the optimised plant operation and enable plant managers to solve problems without having to physically visit the plant.”

    Singtel’s 5G mobility network enables Hyundai to deliver on its “metamobility” concept, which refers to going beyond physical movements through robotics and into the metaverse to affect change in the real world – expanding the use of robots as a medium between the real and virtual worlds. Deployment of these solutions is currently underway and expected to be completed by Q4 2022. The partnership also includes continued support for another five years thereafter.

  • Singtel Further Decentralises Business Structure with Optus Decision

    Singtel Further Decentralises Business Structure with Optus Decision

    In a move to further decentralise its organisational structure, the Singtel Group has announced that its Australian subsidiary Optus will directly oversee its Optus Enterprise division with effect from 1 July 2022. This move to transfer the management of this division to Australia will effectively give Optus more operational autonomy and direct accountability.

    Singtel Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said, “Since our strategic reset a year ago, we’ve been evolving our operating model to stay relevant and maximise shareholder returns and this is another step in that direction. By adopting a decentralised opco-driven structure, we can empower our businesses to exploit commercial synergies and capabilities to drive growth. This is all the more important in today’s volatile macro-economic environment where business units need greater independence and agility to better navigate the market.” He added, “Optus has been part of the Singtel stable for two decades and a leading player in the Australian consumer market. Given the hyper digitalisation that enterprises are currently experiencing, this is also timely as Optus can focus on advancing its growth as a B2B player.”

    Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said, “This change is about delivering better outcomes for all our customers, whether they are consumers, small business, enterprise customers or wholesale customers. With a more unified and collaborative approach across Optus, we will be able to better meet the localised need of our business customer and bring solutions to market more quickly. Importantly, we still will be able to leverage the insights and global reach of Singtel, while having the autonomy to make decisions quickly.”

    Optus’ enterprise business revenue was A$1.21 billion in the financial year ended March 2022.

    Decentralisation underway 

    This decentralised organisational structure was first adopted in 2021, when ICT arm NCS was spun off from Singtel’s enterprise business and recast as a B2B digital services champion in Asia. The move has facilitated the transformation of NCS as well as its regionalisation. NCS has since expanded into Australia, a market that is key to its strategic growth. It has also diversified from its public sector client base and seen digital revenues jump to almost half of overall revenue in the last financial year.

    Yuen said, “With NCS scaling its business in Australia, we expect the combined synergies and capabilities of NCS and Optus to be mutually beneficial as both companies respond more easily to the specific needs of that market.”

    CEO appointed for regional data centre

    In 2021, the Group set up another new company under this decentralised model – a regional data centre business that builds on Singtel’s data centre operations in Singapore. Today, the Group announced the appointment of Bill Chang as CEO of this venture, with effect from 1 July 2022. Chang will assume this position in addition to leading Singtel’s enterprise portfolio as CEO, a role he has held since 2012.

    Chang said, “I’m very excited to lead the regional data centre growth business for the Group. This leverages our world class data centre expertise, excellent digital infrastructure and track record as Asia’s leading network connectivity provider to offer an integrated proposition to enterprises. With companies racing to digitalise and transform their business models and processes in the wake of the pandemic, and consumer lifestyles getting ever more digital, the growth in data traffic and demand for data centres will be unrelenting. We’re well-placed to capture the exciting growth opportunities across this region.”

    Singtel Group’s long-time business associates, Telkom in Indonesia and Gulf and AIS in Thailand are among the business’ first partners.

    The regional data centre business and NCS were identified as new digital growth engines under Singtel Group’s strategic reset announced in May 2021.

  • Singtel Launches iSHIP to Provide Industry’s First All-in-One Maritime Service

    Singtel Launches iSHIP to Provide Industry’s First All-in-One Maritime Service

    Singtel has unveiled iSHIP, an all-in-one platform providing critical satellite-enabled connectivity and digital services for the maritime industry. iSHIP’s integrated services for crew and fleet management allows ship managers and owners greater flexibility and visibility of their resources and operations, enabling better well-being of the crew, vessel safety, and operational efficiency.

    Presently, nearly 90% of all goods from finished products to food, fuel, and more are shipped over the seas — with maritime trade volume set to triple by 2050. To keep ships running and global seaborne trade flowing during the pandemic, shipping companies had to rapidly digitalize critical operations such as navigation, power supply, engine control, and cargo management which were traditionally manual tasks while ensuring ship crews stay healthy and safe.

    “Our seas are a major mode of global trade and transport. But the pandemic has disrupted global supply chains and shipping operations, driving strained crews — who are more accustomed to traditional or manual processing methods — to navigate fragmented digital resources and applications. iSHIP was specifically designed to address these challenges and provide a versatile solution for shipping companies that are accelerating digital adoption and also have decarbonization and crew welfare high on their agenda. By making it easier for ship owners and operators to procure and steward digital services and resources, they can focus on keeping the world economy running, supporting billions of people who rely on our seas for food, energy and transport,” stated Ooi Seng Keat, vice president, carrier services, over-the-top & satellite, Group Enterprise, Singtel.

    Singtel is the only operator in Southeast Asia to attain the highest certification from the World Teleport Association (WTA) for providing customers with the highest quality of security, infrastructure, and operational standards for their communications needs. With the launch of iSHIP, Singtel continues leading the industry in providing connectivity support and more for the hundreds of customers and thousands of vessels sailing the seas at any given time.

    End-to-end connectivity for smart, secure and sustainable maritime operations

    Currently, ship owners and operators are required to liaise with multiple parties to procure connectivity and digital services or resources. With iSHIP, customers get all their possible maritime digital needs through one point of contact along with access to 24/7 support. Customers can select the combination of digital services they need with the assurance of Singtel’s end-to-end support, from initial provisioning and on boarding; scaling resources on an as-needed basis to resolving any technical; or service issues encountered.

    Via iSHIP, ship owners can tap on Singtel’s access to high-throughput satellites orbiting the earth to provision more bandwidth as and when required — anywhere in the world — to power fast and reliable connectivity.

    By the third quarter, iSHIP will include teleadvisory services to provide seafarers direct access to a trained medical professional, who can render assistance in situations beyond the skills of the medic onboard.

    By leveraging the latest in maritime Internet-of-Things (IoT) and data analytics, iSHIP enables ship owners and operators to improve operational efficiency and increase productivity while reducing costs, especially in fuel and operational maintenance. With data from sensors and other monitoring devices, ship owners and captains are empowered to optimize routes, workloads, and enhance quality control and quality assurance. IoT devices also help shipping companies meet the maritime industry’s ambitious goal — set in June last year — to cut carbon intensity of all ships by at least 40% by 2030.

    In addition, iSHIP provides advanced protection against malicious attempts along with education and assessment courses for ship crew to improve their cyber hygiene, thus alleviating potential human errors.

  • Singtel and Telkom forge deeper ties in regional data centres and fixed broadband

    Singtel and Telkom forge deeper ties in regional data centres and fixed broadband

    Singtel and its Indonesian partner Telkom, the parent company of Singtel’s regional associate Telkomsel, have signed two memoranda of understanding (MOU) which was witnessed by Indonesia’s minister of state-owned enterprises Erick Thohir and vice minister of state-owned enterprises Kartika Wirjoatmodjo. The first of the two MOUs covers collaboration in the area of data centres, which marks a significant step in advancing Singtel’s regional data centre strategy. The second MOU involves a collaboration to support Telkomsel’s transformation into Indonesia’s leading consumer fixed broadband and mobile operator through a fixed mobile convergence strategy with Telkom.

    Expansion of regional data centre footprint to Indonesia

    To capture growth opportunities arising from the unprecedented digitalisation and cloud adoption in ASEAN, Singtel has focused on establishing a data centre platform that will work with partners to build and acquire data centres in the region. ASEAN has been experiencing robust data centre growth and the Singapore and Indonesia markets are projected to more than double in size, accounting for over 60% of regional growth by 2025.

    As strategic partners for over two decades, this move into data centres expands on the close collaboration between Singtel and Telkom to build out Indonesia’s mobile communications and digital infrastructure.

    Singtel Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said, “As businesses rapidly digitalise, and with the growing adoption of IoT, artificial intelligence and 5G across the region, demand for high-quality data centres is on the rise. This partnership with Telkom is an important step for our data centre strategy, bringing together the prime assets, expertise and networks of two market leaders in data centre operations in Indonesia and Singapore. As the largest digital economy in ASEAN, Indonesia is a strategic data centre market which expands our platform’s footprint to cover the three fastest-growing locations in the region – Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. The platform will support the digital transformation needs of customers wanting to deploy into Indonesia, and Indonesian businesses looking to grow beyond the country. We look forward to deepening our longstanding collaboration with Telkom to capitalise on the favourable trends and tremendous market opportunity.”

    Telkom CEO Ririek Adriansyah said, “Telkom Group is currently consolidating our data centre business to answer the challenges of digital transformation. The regional data centre platform is a continuation of this data centre consolidation strategy and demonstrates our commitment to respond to customer needs and capture opportunities that will pave the way for our company to become a data centre player on a global level. These efforts require strategic partnerships with operators who have proven capabilities and track records. With its strengths and experience, Singtel is one of the strategic partners for Telkom in developing this regional data centre business.”

    Singtel is a leading operator of data centres in Singapore and has carved out its top-tier data centres, DC West and Kim Chuan 2, into a separate Singtel-owned entity with approximately 60 MW of capacity. In addition to securing a site in Tuas for a new integrated cable landing and data centre facility which will be ready in three to four years and add 30-40 MW in capacity, Singtel will continue to explore adding further capacity.

    An experienced data centre operator, Telkom has an existing data centre portfolio of 27 data centres in Indonesia and the region. It is also building a hyperscale data centre with 75 MW capacity to serve local and foreign companies and hyperscalers. Selected data centre assets from Telkom will be placed in the data centre platform. The companies will also collaborate on development opportunities and explore bringing third-party investors or partners into the platform.

    Besides Indonesia, Singtel has set its sights on the Thai data centre market. In February, Singtel signed a joint development agreement with Gulf Energy and Singtel’s regional associate AIS to start developing data centres in Thailand, and the new joint venture will be launched soon.

    Fixed mobile convergence strategy

    Singtel and Telkom will also jointly explore a fixed mobile convergence strategy for Telkomsel which will see an integration of its mobile business with Telkom’s consumer fixed broadband business. By combining the strengths of the two companies, Telkomsel will be able to enjoy significant synergies and enhance its leading position in the market with converged solutions that will give customers the best digital experience. This strategy will strengthen customer value proposition, in turn increasing customer lifetime value and household penetration.

  • Singtel and Telkom forge deeper ties in regional data centres and fixed broadband

    Singtel and Telkom forge deeper ties in regional data centres and fixed broadband

    Singtel and its Indonesian partner Telkom, the parent company of Singtel’s regional associate Telkomsel, have signed two memoranda of understanding (MOU) which was witnessed by Indonesia’s minister of state-owned enterprises Erick Thohir and vice minister of state-owned enterprises Kartika Wirjoatmodjo. The first of the two MOUs covers collaboration in the area of data centres, which marks a significant step in advancing Singtel’s regional data centre strategy. The second MOU involves a collaboration to support Telkomsel’s transformation into Indonesia’s leading consumer fixed broadband and mobile operator through a fixed mobile convergence strategy with Telkom.

    Expansion of regional data centre footprint to Indonesia

    To capture growth opportunities arising from the unprecedented digitalisation and cloud adoption in ASEAN, Singtel has focused on establishing a data centre platform that will work with partners to build and acquire data centres in the region. ASEAN has been experiencing robust data centre growth and the Singapore and Indonesia markets are projected to more than double in size, accounting for over 60% of regional growth by 2025.

    As strategic partners for over two decades, this move into data centres expands on the close collaboration between Singtel and Telkom to build out Indonesia’s mobile communications and digital infrastructure.

    Singtel Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said, “As businesses rapidly digitalise, and with the growing adoption of IoT, artificial intelligence and 5G across the region, demand for high-quality data centres is on the rise. This partnership with Telkom is an important step for our data centre strategy, bringing together the prime assets, expertise and networks of two market leaders in data centre operations in Indonesia and Singapore. As the largest digital economy in ASEAN, Indonesia is a strategic data centre market which expands our platform’s footprint to cover the three fastest-growing locations in the region – Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. The platform will support the digital transformation needs of customers wanting to deploy into Indonesia, and Indonesian businesses looking to grow beyond the country. We look forward to deepening our longstanding collaboration with Telkom to capitalise on the favourable trends and tremendous market opportunity.”

    Telkom CEO Ririek Adriansyah said, “Telkom Group is currently consolidating our data centre business to answer the challenges of digital transformation. The regional data centre platform is a continuation of this data centre consolidation strategy and demonstrates our commitment to respond to customer needs and capture opportunities that will pave the way for our company to become a data centre player on a global level. These efforts require strategic partnerships with operators who have proven capabilities and track records. With its strengths and experience, Singtel is one of the strategic partners for Telkom in developing this regional data centre business.”

    Singtel is a leading operator of data centres in Singapore and has carved out its top-tier data centres, DC West and Kim Chuan 2, into a separate Singtel-owned entity with approximately 60 MW of capacity. In addition to securing a site in Tuas for a new integrated cable landing and data centre facility which will be ready in three to four years and add 30-40 MW in capacity, Singtel will continue to explore adding further capacity.

    An experienced data centre operator, Telkom has an existing data centre portfolio of 27 data centres in Indonesia and the region. It is also building a hyperscale data centre with 75 MW capacity to serve local and foreign companies and hyperscalers. Selected data centre assets from Telkom will be placed in the data centre platform. The companies will also collaborate on development opportunities and explore bringing third-party investors or partners into the platform.

    Besides Indonesia, Singtel has set its sights on the Thai data centre market. In February, Singtel signed a joint development agreement with Gulf Energy and Singtel’s regional associate AIS to start developing data centres in Thailand, and the new joint venture will be launched soon.

    Fixed mobile convergence strategy

    Singtel and Telkom will also jointly explore a fixed mobile convergence strategy for Telkomsel which will see an integration of its mobile business with Telkom’s consumer fixed broadband business. By combining the strengths of the two companies, Telkomsel will be able to enjoy significant synergies and enhance its leading position in the market with converged solutions that will give customers the best digital experience. This strategy will strengthen customer value proposition, in turn increasing customer lifetime value and household penetration.

  • Singtel-owned ATN and AustralianSuper acquire Axicom

    Singtel-owned ATN and AustralianSuper acquire Axicom

    Singtel-owned Australia Tower Network (ATN) and AustralianSuper have announced the acquisition of Axicom, one of Australia’s leading providers of telecommunications tower infrastructure, for A$3.58 billion.

    Axicom owns and operates approximately 2,000 telecommunication sites located in metro and outer-metro locations across all eight states and territories and major cities in Australia.As ATN’s shareholders, AustralianSuper and Singtel said the strong synergies between Axicom and ATN would provide exceptional growth opportunities which will benefit customers, employees, and the community in the long term.

    AustralianSuper head of infrastructure, Nik Kemp, said Axicom is a high-quality asset that will deliver long-term value to AustralianSuper members.

    “Axicom is complementary to our existing digital infrastructure portfolio and this acquisition will result in the creation of a provider with a truly national footprint that will connect the vast majority of Australian families and businesses,” Kemp said.

    “Axicom has all of the characteristics we are looking for in an infrastructure asset and there are strong synergies between the two organisations. We look forward to working with the great teams of both ATN and Axicom to bring these two strong businesses together and leverage the great opportunity we have to continue to deliver for customers and AustralianSuper members.”

    Singtel Group chief corporate officer, Lim Cheng Cheng said, “This acquisition is a unique opportunity to scale up ATN’s operations and expand its customer base. It also reinforces Singtel’s commitment as a long-term investor in the Australian telecoms space where our goal has always been to provide more options and build better communications for Australian consumers and businesses. In combining ATN and Axicom, AustralianSuper and Singtel will be working closely to realise the significant operational synergies created.”

    AustralianSuper acquired a 70% stake in ATN from Singtel in November last year. Following the Axicom acquisition, Singtel’s shareholding in the combined ATN/Axicom business will be 18%, with AustralianSuper at 82%.

    Kemp said AustralianSuper will continue to seek further opportunities in this sector both domestically and globally.

    “AustralianSuper is looking to double its infrastructure portfolio over the next five years from its current A$31 billion. We believe that there will be significant growth in demand for digital infrastructure and will actively consider future opportunities in this space.”

    ATN chief executive officer, Cameron Evans, said ATN was looking forward to broadening the relationship with Axicom’s customers and providing them with access to the over 2000 current ATN sites and more than 565 new sites under construction.

    “Bringing together Australia’s two largest independent wireless telecommunications infrastructure operators provides real strategic advantages and strong value creation opportunities. It will also provide greater support for our customers as they continue to deliver essential services to the community such as mobile coverage, internet services, broadcast and emergency services,” Evans said.

    “We look forward to working with the team at Axicom to bring our two businesses together and leverage the opportunities we have with our top-quality digital infrastructure to connect Australians for generations to come.”

  • Singtel-owned ATN and AustralianSuper acquire Axicom

    Singtel-owned ATN and AustralianSuper acquire Axicom

    Singtel-owned Australia Tower Network (ATN) and AustralianSuper have announced the acquisition of Axicom, one of Australia’s leading providers of telecommunications tower infrastructure, for A$3.58 billion.

    Axicom owns and operates approximately 2,000 telecommunication sites located in metro and outer-metro locations across all eight states and territories and major cities in Australia.

    As ATN’s shareholders, AustralianSuper and Singtel said the strong synergies between Axicom and ATN would provide exceptional growth opportunities which will benefit customers, employees, and the community in the long term.

    AustralianSuper head of infrastructure, Nik Kemp, said Axicom is a high-quality asset that will deliver long-term value to AustralianSuper members.

    “Axicom is complementary to our existing digital infrastructure portfolio and this acquisition will result in the creation of a provider with a truly national footprint that will connect the vast majority of Australian families and businesses,” Kemp said.

    “Axicom has all of the characteristics we are looking for in an infrastructure asset and there are strong synergies between the two organisations. We look forward to working with the great teams of both ATN and Axicom to bring these two strong businesses together and leverage the great opportunity we have to continue to deliver for customers and AustralianSuper members.”

    Singtel Group chief corporate officer, Lim Cheng Cheng said, “This acquisition is a unique opportunity to scale up ATN’s operations and expand its customer base. It also reinforces Singtel’s commitment as a long-term investor in the Australian telecoms space where our goal has always been to provide more options and build better communications for Australian consumers and businesses. In combining ATN and Axicom, AustralianSuper and Singtel will be working closely to realise the significant operational synergies created.”

    AustralianSuper acquired a 70% stake in ATN from Singtel in November last year. Following the Axicom acquisition, Singtel’s shareholding in the combined ATN/Axicom business will be 18%, with AustralianSuper at 82%.

    Kemp said AustralianSuper will continue to seek further opportunities in this sector both domestically and globally.

    “AustralianSuper is looking to double its infrastructure portfolio over the next five years from its current A$31 billion. We believe that there will be significant growth in demand for digital infrastructure and will actively consider future opportunities in this space.”

    ATN chief executive officer, Cameron Evans, said ATN was looking forward to broadening the relationship with Axicom’s customers and providing them with access to the over 2000 current ATN sites and more than 565 new sites under construction.

    “Bringing together Australia’s two largest independent wireless telecommunications infrastructure operators provides real strategic advantages and strong value creation opportunities. It will also provide greater support for our customers as they continue to deliver essential services to the community such as mobile coverage, internet services, broadcast and emergency services,” Evans said.

    “We look forward to working with the team at Axicom to bring our two businesses together and leverage the opportunities we have with our top-quality digital infrastructure to connect Australians for generations to come.”

  • Singtel launches industry’s first all-in-one platform for enterprise 5G edge computing and cloud services

    Singtel launches industry’s first all-in-one platform for enterprise 5G edge computing and cloud services

    Singtel expands its offering for the enterprise market with the launch of Paragon, a revolutionary platform that aggregates networks, edge computing, public cloud, and applications ecosystems to accelerate enterprises’ digital transformation.

    Offering an all-in-one solution for digital transformation, Paragon seamlessly aggregates and manages low-latency networks and edge cloud resources, allowing enterprises to tap on Singtel’s 5G network to securely deploy applications across the edge at Singtel MEC and a public cloud of choice. Through a single interface, enterprises can activate network slices on demand, deploy mission-critical applications on Singtel MEC and access a robust ecosystem of partner applications.

    This significantly reduces the complexity and time needed to adopt 5G MEC and low-latency applications and services, giving enterprises the agility, flexibility, and scalability needed to transform operations and adapt to new business models in a digital economy.

    “Many enterprises are undergoing rapid digitalization while exploring and developing tailored 5G solutions for deployment in their industries. We understand the challenges and complexities that they face in managing the various networks, edge cloud applications, and services with the required cyber security, resiliency, and demanding service assurances required, cost-effectively. Paragon was conceived, developed, and delivered to help enterprises meet these needs through a single platform,” said Bill Chang, chief executive officer, group enterprise, Singtel.

    One-stop digital transformation platform and strong 5G MEC ecosystem

    Developed in-house, Paragon empowers enterprises to adopt Singtel’s 5G network to deploy their edge computing applications and services independently, securely, and within minutes. These capabilities are bundled on the platform to provide enterprises a unified experience, delivering always-on connectivity and low latency with high bandwidth throughout to support industry 5G use cases including advanced logistics and manufacturing, smart transportation, and real-time fleet management and monitoring.

    Network 5G slices can be created almost instantly, autonomously, and as many times as needed. A network slice can be utilized only when needed for an intended duration to ensure cost optimization. Since enterprises pay only for what they use, Paragon reduces the operational and costs overhead otherwise incurred by businesses.

    For enterprises, the benefits are a shorter innovation curve and time-to-market, as well as better performance and faster decision-making at the edge, critical for use cases including autonomous systems like robotics, drones, and vehicles, immersive, video-rich experiences and powerful real-time edge AI use cases. Already, Paragon is being deployed for testbeds in the public sector. For instance, 5G trial uses cases are underway at Singapore’s Sentosa to bring the about built environment and tourism transformations.

    Through the Paragon Marketplace, which operates as an app store, Singtel’s ecosystem of partners can integrate their offerings through a robust industry-standard application programming interface (API) to rapidly build and deploy their solutions on the platform. As such, existing cloud-based 4G applications can migrate to 5G with ease. On the other end, end customers can easily source and adopt applications that solve their business challenges.

    Plans are in the pipeline to scale Paragon regionally and globally with other telcos. Partners on board Paragon can extend their solutions to multiple markets. Through the Singtel Partner Programme, Singtel aims to co-create and test more innovative solutions, driving wider 5G adoption across markets to bring forward a 5G future.

  • Singtel launches industry’s first all-in-one platform for enterprise 5G edge computing and cloud services

    Singtel launches industry’s first all-in-one platform for enterprise 5G edge computing and cloud services

    Singtel expands its offering for the enterprise market with the launch of Paragon, a revolutionary platform that aggregates networks, edge computing, public cloud and applications ecosystems to accelerate enterprises’ digital transformation.

    Offering an all-in-one solution for digital transformation, Paragon seamlessly aggregates and manages low-latency networks and edge cloud resources, allowing enterprises to tap on Singtel’s 5G network to securely deploy applications across the edge at Singtel MEC and a public cloud of choice. Through a single interface, enterprises can activate network slices on demand, deploy mission-critical applications on Singtel MEC and access a robust ecosystem of partner applications.

    This significantly reduces the complexity and time needed to adopt 5G MEC and low-latency applications and services, giving enterprises the agility, flexibility and scalability needed to transform operations and adapt to new business models in a digital economy.

    “Many enterprises are undergoing rapid digitalization while exploring and developing tailored 5G solutions for deployment in their industries. We understand the challenges and complexities that they face in managing the various networks, edge cloud applications and services with the required cyber security, resiliency and demanding service assurances required, cost-effectively. Paragon was conceived, developed and delivered to help enterprises meet these needs through a single platform,” said Bill Chang, chief executive officer, group enterprise, Singtel.

    One-stop digital transformation platform and strong 5G MEC ecosystem

    Developed in-house, Paragon empowers enterprises to adopt Singtel’s 5G network to deploy their edge computing applications and services independently, securely and within minutes. These capabilities are bundled on the platform to provide enterprises a unified experience, delivering always-on connectivity and low latency with high bandwidth throughout to support industry 5G use cases including advanced logistics and manufacturing, smart transportation, and real-time fleet management and monitoring.

    Network 5G slices can be created almost instantly, autonomously and as many times as needed. A network slice can be utilised only when needed for an intended duration to ensure cost optimization. Since enterprises pay only for what they use, Paragon reduces the operational and costs overhead otherwise incurred by businesses.

    For enterprises, the benefits are a shorter innovation curve and time-to-market, as well as better performance and faster decision-making at the edge, critical for use cases including autonomous systems like robotics, drones and vehicles, immersive, video-rich experiences and powerful real-time edge AI use cases. Already, Paragon is being deployed for testbeds in the public sector. For instance, 5G trial uses cases are underway at Singapore’s Sentosa to bring about built environment and tourism transformations.

    Through the Paragon Marketplace, which operates like an app store, Singtel’s ecosystem of partners can integrate their offerings through robust industry-standard application programming interface (API) to rapidly build and deploy their solutions on the platform. As such, existing cloud-based 4G applications can migrate to 5G with ease. On the other end, end customers can easily source and adopt applications that solve their business challenges.

    Plans are in the pipeline to scale Paragon regionally and globally with other telcos. Partners on board Paragon can extend their solutions to multiple markets. Through the Singtel Partner Programme, Singtel aims to co-create and test more innovative solutions, driving wider 5G adoption across markets to bring forward a 5G future.