25 May 2022
TM records steady performance in 1Q2022 with revenue & PATAMI up 2.9% & 4.4%; maintains focus on its growth strategies execution
In the second year of its Transformation, the Group is on track to achieve its 2022 market guidance, focusing on strengthening its core businesses and investing in new growth areas
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) continued its growth trajectory and long-term business sustainability, recording a steady performance in its First Quarter ended 31 March 2022 as compared to the same period last year (YoY).
The Group's operating revenue increased by 2.9% to RM2.89 billion, compared to RM2.81 billion in the same quarter last year, driven primarily by increased demand for voice, Internet and multimedia. Despite rising competition to offer converged solutions among telco and other technology players, TM continued to deliver strong customer growth across its operations.
Capitalising on its core businesses and investing into new growth areas, TM further ramped up its transformation initiatives, delivering profit after tax and non-controlling interests (PATAMI) for the quarter at RM339.9 million or 4.4% higher than the RM325.5 million recorded in 1Q2021. The Group also recorded lower financial costs subsequent to the early redemption of its RM2.0 billion sukuk in March 2021, as well as lower foreign exchange translation losses on borrowings. The Group has applied the Cukai Makmur statutory tax rate accordingly for the current quarter.
Accelerating into the second year of its Transformation, TM brought forward its manpower optimisation to enable earlier realisation of expected benefits to the Group. This, along with foreign exchange impact on trade settlement has led to a 5.0% decrease in EBIT at RM560.4 million for 1Q2022 compared to RM589.7 million in the same quarter last year. Excluding these costs, the Group's underlying EBIT is 14.0% higher at RM650.2 million compared to RM570.5 million in 1Q 2021. Free Cash Flow is lower by 15.1% at RM658.8 million compared to RM775.7 million due to higher CAPEX as the Group continues to invest in business expansion and meeting customers' demands through technology refresh and network delivery, ensuring steady growth.
unifi: Double-digit revenue and subscriber growth
unifi continued its growth performance, recording revenue increase of 10.6% from RM1.25 billion to RM1.38 billion in the current quarter. Sustained by increasing demand from Internet, voice and sales of devices, with cumulative fixed Internet subscribers increasing by 17.5% against the corresponding quarter last year. unifi remains the largest growth contributor for the Group.
unifi will continue to maintain its leadership in fixed broadband and enhance its Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC), enriched with TV and streaming content. This reflects its commitment to improve its FMC customer experience with better and seamless service. unifi will also grow its SME digital platform as a one-stop service centre for solutions catering especially to SMEs nationwide.
TM Wholesale (TMW): Higher revenue from increased demand for data services
TM Wholesale (TMW) also recorded a growth performance for 1Q2022, with revenue increasing by 1.2% from RM631.9 million in 1Q2021 to RM639.5 million, mainly contributed by higher revenue from voice and data services. This was underpinned by increasing demand from High-speed Broadband Access (HSBA) and higher International Voice and Data.
To date, TMW continues to enable industry broadband and 4G network via its fibre infrastructure, with the ongoing 5G rollout further strengthening that role. On the international front, it will continue to serve other OTTs and hyperscalers with connectivity and data centres, while regionally, TM Wholesale aspires to establish Malaysia as a digital hub for ASEAN via new submarine cables, enhanced data centre solutions and edge computing.
TM One: Renewed focus on growing B2B digital solutions market
TM One, the Group's enterprise and public sector arm, recorded a 7.4% decrease in revenue from RM925.2 million to RM856.8 million in 1Q2022 due to decline in data services revenue.
Strengthening and growing its B2B digital solutions, TM One has focused its efforts on high potential industry verticals, namely healthcare, manufacturing, education, oil & gas, banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI) and public sector. It has entered a partnership with Tune Protect and Huawei Malaysia that saw Tune Protect becoming the first organisation in Malaysia to host an insurance core system on public cloud (Cloud αEdge).
Commentary and Outlook from Imri Mokhtar, TM Group Chief Executive Officer
"With our economy and borders reopening, TM is powering Malaysia's journey on its road towards recovery, by ensuring the vision of an inclusive and extensive Digital Malaysia becomes a reality.
"Into the second year of our Transformation, we are focused on strengthening our core business while investing into new growth areas to meet customers' demands. In ensuring sustainability in the long run, we continue to grow our profitability to invest and seize opportunities arising from digital acceleration.
"One of these opportunities is in the exciting space of digital solutions and services for enterprises. Building on TM One's existing capability and relationships with enterprises and the public sector, we will deliver speed and agility through our new digital arm Credence: a corporate start-up led by technology leaders.
"unifi continues to better its fixed broadband and Fixed-Mobile Convergence value proposition to improve customer experience, while expanding our offerings to provide quality entertainment to customers at home or on-the-go.
"We have also achieved some key milestones in our sustainability efforts. TM One has successfully secured the Green Electricity Tariff from Tenaga Nasional Berhad for its data centres in Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya and Johor Bahru, contributing to a lower carbon footprint as the demand for cloud storage inevitably increases. This is in addition to the existing Green Building Index (GBI) certification earlier obtained for its core data centres. TM's broader ESG commitment also remains consistent with Malaysia's initiatives towards achieving net-zero Greenhouse Gas emission for the country by 2050.
"Meanwhile, TM Wholesale continues to establish Malaysia as a regional digital hub via new submarine cables, edge computing, data centres and supporting international connectivity. On the domestic front, TM Wholesale continues performing its role as the enabler for industry broadband, 4G and 5G network via fibre infrastructure that will transform the nation's connectivity capabilities."
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TM inks agreement with DNB to provide fibre connectivity in accelerating rollout of 5G network services nationwide
With a total contract value of RM2 billion over 10 years, the signing of a Fibre Leasing Service agreement with DNB demonstrates TM’s commitment to enable the provision of 5G infrastructure in supporting the Government’s ambitious digital aspiration Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today announces the signing of a Fibre Leasing Service agreement with Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) to speed up the deployment of the Government-owned 5G network nationwide. Taking on a leading role in enabling a Digital Malaysia, and as the national connectivity and digital infrastructure provider, TM is at the forefront of technology and innovation to support the country as it moves forward to realise a more digital society, digital business, digital industry and digital Government by 2030. The term sheet agreement with a total contract value of RM2 billion over 10 years was duly signed by Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer of TM and Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, Executive Vice President, TM Wholesale while DNB was represented by Augustus Ralph Marshall, Chief Executive Officer and Dushyanthan Vaithiyanathan, Chief Operating Officer. Commenting on the signing, Imri said: “Today’s signing further reinforces the Government’s aspiration of putting in place Malaysia’s digital infrastructure and network. We have always been a strong advocate of infrastructure sharing in providing connectivity services and end-to-end solutions, to enable excellent wireless solutions and services.” DNB will be able to leverage on TM’s extensive fibre and network infrastructure, and subscribe to TM’s 5G RAN-to-Edge Fronthaul and Backhaul solution for the provision of fibre connectivity, enabling DNB to provide 5G network services nationwide. Under the agreement, TM will provide DNB with 5G fibre leasing services for connectivity between DNB’s 5G mobile sites and nodes, leveraging on TM’s domestic fibre cable network spanning over 640,000 km across Malaysia. Prior to this, TM along with other fibre providers in Malaysia had participated in the 5G Fiber Leasing Request for Quotation (RFQ) exercise conducted by DNB in June 2021. “As DNB’s selected partner in implementing the Government’s 5G network rollout plan in Malaysia, the signing of this Fibre Agreement is testament to our advanced network technology and workforce capabilities in delivering fibre solutions throughout the country. Critical in executing this mission is to ensure our network is robust to support the future requirements of 5G and further fuel technological innovation in Malaysia,” Imri added. “In delivering the fibre connectivity for DNB’s 5G network, the local telecommunications vendors and suppliers’ ecosystem shall benefit too, in areas such as engineering services, supply of fibre, accessories, poles, manholes and premise equipment. Based on our current fibre implementation, we expect more than 70% of the work to involve and benefit bumiputera and local companies.” “TM is also excited to utilise DNB’s 5G network to provide 5G services and solutions to our home, SME, enterprise and public sector customers. With the launch of DNB 5G network services yesterday, we will be able to test the 5G network and offer services on a trial basis in selected areas across Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya,” Imri concluded. Today’s signing is in tandem with the implementation of Jalinan Digital Negara’s (JENDELA) action plan and cements TM’s commitment of enabling Digital Malaysia through MyDIGITAL. It is also in support of the Government’s other digital plans encompassing digital connectivity (domestic fiberisation, international connectivity), digital infrastructure (cloud, data centre and cybersecurity) and digital talents (via Multimedia University and TM Digital Academy).
TM and Tata Communications join forces for IP Transit services in ASEAN
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), the national connectivity and digital infrastructure provider through its global and wholesale arm, TM WHOLESALE and Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem enabler’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Tata Communications International Pte Ltd., join forces to offer stable, high-speed and reliable connectivity in the ASEAN region and open access to global enterprises. This collaboration will enable service providers, mobile network operators and internet service providers in the region to address their customers’ growing data connectivity needs by providing access to a global Tier 1 Internet Protocol (IP) network. This will help deliver reliable, stable Tier-1 IP Transit (IPT) service, an internet connectivity service that enables end-users to access all websites and content on the internet. This will further boost sectors such as e-commerce, online entertainment, retail, online banking and delivery services that have accelerated in recent times. As part of this arrangement, Tata Communications expands its IPT service coverage leveraging TM’s data centre, extensive connectivity and network infrastructure in Malaysia. This collaboration will also enable Tata Communications to optimise TM’s reachability within the ASEAN region through terrestrial networks and submarine cables to the neighbouring countries. The submarine cables include the Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand submarine cable for connectivity to Indochina and, Nusantara Gateway submarine cable for connectivity to Indonesia. At the same time, TM will benefit from Tata Communications global Tier-1 IP network to serve customers in more than 190 countries and territories hence further extending TM’s IP transit coverage and enhances its regional TMiX offering. Commenting on the collaboration, Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, Executive Vice President of TM WHOLESALE, stated, “We are delighted to work with a renowned global player like Tata Communications, to fulfil our role as the digital infrastructure accelerator in Malaysia. This is part of our effort to enhance our internet service performance with expanded global reach for service providers in Malaysia and neighbouring countries to meet the growing IP networks requirements. The collaboration underscores our commitment to our customers for delivering world class network service, brings us one step further to achieve our aspiration as the trusted digital hub in the ASEAN region. It also signifies our commitment to support the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) initiative towards enabling Digital Malaysia.” Sumeet Walia, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Tata Communications, said, “The service provider ecosystem across the ASEAN region will benefit from our joining forces with TM and enabling access to a Tier-1 internet provider transit connectivity that provides scale and a fillip to boosting the economy. By offering high-capacity and low-latency IP transit services to and from Malaysia for both our customers, we bring forth synergies for a more robust, secure and flexible IP platform.”
TM to accelerate fibre deployment in Sabah, targeting 58% state coverage by 2025
Building on its commitment to support the Sabah Maju Jaya aspiration, TM will accelerate its fibre deployment, targeting a minimum of 145,000 premises to be connected in the next three (3) years from 2022 – 2025, achieving 58% of fibre coverage in the state. These targets, along with other matters, were shared during an engagement initiative by TM’s leadership with the Chief Minister of Sabah, YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor today, in an effort to foster a stronger relationship with the state government and various stakeholder groups in Sabah. The delegation, led by Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM shared updates on TM’s activities in the state as part of its effort to bring seamless connectivity and digital solutions to the population, business community, industry and the public sector. TM has invested more than RM1.1 billion in CAPEX in Sabah since 2012 towards improving connectivity and fiberisation in the state. With a total of 32,000km fibre optic cables statewide, TM has connected close to 282,000 premises in Sabah, in addition to the rollout of 59 fibre connectivity sites at schools in the state which serve as Points Of Presence (POPs). Cumulatively, TM has deployed over 600,000km fibre optic cables nationwide, and will continue to expand in line with the implementation of JENDELA. Also shared during the visit were TM’s various initiatives to improve browsing experience of customers in Sabah. To enable faster content downloading and reduced latency, TM deployed the TM internet exchange (TMiX) nodes locally in Kota Kinabalu and Penampang as well as upcoming ones in Inanam, Kinarut, Menggatal and Putatan, expected to be ready by December 2022. The company will also enable content localisation, where OTT players can place their content servers in Penampang, establish a Content Delivery Network (CDN) node and implement an International Gateway (IGW) in the district by Q1 2023. “As a human-centred technology company, TM is ready to play the role of a strategic partner in realising Sabah’s digital agenda in multiple ways, including developing competitive and competent digital talents for Sabah’s Digital Economy through scholarships, education collaboration with MMU as well as job opportunities,” said Imri. TM is also ready to collaborate and offer comprehensive custom digital solutions to Sabah’s public sector and business community, with Digital Government, Digital Marketplace, unifi Business Club as well as its comprehensive Cloud, Data Centre and Cybersecurity offerings, in addition to its suite of Smart City solutions.
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