Q 2024 Key Highlights (vs 1Q 2023)
- Operating revenue grew 1.8% to RM2.84 billion
- EBIT increased 37.5% from RM473.3 million to RM650.9 million
- PATAMI increased 28.7% from RM330.1 million to RM424.8 million
KUALA LUMPUR, 30 May 2024 – Telekom Malaysia Berhad (“TM” or “the Group”), today announced a positive start to the fiscal year, with a strong financial performance for the first quarter ended 31 March 2024 (1Q 2024).
The Group saw its revenue increase by 1.8% to RM2.84 billion, driven by solid performance from TM Global and growth in Unifi’s subscriber base. Correspondingly, Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) grew 37.5% to RM650.9 million in the quarter under review on the back of lower total Operational Cost.
TM’s Profit after Tax and Non-Controlling Interests (PATAMI) increased by 28.7% to RM424.8 million, demonstrating its sustained profitability.
Meanwhile, the Group’s Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) stood at RM204.0 million, or 7.2% of its revenue. These investments were aimed at expanding the Group’s network infrastructure nationwide and regional submarine cable systems.
Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer said, “Entering 2024, the operating environment remains challenging due to increased competition and evolving market dynamics. Nevertheless, the Group has shown a positive growth trajectory in the first quarter of 2024. This is evidenced by increased revenue, improved profitability, and steady growth in our fixed broadband subscribers, reaffirming our strong position in the market.
“To sustain our positive momentum, we will continue enhancing our retail convergence offerings and value-added solutions in delivering improved customer experience. At the same time, we maintain a strong focus on modernising our data and network infrastructure, as well as enhancing our business-related offerings to meet current and future digital needs.
“Moving forward, as part of our transformative journey towards becoming a Digital Powerhouse by 2030, our priorities over the next few years include growing our core businesses, enhancing beyond connectivity by embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and capturing new business growth to meet future demands. In addition, we will continue to optimise costs and enhance profitability to ensure better returns for our shareholders,” Amar concluded.
The Group maintains a positive outlook for the current year, staying aligned with the previously provided 2024 guidance.
Lines of Businesses (LOBs) Performance
Unifi maintains leadership in converged services
Unifi maintained consistent year-on-year (YoY) growth with a 1.8% increase in fixed broadband subscribers, reaching a total of 3.135 million. This is driven by convergence marketing strategies, aggressive sales and customer retention programmes. It recently launched UniVerse, the best convergence plan to date for broadband, mobile, entertainment, and digital lifestyle solutions, designed to enhance connectivity, content and Home Hub needs of today’s customers. For more information about Unifi UniVerse, visit www.unifi.com.my.
During the quarter, Unifi Business, the leading digital solutions partner of over 400,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) nationwide, partnered with Maybank Islamic Berhad to launch ‘Go Niaga’, a mobile banking bundle to help businesses manage finances and improve income with digital payment options. It also launched e-Pharmacy Solution, a mobile app enabling e-prescriptions via teleconsultation to provide digital inclusion and accessible healthcare for prescribed medications and wellness especially to the underserved communities.
Looking ahead, Unifi will continue to solidify its role as a leader in convergence to deliver unmatched converged digital services.
TM One drives innovative solutions for enterprise and Government
TM One, the enterprise and government sector business solutions arm of TM continues to adapt to market dynamics while seeking new opportunities for growth. During the quarter under review, it recorded a revenue of RM673.0 million.
In February, TM One launched the Innovation Lab and Enterprise 5G Lab to accelerate the realisation of emerging digital services and solutions. These labs bring together the latest technologies, digital leaders, inspiring ideas and collaborative spaces to create tailored solutions for its customers and partners. These facilities were set to further develop key areas like Enterprise 5G and innovative AI-powered industry solutions to help organisations thrive in the digital era.
Moving forward, TM One will continue to strengthen its core connectivity offerings while driving innovation in digital services, expanding partnerships, and developing solutions that empower its customers.
TM Global positions Malaysia as a digital hub for the region
TM Global saw a 12.1% YoY increase in revenue to RM742.8 million in 1Q 2024, fuelled by demand for domestic and international data. It has remained as Malaysia’s preferred network infrastructure provider, catalysing the digital industry, fostering 5G ecosystem and expanding High-speed broadband (HSBB) Access in the country. Globally, it provisioned significant managed wavelength capacity for hyperscalers, connecting key regional data centres. It also recorded substantial growth in Content Delivery Network (CDN) traffic to cater to the demand from digital players, enabling Malaysia as a digital hub for the region.
TM Global recently received recognition in two categories: Telecom Company of the Year – Malaysia, and the Wholesale Company Initiative of the Year – Malaysia, at the Asian Telecom Awards held in Singapore. This is the second consecutive year TM Global has received these accolades, maintaining its leadership as a shaper of the telecommunications landscape in Malaysia and across ASEAN.
TM Global will continue to broaden its digital infrastructure solutions while forging strategic alliances with global carriers to facilitate seamless digital connectivity and services across borders.
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Unifi TV kickstarts 2023 offerings with addition of popular beIN SPORTS 2, Moonbug Kids and one premium channels
Unifi, a leader in converged home, mobile and lifestyle services via its digital content arm, Unifi TV, today announced three new premium channels via partnerships with leading content providers – beIN Asia Pacific; Moonbug Entertainment, a subsidiary of Candle Media; and Korea’s KC Global Media. Starting February 2023, viewers will be able to enjoy these popular channels via their Unifi TV subscriptions: beIN SPORTS 2 – featuring top-tier European football, international tennis competitions and most recently, full Formula 1 coverage; Moonbug Kids – designed for families with pre-school children; and ONE – for fans of the latest Korean drama and entertainment. Two of the three new channels, Moonbug Kids and ONE will also be available for free preview throughout the whole of February for both existing and new Unifi TV subscribers. This brings Unifi TV’s channel offerings to a whopping 71 premium channels, along with 17 app partners including Disney+ Hotstar, Viu, WeTV and Lionsgate Play – the largest selection of streaming apps over a single platform. Ho Hock Doong, Head of Content, Unifi TV said, “We are excited to partner beIN Asia Pacific, Moonbug Entertainment, and KC Global Media in bringing their popular channels to Unifi TV and to provide more quality offerings to our local audiences. “At the end of 2022, Digital Market Insights projected that Malaysia’s Home Entertainment revenue was expected to reach an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2027) of 8.36%, with a projected market volume of US$48.57 million and 1.1 million active users by 2027. “With these prospects in mind, we are strengthening our partnerships with leading global content providers to offer an inclusive selection of digital entertainment solutions – bringing Unifi’s ‘all-in-one’ value proposition to all audiences,” he added. beIN SPORTS 2 will join the line-up of three existing beIN SPORTS channels as well as the beIN SPORTS CONNECT app already available on Unifi TV, offering the widest live sports coverage from beIN SPORTS in Malaysia. In addition to the Formula 1 broadcast rights which will be extended to Unifi TV viewers, the channel will also include the Australian Open, ATP and the upcoming Roland-Garros. Mike Kerr, Managing Director, beIN Asia Pacific, said, “As we continue to expand and strengthen our sports offering, we are excited to enter into the next phase of partnership with Unifi TV. Now with Formula 1, fans can immerse themselves in more live coverage than ever before on beIN SPORTS. We look forward to working alongside Unifi TV to grow our audiences in Malaysia.” Putting families in the forefront, Moonbug Kids on Unifi TV will feature all of Moonbug’s IPs including CoComelon, Blippi, Gecko’s Garage, Morphle, Arpo, Little Baby Bum and recent acquisitions Little Angel and Oddbods – offering wholesome and quality entertainment for preschool and early-years viewers. Unifi TV is also the first digital content platform in Malaysia to offer selected Moonbug Kids programmes on demand that are localised in Bahasa Melayu and Mandarin – bringing these edutainment programmes to more of Malaysia’s multi-lingual audiences. “We are extremely excited to launch our Moonbug Kids channel on Unifi TV via their on-air and online platforms. We have had a strong start to 2023 in maintaining our strategy of rolling out our content and channels across APAC and EMEA and are now very much looking forward to sharing our beloved characters and stories with families across Malaysia,” said Nicolas Eglau, Managing Director EMEA & APAC, Moonbug Entertainment. Leading K-entertainment channel, ONE, on the other hand, will bring the best of Korean entertainment to Malaysia. The channel will feature drama series Kokdu: Season of Deity within 24 hours of release in Korea and a line-up of romantic specials in February such as Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo and Backstreet Rookie. Fans of travel variety shows will also be treated to Dopojarak: Story of Homme the K-Wanderer, featuring personalities from K-pop, K-drama, fashion and sports. George Chien, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of KC Global Media shared, “We are excited to enhance our partnership with Unifi TV to bring the best entertainment from around the world to every household and mobile device in Malaysia! With the addition of ONE channel on Unifi TV, fans can look forward to an endless stream of freshly curated programming direct from South Korea’s biggest broadcasters and studios.” “These channels are quality additions to our platform and will strengthen our lifestyle offerings as part of Unifi’s Converged solutions for broadband, mobile and digital content. Our aim is to provide seamless customer experiences via extensive and affordable services that meet today’s digital demands, including online entertainment both at home and on-the-go,” Ho shared. “As we kick off 2023, we aim to continue expanding our digital content, providing more customisable, value-for-money selections together with Unifi’s other converged solutions to bring something for everyone,” he concluded.
TM Addresses Unifi Customers’ Data Breach
TM confirmed recently of a data breach involving historical Unifi customers’ personal information that includes name, national identification/passport number, and contact details. No financial information was impacted. The company confirms that the breach has been contained and proactive steps have been taken to protect the data across its platforms. It has sent out notifications to customers informing them of the data breach and to be wary of phishing tactics including online scams, suspicious links and unsolicited phone calls. TM has also reported this matter to the relevant authorities (National Cyber Coordination & Command Centre (NC4); Department of Privacy & Data Protection (JPDP); & the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC)). TM assures all its customers that its Unifi services remain fully operational with no impact to its users.
TM collaborates with Malaysia telecommunications tower providers for access to tower sites facilities
The strategic collaboration affirms TM’s commitment and readiness to drive Malaysia’s Digital Economy aspirations as the national digital infrastructure accelerator Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) marked another milestone as the national connectivity and digital infrastructure provider when its wholesale domestic and international business arm, TM WHOLESALE, entered into a collaboration with nine (9) tower providers (TowerCos), enabling access to tower sites facilities. The nine (9) TowerCos are the members of Persatuan Penyedia Infrastruktur Telekomunikasi (PPIT), namely D'Harmoni Telco Infra Sdn Bhd, Melaka ICT Holdings Sdn Bhd, Perlis Comm Sdn Bhd, Infra Quest Sdn Bhd, Perak Integrated Network Services Sdn Bhd, EdgePoint Towers Sdn Bhd, PDC Telecommunication Services Sdn Bhd, Desabina Industries Sdn Bhd and Yiked Bina Sdn Bhd. The ceremony was held recently in Johor Bahru attended by TM and nine (9) other TowerCos. TM was represented by Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, Executive Vice President, TM WHOLESALE, while the TowerCos were represented by: Dato' Haji Mohd Rehat Ahmad, Chief Operating Officer, D'Harmoni Telco Infra Sdn Bhd, who is also the President of PPIT Dato' Mohd Fauzi Yaakub, Deputy Chairman, Melaka ICT Holdings Sdn Bhd Dato' Ramli Abd Rahman, Managing Director, Perlis Comm Sdn Bhd Ab Aziz Yunus, Executive Chairman, Infra Quest Sdn Bhd Iwan Che Wan Che Ismail, Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director, Perak Integrated Network Services Sdn Bhd Muniff Kamaruddin, Chief Executive Officer, EdgePoint Towers Sdn Bhd Hasmunir Hamid, Acting Chief Executive Officer, PDC Telecommunication Services Sdn Bhd Shikh Badrudden Shikh Ismail, General Manager, Desabina Industries Sdn Bhd Azhan Abdul Hamid, General Manager, Yiked Bina Sdn Bhd Under the collaboration, the nine (9) TowerCos will provide TM with access to their tower sites, including land and rooftop facilities. This will enable TM to connect the towers with its high-speed fibre optic network to support high quality network performance and capability. Commenting on the collaboration, Amar Huzaimi said, "TM through TM WHOLESALE, is committed to ensuring our national telecommunication industry is provided with cutting edge connectivity and extensive fibre infrastructure solutions as a catalyst to accelerate the delivery of a high quality digital experience to all Malaysians, true to our role as national digital infrastructure accelerator. This will allow service providers to serve their customers with faster connectivity speed and greater bandwidth capacity for the current 4G and future 5G services nationwide. This partnership further demonstrates our commitment as the enabler of Digital Malaysia in supporting the country's digital aspirations, which include the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) and the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL)." Meanwhile, Dato' Hj Mohd Rehat said, "TM has been a long-standing partner of PPIT for over a decade, and together, we have developed a high level of trust among each other. After a few series of fruitful discussions, PPIT and TM have once again agreed to ink a new collaboration to continue to work hand-in-hand in respect of the access to tower sites facilities."