Malaysia-based Maxis outlined plans to further diversify its connectivity offering with the launch of a solar energy business, aiming to bundle it with its growing portfolio of services.
In a wide-ranging interview at its HQ in Kuala Lumpur, Maxis CEO Seow Eng Goh (pictured, below) told Mobile World Live it does not “just want to sell mobile and fibre-to-the-home, but also solar energy”.
The second-largest mobile player in the country will install solar panels on rooftops. He noted customers will pay a monthly subscription fee without any upfront charges. “It’s solar energy as a service.”
Goh stated the move is part of its connectivity plus one strategy.
He added telecoms is a network-centric business. “We know how to put up towers and get into customers’ homes. We measure our services in bits and bytes. The solutions and systems integration domain is a human-centric business, with providers thinking in terms of billable hours.”
Moving into that segment would mean venturing into something quite alien, he noted. “We don’t want to go into that area. Solar is still about installing things in people’s homes.”
Since Malaysia has no major operators in the fragmented sector, Maxis will partner with smaller players which handle installations while it sources solar panels, inverters and other components, which it will own.
Second network
Regarding the government’s decision to have a second wholesale 5G network, he insisted there is no question the move is positive.
“We’ve been saying all along one 5G network is not suitable for the country. Two networks is still the most appropriate number. Perhaps there will be three in the future, but I think two is right for now given the significant cost of doing it.”
Goh said the impact a merger of Celcom and Digi in 2022 ranges from neutral to relatively good. “With any merger there’s a honeymoon period for players like Maxis to take advantage and take market share to increase our revenue. I think you saw that in our earnings report yesterday.”
As for its adoption of AI, he said efforts are focused on customer facing initiatives. “We are big believers of what I call effortless independence,” with customers enabled to serve themselves.
“We don’t aspire to be developers of AI. We aspire to be smart users of AI.”
The operator reported net profit in 2024 rose 41 per cent year-on-year to MYR1.4 billion ($315.2 million), with total revenue up 3.5 per cent to MRY10.5 billion, mainly driven by its consumer fibre and enterprises business because mobile revenue increased 2.1 per cent to MYR6.3 billion.
Goh noted its fibre business is growing but margins are much lower than in the consumer mobile business.
However, he argued the convergence of mobile and fibre lowers mobile churn by about three times.
Goh noted the forthcoming MWC 2025 Barcelona event would be a “place to go to catch up, to network and get a feel in terms of what the trends are”, a benefit because Malaysia is not a hotbed of telecoms innovation.
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