EdgePoint’s Suresh Sidhu highlights towerco role in ASEAN’s digital revolution

• Towerco expands regional footprint with 15k sites across ASEAN
• Region's youth-driven mobile-first culture fuels 5G and 4G growth

“ASEAN is incredibly mobile-centric. Two-thirds of web traffic comes from mobile devices, even in countries like Malaysia where broadband penetration exceeds 50%,” said Suresh Sidhu (pic), CEO and founder of EdgePoint Infrastructure Sdn Bhd, during his keynote at the TowerXchange Meetup Asia 2024 in Kuala Lumpur last week. “Our young, tech-savvy population drives this. With 25% of ASEAN’s population under the age of 18, mobile is the personal broadband of every individual.”

Suresh used these insights to frame the critical role of tower companies (towercos) in enabling Southeast Asia’s connectivity revolution. His keynote, Positioning to Win: Towercos Place in Digital ASEAN, highlighted the opportunities and challenges faced by the sector as the region transitions to 5G and beyond.

ASEAN’s connectivity growth through collaboration

“Shared networks are embedded in everything happening today,” he noted, pointing out how collaboration among mobile network operators (MNOs) and infrastructure providers has been instrumental in increasing efficiency and coverage. He praised Malaysia’s long history of infrastructure sharing, that began in the early 2000s, as a model for other countries in the region.

EdgePoint Infrastructure has been at the forefront of this shift, operating over 15,000 towers in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and supporting 25,000 tenants. The company has delivered 500 build-to-suit towers for Indonesia’s IOH besides running 10,800 towers there, and manages 2,900 sites in the Philippines, with 450 new orders for build-to-suit and colocation received this year alone.

In its home market of Malaysia, the company operates 1,500 towers serving 3,400 tenants, with future investments planned to address urban and suburban connectivity needs.

Suresh emphasized that such shared infrastructure reduces duplication and accelerates rollout timelines, particularly in underserved areas. “Collaboration is key to unlocking efficiencies and driving sustainable growth in the region.”

4G’s enduring role in a 5G era

While 5G is a major focus for governments and operators, the ongoing importance of 4G infrastructure cannot be overlooked. “You can’t run a good 5G network without great 4G,” Suresh explained. “In fact, 4G will be the 2G of tomorrow, particularly in regions like Indonesia where covering vast, complex geographies takes time.”

ASEAN’s reliance on mobile devices for both personal and professional connectivity makes robust 4G networks a necessity. “When a person drops from 5G to 4G, the experience must remain seamless,” he said, pointing to the role of demographic trends in shaping network demand, noting that young populations across ASEAN are natural adopters of mobile-first technologies.

The challenges and opportunities for towercos

Suresh outlined the importance of reliability, speed, and innovation in meeting MNO demands. Towercos must go beyond merely providing infrastructure and focus on delivering holistic solutions tailored to operator needs. “Scale is necessary, but skill sets you apart.”

He also highlighted emerging opportunities for towercos in adjacent sectors. “Adjoining sectors like micro-edge data centres, fibre integration, and IoT offer immense potential,” he said, though this is over the longer term where many more sites will be needed.

“It’s about the growth of the network and AI to the edge as well as machine and private networks, eg for municipal parking, infra monitoring etc.”

There is also growing interest in towercos managing power for sites, which could simplify operations for MNOs while reducing costs.

Suresh noted that as data consumption grows and artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in daily life, the demands on networks will intensify. He contends that towercos must prepare to support the explosion of data traffic while maintaining efficiency.

“You must have indomitable will. Be persistent, consistent, and committed,” he stressed, urging the industry to remain resilient in the face of rapid technological advancements and evolving market conditions.

As AI adoption, data consumption, and 5G rollouts accelerate, towercos like EdgePoint Infrastructure are positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping ASEAN’s digital future. Suresh’s call to action serves as a reminder that while challenges persist, the opportunities to drive connectivity and innovation are greater than ever, and EdgePoint intends to be a key player.