KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 23): Axiata Group Bhd's wireless tower arm, edotco Group Sdn Bhd (edotco), has expanded into the Philippines via an equity partnership with local infrastructure player ISOC Infrastructure Inc (ISOC), marking the eighth country in which edotco now has presence.
Under the partnership, known as ISOC edotco Towers Inc — which will become a subsidiary of edotco — both companies will invest up to US$100 million in the Philippines market over the next three to five years, edotco said in a statement today.
ISOC edotco Towers aims to build 400 to 500 towers in the first year of operations, contributing towards the one thousand towers planned within the first phase of operations, which will span across two to three years.
"Partnering with local leading players is a key strategy for us to ensure we are meeting the country's specific needs and we see this collaboration with ISOC as a catalyst to enable transformation within the Philippines telecommunications sector and lay the right foundation for the country's digital readiness," said edotco group chief executive officer Suresh Sidhu.
"While the common tower sharing practice in the Philippines is in its early stages, our entry into the country is set to support the nation's digital ambitions and assist in bringing greater connectivity to 108 million Filipinos.
"We believe there is a great need for shared infrastructure. It has proven to help mobile network operators focus on their core business and service offerings by alleviating the cost pressure of building and maintaining towers. The right shareable infrastructure will be able to meet the current demands for affordable and reliable connectivity in the Philippines," he added.
This expansion is in line with edotco's regional expansion strategy and vision to improve the telecommunications sector's operational efficiencies in the region through shared infrastructure, said edotco.
In addition to the Philippines, the group is present in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.