Malaysian telco CelcomDigi has outlined a three-year network integration plan designed to ramp up its 4G coverage.
The company, which completed its merger in November of last year, revealed that it wants to increase its 4G network coverage by two percentage points to 98 percent nationwide.
The telco revealed the plans alongside its first full quarter of post-merger earnings.
As part of its plans to reduce network costs by MYR5.5 billion ($1.2 billion) over the next three years, the company is reportedly reducing the number of base stations it operates by as much as a third.
Mobile World Live reported that the company is set to cut 7,000 sites and build 2,000 new ones, as part of its efforts to increase its 4G coverage.
“We are excited about the prospect of 5G and look forward to playing a more active and direct role in implementing the country’s 5G network, on the back of delivering the widest, most modern 4G network in Malaysia," said CelcomDigi chief executive officer, Datuk Idham Nawawi.
"We also remain committed to driving growth in convergence and enterprise solutions, leveraging new technologies and partnerships in 5G, AI, and IoT solutions – there is a lot that customers can expect of us going forward,” he added.
The operator noted that it ended March with 20.3 million mobile subscribers, making it the biggest in the country.
For the quarter, CelcomDigi reported a net profit of MYR321 million ($69.9m), while service revenue remained at MYR2.7 billion ($588m).
Telenor and Axiata completed the merger of their respective Digi and Celcom units in November 2022. Both parties hold equal ownership of the merger, owning shares of 33.1 percent.
