Maxis Appointed by Melaka ICT Holdings to Fiberise 151 Telecom Towers with RM30 Million Investment

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Melaka ICT Holdings (MICTH) has officially appointed Maxis as its strategic infrastructure partner to fiberise telecom towers, accelerating the state's digital development agenda. This initiative supports the digitalisation goals outlined in the Smart Melaka Blueprint 2035, ensuring Melaka remains at the forefront of the digital economy with high-capacity, reliable, and low-latency networks.

As part of the agreement, Maxis will upgrade telecom towers owned by MICTH, transitioning microwave backhaul to advanced high-capacity fibre networks. The upgraded digital infrastructure will deliver faster, more reliable, and more secure 4G and 5G services, while improving overall network performance across the state.

The collaboration was officially announced at a ceremony held at Seri Negeri Building in Melaka. Attendees included the Chief Minister of Melaka, YAB Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf bin Yusoh, and State Executive Councillor for Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Communications, Datuk Fairul Nizam bin Roslan. The agreement was signed by MICTH Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nazdiana binti Ab Wahab, and Maxis Chief Executive Officer, Goh Seow Eng.

The Chief Minister of Melaka, YAB Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf bin Yusoh, stated that Melaka is strengthening its digital infrastructure by increasing fibre connectivity coverage for telecom towers from 40% to 80%, covering 151 towers with an investment of approximately RM30 million. This initiative supports the vision of the Smart Melaka Blueprint 2035, which positions the "digital highway" as a key foundation for the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, smart cities, and the digital economy. This effort is being carried out in an inclusive manner to ensure benefits reach the people, further positioning Melaka as a smarter, more competitive, and digitally ready state.

MICTH Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nazdiana binti Ab Wahab, stated that the strategic collaboration with Maxis will accelerate the migration of MICTH's telecom sites from microwave connectivity to high-capacity fibre networks, enhancing network performance to meet the growing digital demands across the state. She emphasised that this partnership highlights the importance of public-private collaboration in strengthening Melaka's digital infrastructure and advancing the state's digitalisation agenda.

Maxis Chief Executive Officer, Goh Seow Eng, views this project as a significant milestone in the collaboration between Maxis and MICTH. By fiberising these sites, both parties are laying the groundwork for a future-ready ecosystem. The network offers the scalability required to meet the exponential growth in data demand, delivering high-speed, low-latency backbone transmission capabilities for mobile connectivity and AI traffic.

Beyond mobile connectivity upgrades, the deployment of fibre infrastructure will also benefit the wider community. Once the sites are modernised, they are expected to serve as key access points, facilitating the future extension of high-speed broadband to nearby residential and commercial areas, enabling current infrastructure investments to deliver sustained digital improvements for Melaka residents and businesses.

As a strategic partner, Maxis will also leverage its wholesale capabilities to provide mobile backhaul services to other Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), fostering an environment of both competition and collaboration while optimising infrastructure sharing across the state.

The agreement further extends the long-standing partnership between MICTH and Maxis; both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in October 2024 aimed at improving broadband connectivity across the state, laying the foundation for this collaboration. Both parties remain committed to continuing the expansion of Melaka's core infrastructure to build a sustainable, resilient, and digitally empowered smart state.