Malaysia's CelcomDigi has extended long-term partnerships with a number of tower companies as part of the carrier's plans to bolster its network modernization.

The Malaysian telco announced this week that it has renewed partnerships with Edotco Group, Edgepoint Infrastructure, D’Harmoni Telco Infra, and PDC Telecommunication Services.

Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed by CelcomDigi.

CelcomDigi, which was formed in 2022, created out of a merger between Axiata Group and Telenor's mobile units in Malaysia, said the partnerships will expand its coverage across the country to urban landmarks and also remote locations in Sabah and Sarawak.

The carrier noted that it will explore the deployment of various types of telecom infrastructure, such as street furniture and in-building offerings.

“Efforts to strengthen long-term partnerships with tower companies are key to developing a robust network infrastructure," said Datuk Idham Nawawi, CelcomDigi CEO .

"With trusted partners who possess proven capabilities and extensive reach, we are ensuring the rapid rollout of sites to complete the largest network integration and modernization exercise in the country, delivering excellent service to customers across more areas nationwide."

Providing an update on its overall network integration and modernization strategy, CelcomDigi said its rollout is close to 70 percent complete, with more than 10,500 sites modernized as of the end of October.

The company has set a target of 75 percent by the end of 2024.

By 2026, CelcomDigi aims to deploy 18,000 5G-ready sites across the country.

The carrier has around 20 million mobile subscribers.