How CelcomDigi Can Become a World-Class Innovation Telco

From Scale Leadership to Innovation Excellence

A Case Study by Christine Pamela

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Executive Summary

CelcomDigi stands at a critical juncture: it has won scale through the 2022 merger, but innovation remains incremental. The opportunity is clear—shift from market leader to innovation exporter.

RM12.8B
FY2024 Revenue
#1
Market Position by Subscribers
70%
Innovation in Core (needs rebalancing)
2022
Celcom-Digi Merger Year

The Challenge

Malaysia needs a telco that exports technology, not just imports it.

  • Most innovation today lives in Core operations—better bundles, better networks, better apps
  • Global leaders are shifting investment to Edge (enterprise platforms) and Beyond (moonshots)
  • CelcomDigi has execution excellence but innovation ambition must accelerate
  • Maxis leads the current enterprise battlefield; CelcomDigi can lead the next one

Current Innovation Portfolio

The Theta Innovation Framework maps CelcomDigi's initiatives across three zones: Core, Edge, and Beyond

Zone Initiative Focus Goal Status
Core 4G modernization, network integration Cost efficiency, experience Executing
Core Convergence and household share Higher ARPU Expanding quickly
Core Digital care and unified app Cost efficiency Mature
Edge Private 5G industry solutions Enterprise growth Pilots → Scale
Edge Cloud, IoT, cybersecurity partners New revenue Growing
Edge Platform APIs Telco-as-a-service Early
Beyond AI-driven networks Autonomous operations Phase 1
Beyond Web3 identity and services Future ecosystem bet Exploring
Beyond Satellite and NTN Universal coverage Watching pilots

Performance & Positioning

Revenue Trend (2020-2024)

Innovation Portfolio Split

Competitive Positioning (Malaysia)

Global Innovation Benchmarking

The 70-20-10 Transformation

Gradually rebalance innovation investment from 70/25/5 to 60/30/10 by 2027

Core (60%)

Accelerate fixed-mobile convergence. Maintain the cash flow engine while improving operational efficiency through AI and automation.

Edge (30%)

Scale private 5G and enterprise platforms. This is where global telcos are winning. Build vertical-specific solutions and platform APIs.

Beyond (10%)

Stand up a Moonshot Lab. Focus on three bets: AI-driven networks, digital identity, and satellite connectivity. Move from utility to tech exporter.

Final Takeaway

CelcomDigi has already won scale. Now it must win the future. Malaysia's innovation economy is waiting for a national champion—one that stops importing innovation and starts exporting it.