30 Mar 2023
TM’S NEW FIBRE OPTIC NETWORK HUB (POINT OF PRESENCE) BRINGS FASTER, MORE RELIABLE INTERNET CONNECTIVITY TO RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) has today announced the completion of its new fibre optic network hub or point of presence (PoP) project phase one (1) installations, across northern region, Sabah and Sarawak. The launch ceremony, which was officiated by YB Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Communications and Digital, took place at SMK Padang Terap, Kuala Nerang, Kedah. Also present were Dato’ Haji Pkharuddin Bin Haji Ghazali, Director-General of Education and Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Bin Mentek, Secretary-General, Ministry of Communications and Digital.
PoP is a place where different devices connect to each other and to the internet. In simple terms, PoP brings fibre closer to users. By setting up PoP locations near schools, people in rural and remote areas can get better and faster internet services in their homes, instead of relying on mobile internet. This will improve internet access and connectivity for more people in the community.
During the ceremony, YB Fahmi highlighted the significant benefits and opportunities that the new PoPs would bring. The new PoPs represent a major step forward in the Government's efforts to narrow the digital gap and promote digital inclusion across Malaysia.
A total of 4,370 PoPs had been planned under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) where 4,323 PoPs will be installed near rural schools and 47 PoPs near industrial area. Phase one (1) of the project, involves 677 sites and the remaining will be implemented under phase two (2) over the span of three (3) years, 2022-2025. A total of 233 PoP circuits were installed under phase 1, with 100% completion achieved by TM, ahead of other industry players.
“We are thrilled to see the progress and achievements of this project, which will bring significant benefits and opportunities to the community, including improved internet quality, economic development and the development of new infrastructures,” said Shazurawati Abdul Karim, Executive Vice President of TM One.
PoP will create a more balanced and inclusive regional development, boosting the growth of new technologies like 5G and future generations of communication technologies. Through this initiative, users in TM's PoP area have now reached over 9,000 and are increasing. A total of 58 of its users are schools that have subscribed to Unifi services. The widespread internet accessibility will not only help to develop the rural economy but more importantly allow learning materials to be downloaded, to improve the quality of education in schools, equipping the future generations with a wealth of knowledge.
“As the nation's telecommunications leader, and enabler of Digital Malaysia, TM is committed to support the nation's development agenda through the benefits brought by hyperconnectivity and digital solutions, which will accelerate digital adoption and new economic growth,” added Shazurawati.
“The presence of PoP can attract technology companies, start-ups and other businesses that require a high-speed internet connection to operate. This can create more job opportunities, increase innovation, and stimulate economic growth in local communities,” concluded Shazurawati.
The collaboration between TM and the Government demonstrates the shared commitment to deliver digital inclusivity throughout Malaysia. For phase two (2) of PoP project, TM has been awarded with 174 sites in the central region. This phase is expected to further boost digital connectivity and economic development for Malaysia.
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TM Launches New HQ And Campus To Promote Collaboration And Foster Human-Centred Innovation
Further complementing its transformation journey towards becoming a human-centred TechCo, TM is pleased to announce the launch of its new HQ and campus in conjunction with its Hari Raya event for employees. Located in Cyberjaya, TM Campus marks a significant milestone for TM as it represents the company's commitment to creating an innovative space that drives agility, flexibility and efficiency through digital collaboration and hybrid work environment. TM is set to drive higher productivity while instilling a sense of pride among Warga TM through a stimulating work environment and a hybrid policy of three (3) days at the office and two (2) days working from anywhere. The campus houses not only the new TM HQ, but also TM Innovation Hub, TM Network Intelligence Centre and TM Core Data Centre. The campus provides open office spaces, technology infrastructure and digital tools, as well as dedicated areas for collaboration, empowering employees to deliver innovative solutions for customers. It also features a sustainable eco-friendly design with green spaces and an abundance of natural light to create a healthy and inspiring workspace atmosphere that employees can be proud of. TM Campus was officially launched today by Dato’ Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer, witnessed by the senior leadership team and Warga TM. “We are thrilled to launch the new campus as it is a testament of our commitment to propel innovation among our employees, customers and partners. The campus features an open space concept, equipped with advanced technology infrastructure to facilitate Warga TM to co-create digital platforms and smart solutions,” said Dato’ Imri. “We are changing our way of working and this campus will be the catalyst. Complemented by the use of various technologies and digital tools such as robotics process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), analytics and remote working tools, it will bring out the best of our people, while enhancing their well-being at the same time,” he further added. To support this evolution, TM provides various on-demand learning platforms and technology training opportunities to complement its commitment towards human-centred innovation. "With the spirit of collaboration and mutual exchange of ideas, we will continue to develop ourselves for the benefit of our customers and other stakeholders," Dato’ Imri concluded. This is also in line with TM’s new brand promise, ‘Your Next is Now’, which demonstrates how technology is harnessed to empower people to drive change, enabling them to realise their aspirations, whether to scale big ideas, build new businesses, or take better care of the planet. Some of these innovations were also showcased by TM during the launch event. TM Digital Workplace features the benefits of a hybrid work environment, On-demand Learning and Professional Development Platforms and Employees Self-Service, for greater efficiency among Warga TM. For our customers, TM One Smart Solutions showcase features Smart Healthcare, Smart Industries & Analytics, and Smart City. This is a significant moment for the Group, and it marks a new chapter in its journey towards becoming a human-centred TechCo that creates value for its stakeholders. With its innovative features, human-centred design and commitment to diversity and inclusion, this new facility is poised to become a hub for innovation and creativity.
The future of 5G begins with TM! #bersamasama5G
The Company is ready to bring 5G to all Malaysians; Becomes the First Telco to Deploy Stand Alone (SA) network As the national telecommunications infrastructure provider of Malaysia's Digital Nation aspirations, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) is embarking on delivering 5G infrastructure to the country by participating in the 5G Demonstration Project undertaken by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The demonstration project is for TM to test the new 5G features, explore the 5G technology system and assess the best way to deploy 5G infrastructure nationwide. The Company plans to test the implementation of a converged 5G core network which allows co-existence of Non-Stand Alone (NSA) and Stand Alone (SA) network. SA is the future of the 5G network deployment and this demonstration is crucial to fast track 5G implementation in the country. Towards this end, TM through its enterprise and public sector business solutions arm, TM ONE, recently started its 5G demonstration in Subang Jaya, Selangor together with Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ) to test its 5G solutions namely Smart Traffic Light, Smart Safety & Security and Smart Parking. Besides that, TM is also expanding its 5G Demonstration Project in Pulau Langkawi, Kedah with the demonstration of more 5G use cases. The transmission of 5G service in Pulau Langkawi is going live today, where TM is deploying the first 5G SA network in the country. Commenting on the milestone development, Dato' Noor Kamarul Anuar Nuruddin, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM said: "We are very excited to be part of this 5G Demonstration Project which demonstrates our capabilities to deploy 5G in Malaysia and to roll-out the first 5G SA network in the country. These reflect our commitment to accelerate the delivery of 5G services nationwide. The deployment of our tested and proven 5G-enabled smart solutions for the showcase in Subang Jaya and Langkawi are testament of our commitment in accelerating the delivery of 5G services nationwide. This is in support of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) efforts in progressing humanity towards improving the quality of lives of the Rakyat. TM, via our innovative and comprehensive products and solutions will continue to lay the foundation for Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) and enabling Internet of Things (IoT) – to serve a more digital society and lifestyle, digital businesses and industry verticals, as well as digital Government." TM's aspiration is to deliver efficient and cost effective 5G infrastructure via infrastructure sharing approach, through the access regulations implemented by MCMC. This is by leveraging on its extensive fibre networks, including the submarine cables, telecommunications towers, and Cloud computing as well as ready Data Centres to support the 5G era in Malaysia. In terms of devices and use cases, its wholly-owned subsidiary, TM Research & Development Sdn Bhd (TM R&D), is also developing and experimenting 5G related equipment to get ready for the upcoming 5G. In addition, the Company plans to test and demonstrate the Dynamic Spectrum Sharing feature where it can dynamically share the same spectrum to support different mobile technologies, dynamically. "This approach is expected to minimise duplication of network which will lead to cost reduction, translating the savings to lower prices for consumers/customers, be more environmentally friendly and allow the savings to be channeled for better innovation and improved customer services. We are open and ready to work together with other operators during this demonstration project. True to our position as the national telecommunications infrastructure provider of Malaysia's Digital Nation aspirations, we have established the communications backbone of Malaysia with the widest connectivity and convergence network," added Dato' Noor Kamarul.
Orbix International School takes safety seriously by adopting TM R&D’s EWAR
TM R&D assists Orbix International School in adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with deployment of EWAR towards curbing the spread of COVID-19 virus. Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), through its innovation arm, TM Research & Development (TM R&D), further promotes the adoption of digital solutions in the education sector by deploying its Early Warning, Alert & Response or "EWAR" at Orbix International School (Orbix), a private school in Muar, Johor. EWAR is an Artificial Intelligence (A.I) driven contactless temperature screening solution internally-developed by TM R&D. In an effort to digitalise the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) outlined for schools, Orbix has installed EWAR Compact, one (1) of EWAR's product categories, within their premise to better facilitate the temperature screenings of their students, teachers and visitors towards curbing the spread of COVID-19 virus. Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Sharlene Thiagarajah, Chief Executive Officer, TM R&D said, "We are honoured to be working with an educational institution such as Orbix to deploy our cost-effective and innovative solution in response to the required safety protocols. This illustrates the flexibility and readiness of education vertical in adapting to the new normal. At TM R&D, we are ever ready to assist businesses and organisations to get back on their feet safely." "We truly believe that deploying the EWAR Compact at schools or any educational institutions can provide students and teachers with a near-normal return to school experience as possible. We hope that this effort can encourage other schools and educational institutions to install EWAR Compact and simplify the adoption of the new SOPs in our battle against COVID-19." EWAR Compact is an AI-driven, one-on-one contactless thermal screening solution with a high accuracy of +/- 0.3℃, fast (~1sec) detection and voice prompt. In addition, AI-based facial recognition capabilities can also be applied with the solution. With EWAR Compact, students and teachers can go to schools with peace of mind, knowing that their schools are using the most effective technology available to safeguard their health. "Besides that, we are delighted to see more schools adopting digital solutions as this will expose teachers and students on how technology can help improve lives through safety. The exposure to EWAR Compact will also help students to experience digitalisation in action first-hand, and witness the benefits of digital adoption even before they enter the workforce. We hope this will help groom an industry-forward talent pool which will subsequently drive the nation's digital aspiration, befitting TM Group's role of the enabler of Digital Malaysia," she added. "Deploying EWAR Compact was a vital step for us as we were looking for the most effective technology available in safeguarding the health of our students and teachers. So far, we have received positive feedback on how EWAR Compact has enhanced the efficiency of temperature taking while simultaneously improving social distancing," said Govindan Nair, Chief Marketing Officer of Orbix Education. "The students especially have shared that they like how interactive the solution is. As we are firmly committed to ensuring the health and safety of our students, it is also important for us to expose our students to how innovation results in real-world solutions," he added. Back in July, TM R&D has successfully installed EWAR Compact at 12 selected schools under the purview of Bangsar / Pudu District Education Office (PPDBP) namely Victoria Institution, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato' Lokman, SMK Seri Saujana, SMK Desa Petaling, SMK Cochrane, SMK Taman Maluri, SMK Alam Damai, SMK Bukit Jalil, SMK Dato' Onn, SMK (P) Bandaraya, SMK Convent Jalan Peel and SMK Seri Permaisuri. During the early stages of the Movement Control Order (MCO), TM R&D has introduced two (2) main product categories under EWAR, namely EWAR Crowd and EWAR Compact as part of its contribution in the fight against COVID-19. The solution comes with four (4) main capabilities that close the critical loop from detection to containment. It is non-intrusive and has use-cases for both crowd and one-on-one scanning, respectively. EWAR Crowd comes with a dual-camera (thermal and optical) and is designed to conduct a rapid body temperature screening of approximately 10-15 individuals per second simultaneously at high traffic areas. It can easily be deployed in locations with mass traffic flow such as offices, shopping complexes, transportation hubs, universities, schools, tourist attractions, airports, immigration centres, and hospitals. EWAR Compact on the other hand is more suitable for a one-on-one contactless thermal screening. This can eliminate the need of the hand-held temperature taking, which can subsequently improve social distancing and minimise long queues. Both EWAR models have been installed at more than 150 sites across several industry verticals and have gone regional to help keep businesses safe beyond Malaysian shores. The solutions have been installed at the quarantine and treatment centre for COVID-19 cases at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) in Serdang, large and mid-size office lobbies, hotels, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) payment counters, various sales galleries and Gamuda Land construction sites, just to name a few. TM R&D has been growing from strength to strength since 2016, winning seven (7) globally recognised awards over the last two (2) years. Our innovations cut across multiple verticals such as the Smart Retail Analytics and Smart Safety Helmet, all developed internally by local talents in TM R&D. As the organisation continues to expand beyond connectivity and into new value-added digital and smarter platforms, its role in TM has become more prominent and exciting. For more information about TM R&D and its products and services, please log on to www.tmrnd.com.my. Follow us on LinkedIn (TM Research & Development) for more news and updates.
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