KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 15): edotco Group Sdn Bhd (edotco), the telecommunication infrastructure services arm of Axiata Group Bhd, plans to invest US$200 million over the next five years in Myanmar, with the aim of building and owning up to 5,000 towers there, over the next three years.

“We are dedicated to establishing a high quality telecommunications network in Myanmar. This will be achieved through the introduction of sustainable and value-added services, such as alternative energy solutions, dual-purpose structures and our proprietary echo remote monitoring and management system," its group chief executive officer (CEO), Suresh Sidhu, said in a statement today.

"Through edotco Myanmar, we are committed to enabling connectivity in the country; delivering reliable and superior network service to end users, through the deployment and effective management of passive telecoms infrastructure," he added.

edotco officially launched today, its operations in Myanmar, which will allow it to benefit from the huge growth potential of the tower market in that country, which is expected to grow from the current 7,900 towers to 29,000 towers by 2024.

"Together with our local partner, Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd, edotco is committed to the growth of its business in Myanmar, combining Yoma’s local market experience with edotco’s expertise in mobile tower and infrastructure sharing, for the benefit of customers and this new market," said Suresh.

Axiata’s shares closed down 0.16% or one sen at RM6.13 today, giving it a market capitalisation of RM54 billion.

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