It’s not every day that we hear a tech company is celebrating its 10th Anniversary; what’s more, one that isn’t a start-up or consumer-facing. While that may be true for EDOTCO, the company’s decade-long existence has entrenched the company with consumers and connectivity. The company has been actively involved in the rollout of cellular towers and related technologies in Malaysia, Cambodia, Bangladesh and more across the ASEAN and South Asian regions.
What exactly does a TowerCo (telecommunications tower company) do? Well, it’s pretty simple. You know that symbol on your mobile phone which shows you your signal strength? They work to ensure that there is a connection at all times. This comes in the form of building and maintaining cell towers for mobile network operators (MNOs) and even leasing or co-locating towers with other companies. EDOTCO has its beginnings in Malaysia as Axiata group’s TowerCo before it spun off into its own business.
The company now boasts a portfolio of over 54,000 towers across the ASEAN and South Asian regions. They currently operate in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Pakistan, Philippines, Laos and most recently, Indonesia. This has made them the 6th ranking TowerCo in the world with ambitions to be in the top 5 by 2024. They have also been recognized as one of three unicorn status companies in Malaysia by Credit Suisse last year.
We spoke with CEO, Mohamed Adlan Ahmad Tajudin, about the company’s focus on equitable connectivity, innovation and sustainability. This interview comes in the wake of the company celebrating their 10th Anniversary and launching a companywide rebrand.
A Heritage of Innovation & A Culture of Sustainability
EDOTCO hasn’t been resting on its laurels for the past decade. They’ve been at the forefront of innovating in the TowerCo space. The company has also been busy inculcating a philosophy of innovation and sustainable thinking from the ground up. CEO, Mohamed Adlan informs us, “we inculcate the culture of a sustainable world for the future and the next generation within the minds of our people. We hire passionate individuals who fit within EDOTCO’s culture and core values to ensure our staff are in tune with EDOTCO’s heart.”
Their genuine passion and dedication to innovation and sustainability have been driving EDOTCO’s ingenuity when it comes to tower technology. One of the hallmarks of the company’s past decade is their collaboration with the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). They looked to create a greener, more sustainable solution to building steel towers atop buildings in Bangladesh. If you remember, there have been cases where buildings in South Asia were collapsing due to the weight being borne. In their collaboration, BUET and EDOTCO created a very sustainable solution of creating the towers with specially treated bamboo which is more resilient and lightweight. This innovation resulted in a solution that is not only greener with 70% less carbon emissions; the resulting tower is 88% lighter. EDOTCO erected its first bamboo tower in the Uttara region of Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2017.
“Innovation will always remain a key cornerstone in our operations. However, we have also shifted our focus to sustainability as a key indicator of growth as a group.”
While it may seem trivial, the innovative approach could very well be the first step in a new way to set up towers and empower connectivity in rural areas. With better, more natural materials, we’re looking at the possibility of minimally affecting ecosystems while society moves towards being more connected. The lower cost and carbon emissions are also a testament to the company’s commitment to creating and innovating sustainably.
Refocusing to Empower Equitable Connectivity with Innovative Solutions
The company isn’t resting on their laurels with their 10th anniversary either. Instead, they’ve turned their focus to sustainability and equitable connectivity. EDOTCO is committed to adapting to the rapid changes that come with the surge forward in digitization. To further drive the point home, the company is undergoing a revamp and rebranding to embody their continued commitment and further refocusing their efforts on sustainable innovation.
The rebranding also comes with a commitment to empower and advance the Asian region when it comes to the region’s communications and connectivity ambitions. They will continue to innovate and address the needs of both developing and developed countries with solutions that drive connectivity with 5G and beyond; making next-generation connectivity universally accessible. Together with that, EDOTCO will also be working with their partners and customers to enable and drive positive transformation in the communities they are engaged.
Together with this EDOTCO is also looking to drive their goals sustainably. They will be enhancing their internal sustainability strategy moving forward through their one-way and two-way engagements internally and in person. The vision to be sustainable isn’t just a bunch of fluff or a hot topic. It’s a vision and policy being driven in all departments from HR to Engineering. It provides an added impetus to their innovation and empowers their vision for equitable connectivity.
When it comes to equitable connectivity, EDOTCO isn’t just talking about sustainability either. They’re taking tangible steps to make erecting towers and providing connectivity as a service more affordable to its customers and, in turn, to consumers. Even before they embark on their next decade, the company has already helped MNOs save between 16% to 35% in their Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operations Expenditure (OPEX) through infrastructure sharing, tower leasing and co-location. This has also resulted in faster, more sustainable network rollouts and fostered competition between MNOs which is beneficial for consumers.
Working to Spearhead Equitable Connectivity & Sustainability
As much as they are driving innovation and helping with cost reduction for MNOs and, in turn, consumers, EDOTCO can only continue to do so with the correct policies in place. These policies and frameworks allow them to address more targeted issues. In Malaysia alone, EDOTCO continues to support the JENDELA framework put in motion by the Malaysian Government. It comes as no surprise that the company has already focused on equitable connectivity when JENDELA was first announced. They have since been supporting this framework by being a forerunner in connecting the unconnected.
Their innovations have allowed initiatives like Malaysia’s JENDELA to progress at a faster pace. With solutions like EDOTCO’s Network and Planning Analytics (NaPA), the company continues to allow MNOs to reduce costs and be more targeted and strategic in rolling out infrastructure. NaPA allows MNOs to reduce build times for towers by providing geocoding and analytic insights. To date, this technology has been used in the setup of over 200 towers in the JENDELA initiative.
Bringing a Human Touch to Digitization
Being a company entrenched in the digitalization process, it gets easy to lose sight of the human aspect of technology. However, EDOTCO isn’t just a technology company – it’s a “Bionic Organization”. The company is creating “the workforce of the future” by integrating technology and digital tools into human interactions. While others look to leverage AI to replace humans, they are using AI and other technologies to better their workforce and provide value for their partners. They look to drive human interactions with the highest levels of efficiency.
EDOTCO’s “Bionic Organization” approach looks to harness in-house talent to bring heart and feeling to an industry that can be very cold. In the words of Adlan, EDOTCO is looking to become “Fitter, Faster and Far Better, without compromising on the human soul”. This entails leveraging digital solutions to make work more intuitive and human experience more effective. In addition, it will also, inevitably require their workforce to harness their inherent diversity of experience and backgrounds to drive innovation inclusively and with a sense of equity.
It’s getting rarer to see a tech CEO whose focus is on creating warmth and heart when driving their company. However, Mohamed Adlan’s approach to a “Bionic Organization” is looking to unite the two dichotomies in digitization and embeds them throughout the organization. This aims to create an environment and work culture that is collaborative, efficient and driven by insights and a sense of purpose. This is how he plans to drive both the sustainability and equitability pillars at EDOTCO.
Looking to Expansion, Diversifying & Further Empowering Equitable Connectivity
With the first 10 years in the bag, EDOTCO is looking to the future. Not only is it focused on bringing heart to digitalization, but it’s also constantly looking for opportunities to innovate and expand. Having already built a portfolio of 50,000 towers in nine markets from the initial 10,000 in its four home markets, the company is looking into new areas such as Network as a Service (NaaS) and Site as a Service (SaaS) to expand their portfolio.
Their current focus is on expanding within Thailand and Vietnam where they believe that the potential for growth is the greatest. The company is also eyeing going public in the coming decade while they focus on pushing boundaries and accelerating equitable access to digital connectivity.