In-house smart solutions for Fixed Wireless Access connectivity and customer experience platform for frontliners awarded under “Connectivity-Telecommunications” and “AI-IT Services” categories respectively
Telekom Research & Development Sdn Bhd (TM R&D), the innovation arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), recently bagged two awards at the Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards 2022, organised by the Singapore Business Review.
The Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards spotlights exceptional companies who are technology disruptors that boosts Malaysia’s economy. TM’s Fast Internet for All (FIRA) solution was bestowed the award under the “Connectivity-Telecommunications” category, while TM’s Single Platform on Intelligent Customer Experience (SPICE.ai) won the award in the “Artificial Intelligence (AI)-IT Services” category.
Commenting on these awards, Dr. Sharlene Thiagarajah, Chief Executive Officer, TM R&D said, “I couldn’t be prouder of my team as these awards reflect their commitment to meet the fast-evolving digital needs of today’s customers and strengthen our position as a research leader in these fields. This recognition also reaffirms our efforts in building smarter digital ecosystems to facilitate the ease with which Malaysians can embrace a more digital lifestyle, while also bringing progress to the nation.”
FIRA was introduced as a way to support the government in providing Malaysians with quality access to digital connectivity nationwide. Aimed at offering better internet service to underserved communities, FIRA uses Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technologies to improve connectivity in rural areas across Malaysia. Since its first deployment in Malacca back in July 2020, the solution has demonstrated promising success in improving download and upload link speeds compared to other broadband services. The solution has since been implemented at a rural school in Selangor and at Pusat Komuniti Desa sites under the Ministry of Rural Development. It has also supported an IR4.0 use case in Terengganu.
“FIRA is formulated to address two common issues: coverage and speed. The solution is capable to deliver connectivity up to 50Mbps within 5-8km range, compared to a traditional 4G cell within 1km range. Furthermore, with its quick deployment procedures, FIRA can help mitigate customers’ connectivity concerns in a cost-effective and timely manner,” shared Dr. Sharlene.
SPICE.ai, on the other hand, aims to assist frontliners in their daily task of addressing customer service enquiries and requests.
Dr Sharlene explained, “SPICE.ai consists of multiple components that cover different parts of an existing customer experience system. By integrating these components, frontliners gain a more holistic view of each customers’ profiles. The solution then implements real-time analytics to improve customer experience, giving frontliners the right information at the right time which allows them to deliver a better experience to customers.”
This analytics system has been deployed nationwide for nearly two years and becomes the primary touchpoint for more than 5,000 TM frontliners in most customer interactions across multiple channels. The performance of SPICE.ai has proven to be reliable and seamless even when integrated with more than 20 existing, standalone systems and was still able to relay the processed information through one single platform, on top of providing analytics and advisory.
Established in 2001, TM R&D is the innovation arm of TM Group focusing on creating smarter ecosystems to make business and life easier for a better Malaysia. TM R&D’s solutions are clustered around four pillars namely Intelligent Platforms, Data Brokerage, Connectivity/Tools and IR4.0/Digital Solutions. Growing from strength to strength, TM R&D has won multiple global awards and generated more than 2,800 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and 1,400 digital assets to date. TM R&D’s innovations are developed in-house and cut across multiple industries such as Utilities, Retail, Agriculture, Healthcare and Education, with safety and productivity as its top priority.
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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 ANNOUNCES SOVEREIGN GPU-AS-ASERVICE TO EMPOWER MALAYSIA’S AI ASPIRATIONS
KUALA LUMPUR, 13 December 2024 – TM, Malaysia’s telecommunication leader, has further strengthened its core capabilities by ramping up its digital infrastructure to enable GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS). Hosted entirely within the country, this initiative aims to bolster Malaysia's AI infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation. The solution was unveiled following the launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO) by YAB Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia. The first of its kind in Malaysia, this innovative solution leverages NVIDIA GPU technology hosted at TM’s Uptime Tier-III certified data centres. TM’s GPUaaS provides low-latency, real-time, high-performance AI computing capabilities while ensuring data sovereignty and security, reinforcing Malaysia’s aspirations to become a leader in AI innovation within ASEAN. TM’s GPUaaS eliminates the need for capital-intensive investments, providing scalable and on-demand access to cutting-edge resources. Backed by TM’s nationwide fibre optic network and edge computing facilities, it seamlessly integrates GPU resources with high-speed connectivity to power AI-driven applications such as: • AI for Public Services: Real-time AI Avatars providing information for citizens. • Healthcare Diagnostics: AI-powered imaging and analytics. • Autonomous Vehicles: Real-time traffic and navigation systems. • Immersive Media: AR/VR content creation with real-time rendering. Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer, stated, “TM’s GPUaaS will further enhance our digital infrastructure and support the nation’s AI aspiration. By offering cost-efficient access to high-performance computing for AI model training and inferencing, we enable businesses and the Government sector to adopt AI-driven solutions with greater ease, ensuring both operational efficiency and scalability. “Our GPUaaS design is modular and scalable, catering to various user needs. Leveraging this agility, we are pleased to announce that TM has secured an international customer for GPUaaS requirement to be delivered by year-end. This initiative underscores TM’s commitment to empower industries and unlock new opportunities through AI infrastructure, as we align our Digital Powerhouse 2030 aspiration to fast forward the future of a Digital Malaysia.” TM’s data centres hosting GPUaaS are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green buildings, designed to ensure sustainability and energy efficiency. This aligns with Malaysia’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, supporting innovation while reducing environmental impact. In addition to hosting TM’s GPUaaS, these data centres are also available to host other GPU providers. The sovereign GPUaaS reinforces Malaysia’s readiness to become a digital-first economy; transforming critical sectors such as healthcare and transportation, driving economic development and enhancing public service delivery.

TM Statement on Cable Theft Incident in Johor Bahru
KUALA LUMPUR, 28 January 2025 – Following the recent cable theft incident in Johor Bahru involving the group known as “Geng Boy” who were apprehended by the police, TM is fully cooperating with the authorities to facilitate their investigation. As the matter is still ongoing, we are unable to provide additional comments at this time. Cable theft is a serious offense that endangers lives, disrupts essential services that Malaysians rely on daily, and impacts the community. Protecting our national infrastructure is vital, and we urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities immediately by calling 999 or visiting the nearest police station. TM is committed to ensuring the security and reliability of our nation’s digital infrastructure, and we will continue to collaborate closely with the authorities to prevent such incidents in the future. We thank the Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) for their swift and effective action, as well as members of the public for their vigilance and support in addressing these crimes.