TELEKOM MALAYSIA BERHAD (TM) BULLISH ON PROSPECTS FOR PAKISTAN'S COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR
Asia's emerging communications leader intent on deepening its presence
06 Nov 2006, Islamabad, Pakistan -- Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), an emerging leader in Asian communications with operations in nine Asian countries, will continue to invest substantially in Pakistan, one of the fastest growing telecommunications markets in Asia.
The company plans to spend a total of USD100 million on "Project Ittehad", a massive project to connect 107 cities in Pakistan with 4,500km of fibre optic cable.
The investment will be made through TM's Pakistani subsidiary, broadband operator Multinet Pvt Ltd, whose mission is to improve the state of the country's communications solutions by leveraging TM's global network assets.
Multinet will then be able to fulfil the needs of Pakistan's high-growth telecommunication sector, offering services to mobile phone operators, long distance international operators and internet service providers - all designed to boost the country's overall communications infrastructure.
Multinet is currently providing broadband Internet access via wired and wireless media in 12 cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Multan, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Sialkot and Shaikhupura.
TM has also invested in the 20,000km undersea cable (SMW-4), which allows Multinet, the only private company in Pakistan to offer high quality international connectivity services domestically through this facility.
Yusof Annuar Yaacob, Chief Executive Officer of TM's international investments holding arm TM International, speaking at a media briefing on the sidelines of the World Islamic Economic Forum, says the Malaysian telecommunications giant via its unit Multinet, is operating in a very dynamic sector of Pakistan's communications landscape.
"TM is Malaysia's largest broadband operator and possess valuable expertise which we are sharing with our partners at Multinet in order to make our subsidiary the premier long haul and broadband operator in Pakistan in due time," he said.
TM, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has a string of other subsidiaries in Asia where it has substantial equity control in several key mobile operators such as Dialog Telekom Ltd of Sri Lanka (89.8%), TM International Bangladesh (70 percent), Telekom Malaysia International Cambodia (100 percent) and Indonesia's PT Excelcomindo (59.6 percent). It also has a significant 49% stake in Spice Telecom of India. To date, TM's combined regional subscriber numbers has topped 24 million across nine countries, including Malaysia.
"TM is the emerging leader for Asian communications and has all the right ingredients for international success with strong domestic leadership and strategic presence across the region," Yusof said, adding by 2015, TM aims to be Asia's regional communications company of choice, represented by strong domestic brands.
While commercial considerations are important, Yusof reaffirmed TM's long-term commitment to all the markets it is present in, adding that "TM will continue to invest in our markets be it capital, technology transfer, telecommunications infrastructure development and in the community proper."
"The company understands that long-term relationships are only forged by sincere interactions with the local communities. This is an integral part of TM's method of conducting business in Asia as TM understands the importance of community and how telecommunication tools can bring people and countries closer," he adds.
An Asian presence spanning more than 10 years has also equipped TM with a unique ability to work closely with regulators of various markets to bring forth products and services that best complement the national agendas for development.
About TM
TM, an emerging leader in Asian communications, offers a comprehensive range of communication services and solutions in fixed-line, mobile, data and broadband. As one of the largest listed companies in Malaysia with a market capitalisation of USD8.38 billion, TM delivers value to its stakeholders in a highly competitive home environment. The Group places emphasis on continuing customer service quality enhancements and innovations. Currently, with investments and operations in 13 countries around Asia and globally, TM is focused on achieving sustainable growth in both the local and international markets.
TM has interests in nine key markets within Asia - Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Iran. TM has an impeccable track record of adding value to its investments, working closely with its subsidiaries to achieve strong market positions and profitability.
For further information on TM, visit www.tm.com.my.
About Multinet Pakistan (Private) Limited
Multinet, a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), promotes communications solutions to carriers and enterprises in Pakistan by leveraging TM's extensive network capabilities around the globe and has entered the consumer market.
By virtue of TM's partnership in the 20,000 km undersea cable - SMW-4, Multinet is able to provision international bandwidth on TM's behalf, making Multinet the only private company in Pakistan to offer the greatest diversity for international connectivity services to Pakistan. SMW-4's multi-gigabit system allows Multinet to offer carriers and enterprises connectivity from speeds of 64K and above.
Further to its ability to provide international connectivity, Multinet is currently establishing its nationwide long haul optical fiber transmission network (Project Ittehad) in Pakistan, spanning a length of over 4,500 km connecting 107 cities to overcome bandwidth limitations of the domestic market. The infrastructure is built around the latest technology including full redundancy and self healing rings.
For more information, please go to www.multi.net.pk.
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