edotco hosts summit to drive the conversation on 5G

• Every telecommunications player will have to be on the same page and work together
• With a dedicated National 5G Task Force Malaysia is at the forefront of 5G deployment in SEA

EDOTCO Group on Sept 25 brought together experts in the telecommunications industry for a discourse on all things 5G at the inaugural International Infrastructure Summit in Malaysia. Themed ‘The Right Stuff: TowerCo’s Digital Infrastructure’, the summit is held in conjunction with GSMA as a core session in the GSMA Mobile 360 - Digital Societies.

In his opening speech, edotco group chief executive officer Suresh Sidhu said, “5G does require some big changes in attitude, if not structure. Top of the list is collaboration. It goes without saying that every telecommunications player will have to be on the same page and work together to ensure a successful rollout.

“To realise its full potential 5G requires a rethinking of the ecosystem and how participants work and ‘play’ with each other, densification of infrastructure and the right national policies for spectrum, sharing and sites.

“Collaboration between Mobile Network Operators, the government, regulators, local authorities and the private sector is key. We hope, with Summits like this, to drive conversations on how the ecosystem can come together and achieve national digital ambitions”.

A key feature of the summit was a panel session on preparations for 5G, titled ‘5G: Is Infra Ready to Rumble?’ which included Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairman, Al-Ishsal Ishak, TIME dotcom chief executive officer, Afzal Abdul Rahim, Robi Axiata Limited chief executive officer Mahtab Uddin Ahmed and Boston Consulting Group Southeast Asia managing director & senior partner Vaishali Rastogi as panelists.

Among topics discussed by these key players in the industry were regulatory views on licensing, spectrum and overall policies that will enable a seamless transition to 5G, the kind of infrastructure which will be required for a successful roll out and how industry players must come together to make this a reality.

In addition to the panel discussion, a capsule named ‘The New InfraCo’ explored how traditional towercos are evolving into infracos to better serve the market as a one-stop centre, providing tower, power and fibre. edotco’s work with Small Cells and street furniture such as smart bus shelters, and collaborations with like-minded partners were shared as case studies of the company’s own journey towards becoming an infraco.

edotco group chief regional officer Wan Zainal Adileen commented, “With a dedicated National 5G Task Force established to study and recommend a holistic strategy, Malaysia is at the forefront of 5G deployment in Southeast Asia. The task force looks into several areas, including infrastructure requirements and coverage for optimum 5G deployment for different services.

“edotco has the capability and expertise in telecommunications infrastructure planning and deployment to deliver future-proof networks and facilitate transforming Malaysia into a digital economy powerhouse in Southeast Asia with an allinclusive, vibrant 5G ecosystem.”

Other topics covered were The Infra Landscape in Asia Today, The New Operating Paradigm in Infrastructure: Digital Operations, Regulatory Views by GSMA, and a second keynote on ‘Where Do You Put Your Dollars?’.