Jakarta, May 20th 2025 - PT XLSMART Telecom Sejahtera Tbk (“XLSMART” or “IDX: EXCL”) has signed a strategic partnership agreement with two global technology companies, PT Huawei Tech Investment and PT ZTE Indonesia, to support the management of national network operations as well as the development of employee knowledge, competencies, and technological expertise in the fields of technology and digital innovation.
The agreement was signed by Shurish Subbramaniam, Director & Chief Technology Officer of XLSMART and Antony Susilo, Director & Chief Financial Officer of XLSMART with Kevin Zhou, CEO of Huawei Indonesia Carrier Business and Richard Liang President Director of PT ZTE Indonesia, as well as Jeremiah Rathadi, Director & Chief People Officer of XLSMART, together with Leo Lin, Director of Huawei XLSMART Account and Musa Gan, Sales Director of ZTE Indonesia, and was witnessed by Franky Oesman Widjaja, Chairman Sinar Mas Telecomunications and Technology, and Thomas Hundt, Group Chief Business & Technology Officer of Axiata, Simon Lin, Senior Vice President of Huawei Global, Xiao Ming, President Director of ZTE Overseas, Sun Fangping President Director of ZTE Global Service, Jason Tao President of Huawei Asian Pacific ICT Marketing and Solutions Sales Department, Pak Long CEO of Huawei Tech Investment Indonesia, I Gede Darmayusa, Chief Integration Officer of XLSMART, Sanjay Sachdeva Chief Procurement Officer of XLSMART.
Shurish Subbramaniam, Director & Chief Technology Officer of XLSMART stated, "This strategic partnership with Huawei and ZTE is a critical step for XLSMART to ensure optimal network management across Indonesia. More importantly, we are committed to developing the digital capabilities of our employees to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital transformation era. With cutting-edge technology and continuous human capital development, we are confident in delivering the best services and meaningful digital experiences to our more than 94.5 million customers."
This collaboration marks one of the most strategic steps in the early phase of XLSMART's journey as a newly formed entity resulting from the merger of XL Axiata and Smartfren. With the integration of two major network infrastructures, XLSMART now manages more than 200 thousand BTS across Indonesia -making it one of the operator with the widest-reaching network in the country. This infrastructure scale gives XLSMART a significant competitive advantage in accelerating equitable digital access, not only in major cities but also in rural and remote 3T (frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped) areas.
In addition to expanding coverage, this infrastructure synergy also enables improvements in service quality that are more consistent, stable, and efficient, benefiting over 94.5 million customers across diverse segments of society. The partnership initiative with Huawei and ZTE is designed to ensure that the increasingly complex network operations are managed to the highest standards, supported by cutting-edge technology, seamless system integration, and swift responsiveness to the evolving needs of customers and the industry. With a stronger and more modern infrastructure foundation, XLSMART reinforces its commitment to delivering inclusive, resilient, and future-ready connectivity for Indonesia’s digital transformation.
Leadership Development for Employees
In addition to network operations, this strategic collaboration also includes a leadership development program focused on enhancing employee competencies in mastering current technologies and adapting to future innovations. Through the Leadership Development program, Huawei and ZTE will deliver intensive training, workshops, and learning modules designed to strengthen the capabilities of XLSMART’s leaders and strategic talent. The training content will cover key topics such as business process digitalization, service innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) utilization, as well as the implementation of advanced network technologies like 5G and cloud-native infrastructure. This initiative reflects XLSMART’s concrete step in ensuring that digital transformation is not only driven by technology, but also by the readiness and competitiveness of its people. The approach aims to cultivate an ecosystem of talent that is adaptive, innovative, and equipped to elevate customer service and meet the evolving challenges of the industry.
A Commitment to 94.5 Million Customers Across Indonesia
With a customer base exceeding 94.5 million, a combined market share of 25%, XLSMART has set a strategic goal to become the most loved telecommunications company in Indonesia by 2027. The company’s primary focus remains on its customers, as reflected in its continuous efforts to build a responsive, adaptive, and service-oriented organization. Through its expansive network coverage and increasingly integrated infrastructure, XLSMART is committed to providing equitable, reliable, and meaningful access to technology for all Indonesians.