Celcom Q1 financial report shows promising growth despite challenging market, data revenue up 29.8% year-on-year

Jennifer Wong, Chief Financial Officer, Michael Kuehner, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, Azwan Khan Osman Khan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Business Operations and the Celcom management team announcing Celcom’s Q1 financial report.

Despite a rather challenging Malaysian market, Celcom Axiata Berhad have announced their Q1 financial report as largely positive with a rising data revenue of 29.8% year-on-year to RM661 million for a total revenue of RM1.609 billion and service revenue of RM1.475 billion.

The company reports increased data traffic with positive response to their enhanced postpaid offerings like Celcom FIRST Gold 80 and Celcom FIRST Platinum. Despite a decrease in subscribers from 10.5 million to 10.2 million, Celcom will aim to introduce more initiatives like their Accelerated Cost Efficiency programme, distribution and trade reforms and testing 700 Mbps throughput by mid 2018 or LTE Advanced Pro at 1 Gbps throughput by mid 2019.

“Concurrently, we have implemented several initiatives, which will position us to recapture some market share by the end of the year. We will continue our strong focus on providing best and seamless connectivity and an awesome customer experience for our 10.2 million subscribers. In the next few months, we will reveal more changes as we work towards transforming our retail centres to experience centres, and increasing as well as building awareness on our online presence. Our high-speed resilient network coupled with creative data packages and entertainment services that are tailor made for evolving lifestyles, will deliver more value to both existing and new customers. To date, our products provide the best value for money in terms of the price-quality trade off, and we take pride in providing a simple high quality offering with no hidden conditions and fine print.” Michael Kuehner, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad

“Cost optimization will be driven by three strategic themes, namely simplification, digitization and collaboration. The focus areas will be products, processes, customer interface, outsourcing of non-core activities and industry partnerships, among others.” Jennifer Wong, Chief Financial Officer, Celcom Axiata Berhad


Celcom Q3 announcement reveals strong and stabilized growth

Celcom Axiata Berhad's Q3 report announcement revealed strong overall growth with a 25% increase in data revenue year-on-year thanks to an increase in data consumption and higher smartphone penetration for a total revenue of RM1.655 billion. Normalised EBITDA totalled RM688 million, which is a 9.4% increase Quarter-over-Quarter partly due to cost optimization initiatives such as Celcom's EasyPhone smartphone instalment plan for prepaid and OleOle e-gifting along with collaborations with Grab and more. Check out the Celcom Axiata site for more details.


Celcom Q4 2016 business report - improved EBITDA & PATAMI, mobile service revenue growth to RM1.52 billion

Today, Celcom Axiata Berhad presented their quarterly business report which saw a stabilisation in the fourth quarter with a positive growth in the mobile service revenue by 1.4%, this is an increase of RM1.50 billion to RM1.52 billion, with data revenue being the main driver (increase of 10% YoY to RM2.26 billion in FY16). So to speak, mobile internet revenue growth (19% YoY to RM2.08 billion) was the main contribution for the data revenue.

Thanks to the enhanced postpaid offering such as First Gold 80 and First Platinum, which saw a subscriber growth of 3.2% QoQ and a higher ARPU of RM80 from RM76 in Q3; the data revenue of RM611 million in Q4 accounted for 34.1% of the total revenue RM1.65 billion, while smartphone penetration was at 64% in the fourth quarter. In addition, the local telco also saw an improved quarter with a QoQ growth in normalized EBITDA (RM635 million) and normalised PATAMI (RM281 million) of 10.9 and 1.8% respectively.

Michael Kuehner, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad stated that there are three factors leading to the stabilisation, which are:

By modernising its network through the first of its kind Single RAN SDR technology, the transmission network has been further bolstered by designing a high capacity IP microwave and ultra-high capacity fibre in the intra-city and long distance routes.

"The digital way is our way - in effect developing a Digital First mind-set in our organisation. Within our core operations, we are developing new and have streamlined digital processes for our daily operations such as using software to execute processes, digitising human resource practices and other enterprise applications, among others." said Kuehner.

Upon elaborating further on digitising Celcom's core operations, this will allow the company to create a strong digital presence across an ecosystem comprising customers, partners, and suppliers.

Over the past few months, Celcom has offered a lot of attractive packages such as the revamped #NoKelentong prepaid plan, as well as the postpaid plans of First Gold, First Gold Plus, and First Platinum with an addition of more data allocation flexibility with the AnydayGB add-on feature, which customers can enjoy total internet allocation by combining their weekday and weekend data.

As for this year, Kuehner added that Celcom will dive into diversification into adjacency - convergences, IoT and the enterprise business for incremental growth for 2017.

"Procurement demands will change as business evolves and therefore it is in the best interest of Celcom, its vendors and business partners, to develop a mutually supportive relationship that will expand together." said Kuehner.

That's all from Celcom's quarterly business report, stay tuned for more Celcom news at TechNave.com.


9 Android apps removed from Google Play Store for stealing Facebook passwords

For developers, getting apps approved for the Apple App Store can be tedious. It's not as bad for the Google Play Store, but that also means it's not as secure. In fact, Google had to remove a few apps for security reasons recently.

According to Ars Technica, Google removed nine apps with over 5.8 million downloads from the Play Store for privacy violations. Despite having legit functions for photo editing and file management, these apps actually hid JavaScripts that would steal a user's Facebook login credentials.

The 9 apps that were removed (screenshot from Dr Web)

It works by getting a user to sign in to Facebook, then use JavaScript to record the login credentials. The details are then to the app creator's server. If the user were to log in to Facebook, the script will also steal the cookies from the current login session to the server. It should be noted that this method of attack can be applied to other web services, so the threat isn't only to your Facebook login.

This proves that you should be careful of any app you download these days. Our advice is: If you don't trust the developer, don't download it. With that said, have you encountered any app like that? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Celcom Releases Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Bundles from RM1088

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 has also made an appearance under the Celcom banner, with a number of bundles for this S Pen enabled tablet. The lowest subsidized price begins from RM1088, which is about RM600 less than the current RRP of RM1699. For full details check out the table below:

Check out our other Celcom Telco plans but if you need more information regarding the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 bundles listed above, go to the Celcom site.


Celcom Releases Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV Plans

Celcom has released their bundle plans for the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV (Non-LTE) version. In a show of flexibility normally unseen before in previous initial offers, the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV is being offered under 12 months, 18 months and 24 months contracts and for nearly all of the bundles including Celcom First Prime, Celcom First Premier, Celcom First Elite and mPro Plus. The lowest subsidized price of RM1338 is of course only for a 24 month contract but there are more than one choice available. Check out the table below for all the details:

Click here for more Celcom Telco plans, but for more information regarding these deals and bundle plans check out the Celcom site.


Celcom Releases Sony Xperia E Bundle for the Music Masses

Celcom recently released their plan bundles for the Sony Xperia E. Targeting the upper entry level market the Sony Xperia E's main draw is it's Walkman Music with 3D surround sound, making it perfect for the teen or young adult who has to be listening to music 24/7. Celcom provides the Sony Xperia E under a number of affordable plans with a choice of 12 months to 18 months contract. For more details check out the table below:

For more Celcom telco plans click here, but for more information regarding this Sony Xperia E bundle check out the Celcom site.


Celcom Samsung Galaxy S5 bundle plans revealed

Following up on our previous report, Celcom will offer a number of bundle plans for the Samsung Galaxy S5 which they will launch this Friday on 11 April 2014. Those who sign up will get an additional 5GB of data for the next 2 months. There doesn't seem to be any limit on the amount of first subscribers for this but the promotion will be from 11 April 2014 to 13 April 2014 only. Participating outlets will include Blue Cube Sunway Pyramid, Blue Cube Laman Seri, Blue Cube Publika, Celcom Center Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Penang and Celcom Center Taman Molek, Johor Baru. Celcom will offer the Samsung Galaxy S5 from RM988 with more details available in the table below:


Celcom Social Media Experience hub officially launched to increase Celcom's social media reach

Celcom Axiata Berhad have launched their Social Media Experience (smEX) hub today at Menara Celcom. Combining marketing, sales amd service activities for social media channels, team members will utilize key social channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others to complement existing customer service channels for a social media reach of 1.2 million. The hub will be fully functional by December 2017.


Celcom, TM and P1 working together for better back-haul, HSBB access and domestic roaming service

(L-R) Datuk Bazlan Osman, Chief Financial Officer of TM, Puan Chan Cheong, Chief Executive Officer of P1, Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd. Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer  of TM, Dato' Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom, Ramanathan Sathiamutty, Chief of Operation, Technology, Digital & Enabler Officer of Celcom and Azizi Abdul Hadi, Chief Operating Officer of P1 hand in hand after the signing ceremony

As of 28 January, Celcom Axiata Berhad (Celcom), Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (P1) have signed a series of agreements – of which the three (3) core agreements are TM Next-Gen Backhaul (NGBH), High Speed Broadband (HSBB) (Access) and domestic roaming services – to further enhance and develop a greater internet experience for their respective customers.

The trio partnership will further enhance Celcom's 4G network through TM's provision with high bandwidth capacity, which will accelerate Celcom's ongoing efforts and goal in continuing their Long Term Evolution (LTE) site deployment nationwide. In addition, the agreement is also an extension for Celcom's access to TM's HSBB network.; which means Celcom can continue to provide fixed broadband services. P1, on the other hand, will facilitate Celcom's domestic roaming service provision to TM.

Dato' Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom signing the agreement with Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer  of TM

The agreement was signed by Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly; Group Chief Executive Officer of TM and Chairman of P1, Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa; and Chief Executive Officer of P1, Puan Chan Cheong. Also present at the event were Ramanathan Sathiamutty, Chief Operation, Technology, Digital & Enabler Officer of Celcom; Datuk Bazlan Osman, Group Chief Financial Officer, TM; and Azizi A. Hadi, Chief Operating Officer of P1.

“Although we are already the leader in the industry, Celcom is moving stronger towards catering to the new digital generation preference, where these days customers are more concerned on whether they could watch their videos without interruption, or how fast would their webpages load, and these in technical terms, translate to how speedy a network is. The strategic collaboration will provide a whole new experience for our customers in enjoying the best of data network quality.” said Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad.

“We are aware of the fact that the challenge for service providers today, where more competitors are emerging into the market. Although Celcom is leading the wireless market today, we want to continuously to be the provider of choice. With a robust backhaul and resilient network, we are confident that we are able to attract the prudent customers today; those who would choose to scout around for quality data network rather than choosing the super-discounted plan that will eventually disappoint them.”

Commenting about Celcom’s entry into converged market, Dato’ Sri Shazalli said, “It is a part of our ongoing commitment to the customers in providing value and better experience. Therefore, with endless innovation such as this venture into converged services, we will be able to continuously extend the options of our services offerings alongside our already superior wireless services on our Undisputed No. 1 Network.This will also empower Celcom to provide outreach and move into underserved markets to ensure connectivity is easily accessible,’’ he concluded at the signing ceremony today.

Meanwhile, Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM said the TM Group was well on track towards becoming Malaysia’s Convergence Champion, with P1 due to launch its mobile services in the first half of 2016.

“With the provision of domestic roaming services, our customers can stay connected with their families, friends and business associates wherever they may be, tapping on Celcom’s extensive coverage nationwide. The collaboration facilitates our effort to further expand our mobility proposition, fully complementing our fixed broadband services for a true convergence experience. Beyond technology, customers expect the same service experience whether they are in the physical or digital world, whether they are working or at play – that is life. In the era of convergence, TM seeks to deliver convergence as a seamless experience beyond all the above, placing the customer at the heart of it all. This means we are taking up the challenge of viewing this experience end-to-end, throughout the customer journey with TM, across all touchpoints. Towards this, P1 is currently working together with us in conducting user trials and network readiness tests for the upcoming mobile services launch; a crucial process that is also made possible through this strategic collaboration.”

“We look forward to more exciting offerings for our consumers and businesses, true to TM’s promise of “Life and Business Made Easier, for a Better Malaysia’. This collaboration is also expected to bring the nation closer towards achieving the National Broadband Initiative, in line with the Government’s aspiration to ensure that at least 95% of Malaysians to have Internet access by 2020,” Tan Sri Zamzamzairani added.

What's more, the collaboration will also help to avoid unnecessary double network infrastructure and will facilitate the organisations to optimize the cost and operate more efficiently as much as possible as the industry grows.

(L-R) Datuk Bazlan Osman, Chief Financial Officer of TM, Puan Chan Cheong, Chief Executive Officer of P1, Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd. Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer  of TM, Dato' Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom, Ramanathan Sathiamutty, Chief of Operation, Technology, Digital & Enabler Officer of Celcom and Azizi Abdul Hadi, Chief Operating Officer of P1 displaying the signed agreement

“TM remains committed in providing an open access for all MCMC-licensed service providers - allowing these operators to provide and deliver value-added services to their end-users hence further strengthening TM’s position as a neutral service provider,” Tan Sri Zamzamzairani concluded.


Celcom Unlimited plans just got an internet speed and hotspot upgrade and it's free

Back in July 2020, Celcom silently upgraded some of their monthly internet data quota for their MEGA plan and LIGHTNING series pass. The blue telco did it again but this time, they have increased the internet speed, monthly hotspot and the monthly internet family line.

Looking at the updated table in the FAQ page, both of the UNLIMITED L and M Pass will have an increase internet speed of 20Mbps and 10Mbps respectively. In case you're wondering, it's a 5Mbps upgrade there. The monthly hotspot is still free but with a 30GB and 10GB internet data pool now.

Finally, Celcom also added 15GB more for the monthly internet family line (30GB internet data in total) and it's per line. In case you also missed it, the internet data add-ons have been increased as well up to 25GB and the 12GB line is now RM40 instead of RM45. You can view the whole table at the FAQ page right here, stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Celcom XP Lite users now have unlimited Internet data for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and WeChat

Today, Celcom just announced some new add-on features to the Celcom XP Lite plans. From the company's website, the said-plan just got upgraded with free access to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and WeChat.

Previously, both the M Pass and L Pass only have unlimited YouTube data for streaming but now users can have it too on the aforementioned apps. Just so you know, the M Pass' free data speed is capped up to 3Mbps, whereas the L Pass is capped at 6Mbps. The hotspot is not available but at least there's still unlimited calls.

For your information, the M Pass and L Pass cost RM10 and RM30 respectively. You can also read the FAQ and visit the official webpage here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Celcom XPAX and Media Prima is back with the Kejohanan E-Sukan Kampus this year with up to RM180000 to be won

The Kejohanan E-Sukan Kampus is back once again, with more than RM180000 worth of prizes to be won. The competition is organized by Celcom XPAX, Kitamen, as well as Media Prima’s MyGameOn and the qualifiers will start in as early as 21 September 2019 while the Grand Finals will be on 23 and 24 November 2019 in The Curve, Damansara.

As the name suggests, college and university students will battle it out for the grand price on game titles such as PUBG Mobile as well as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. But that’s not all, the best performing institution will also be eligible to receive an RM50000 scholarship courtesy of Celcom XPAX.

Head over to MyGameOn’s official website or Facebook page, if you are interested in finding out more. Would you be taking part in the second Kejohanan E-Sukan Kampus? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Celcom, Xpax and Yonder Music presents a Dato' Siti Nurhaliza and Friends concert on 2 April

Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer, Celcom Axiata Berhad (second from left) together with Adam Kidron, Yonder Music Chief Executive Officer (second from right), songstress Dato' Siti Nurhaliza (center), Faizal Tahir (very right) and Hafiz Suip (first from left) during the Xpax Ignites Yonder Music Series press conference

In effort to reward the Xpax customers who are Yonder Music subscribers, Celcom Axiata Berhad together with Yonder Music are planning an exclusive  live concert celebrating 20 years of platinum success with Malaysia's biggest star, Dato' Siti Nurhaliza on 2 April 2016 at Stadium Negara.

Dubbed as Dato' Siti Nurhaliza and Friends concert, she will be accompanied by Malaysia's own regional superstars such as Afgan, Anggun, Cakra Khan, Faizal Tahir, Haiz Suip and others. A band of New York's fines young pop musicians and a full orchestra are set to join them as well.

“Xpax ignites the first series of Yonder Music's Live Series and our subscribers will now stand a chance to enjoy the privilege of experiencing it. This is brought to all Celcom customers with Yonder Music, where they can exclusively win passes and be a part of this incredible gig taking place on 2 April at Stadium Negara,” said Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad.

“Xpax together with Yonder Music is continuing its promise by providing its subscribers with more exclusive and enhanced experiences in addition to exceptional access to music app on Celcom's unparalleled and seamless network,” he added.

Adam Kidron, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Yonder Music also added that they are humbled by the association with Dato' Siti Nurhaliza and thankful for the leading role she has played in the successful launch of Yonder Music in Malaysia.

“Dato' Siti Nurhaliza and Friends is both an expression of our gratitude and utmost respect for Dato' Siti's contribution to the Malaysian music industry as one of the nation's leading artist over th past two decades. The event itself marks the beginning of a second chapter, with an extraordinary band from New York, a full orchestra and a constellation of guest stars. It's going to be the brightest of nights.” Kidron concluded.

To stand a chance to passes to the once-in-a-lifetime concert, please do the following steps below:-

Dato' Siti Nurhaliza (center), Faizal Tahir (right) and Hafiz Suip (left)


We hope that you aren't bored with our Samsung Galaxy Note 9 articles yet, there are so many things to talk about the phablet! In this article, we will bring you through 9 tips and tricks on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 that you might not know about. Without further ado, below is the list in no particular order so let's get started.

Technically not a new feature for the Samsung fans, but not many users are aware that they can turn the phablet into landscape mode if you tilt it horizontally, it's also available on the Galaxy Note 8 after an update earlier this year. To activate landscape mode, you will need to visit the settings -> Display -> Home Screen -> Portrait mode only. If you prefer just portrait mode on your phablet, you can toggle that to prevent landscape mode.

Here's where you can turn off the landscape mode

Something that we overlooked (hehe), aside from being able to use the S Pen to snap quick pictures and other convenient stuff, it turns out that you can also use it to unlock the phone as well. To enable it, you need to take a trip to the Advanced features -> S Pen -> Unlock with S Pen remote.

Do keep in mind that this will only work if the Galaxy Note 9 is free from any biometric security stamps, such as the fingerprint or intelligent scan. Else, you will still need to do that even with this feature enabled.

There are other options to explore in S Pen settings too

No, we don't mean disabling the dedicated Bixby button. But if Bixby Home is the page you don't need, you can actually disable it. To do so, you don't need to go to the settings but just do a long-press on the home page viewfinder. The customization manual should appear and when you swipe to your left, the Bixby Home is there by default, keep in mind that you can't magically swipe it away into thin air, but at least there's a toggle there for you to disable it.

Here's how you can toggle off Bixby Home

Just so you know, App Pair is not the Dual Messenger nor the Twin App that has been so popular in Asia countries. So what is it, then? Well, App Pair allows you to actually open two apps at the same time and for a person who relies on the Galaxy Note 9 as his or her daily driver, opening two apps at once actually saves a lot of time without having to manually adjust the split screen. With such a big screen panel of 6.4-inch, this is just perfect.

To have App Pair enabled, you won't find it in the settings because it's hanging out in the Edge Panel. So just open your Edge Panel -> Apps Edge -> Edit -> and choose two apps for App Pair.

This definitely adds more convenience for me

Oh, by the way. Did you also know that you can add in a bunch of edge features on the Note 9? This applies the same for the Galaxy S9 series as well, and aside from adding app shortcuts, you can also add quick contact calls, types of screenshots, weather, news, sports news, calendar, finance and many more! Just invite yourself to the Edge Panel once again and tap on the settings icon (bottom left) and explore what kind of Edge Panel you want! Alternatively, you can even download other kinds of Edge pages too.

You should also know that you can do a Super Slow-Mo recording, but do you know how to set it in a loop, reverse and switch mode too? This one is a bit of a hassle to find, as you will have to go to the Photo Gallery app, tap on the three dots on the top right, go to details and you should see the three options below there. Once you're done, go record another new Super Slow-Mo video in a whole new way!

Just like this, you can also make a GIF file if you want

Most Samsung Galaxy users should know this already when taking a photo in Live Focus mode, you can actually adjust the depth of field blur after taking the shot. But did you also know that you can actually choose a different kind of shape for the blurred lights in the background? This option will only appear when you actually have mini circular stuff in the bokeh background though.

Getting the shape options out isn't easy, as long as there is something circular in the blur background, then it's all good

SAY WHAT NOW? Yes, it's true and you thought that couldn't be changed, right? (Just admit it lah). Anyway, just open your camera app -> settings icons on the bottom left -> scroll down to "Edit camera modes". From there, you can see the camera modes for both Rear and Front camera. PRETTY NEAT, HUH? Now you can choose your favourite camera modes and even arrange them accordingly!

I think every smartphone should have this option lah

Last but not least, did you also know that there are several shortcuts in the camera app? Say you want to switch from the front camera to the rear camera, all you have to do is use your thumb or finger to swipe up on the display and it will just switch. Also, you can also move the shutter button around the camera viewfinder. To enable it, go to the camera settings and scroll down until you toggle the "Floating Camera button". Besides that, you can also check out "Shooting methods" and enable them to use your palm to take pictures (it's not new, but sure convenient). Isn't this great?

See that button on the left side? That's the Floating Camera button

So what do you think of our tips and tricks guide? Did we miss out anything else? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more tech stuff at TechNave.com.


Celcom Xpax is offering prepaid customers FREE unlimited Internet every day

Everyone loves free Internet data, you love it, I love it, but what if I told you that Celcom Xpax not only has that in unlimited quantities and still more to offer you? Say, FREE unlimited Internet every day when you subscribe with Ultra Pass™ from as low as RM10 only with Celcom Xpax? If this sounds good to you, stay awhile and listen!

Celcom Xpax's new free Unlimited Internet for consumers who need all the Internet data they can get at an affordable price. Consumers who subscribe to Ultra Pass™ will be able to experience the best 4G LTE network anytime!

What exactly do you have to do to get the Celcom Xpax Ultra Pass™? Well, there is a wide range of packages that can cater to your preference. Whether you want 7 or 30 days, you got it! But which one is more suited for you?

In the Ultra Pass™ package, the Unlimited Internet is in the weekly and monthly package, where you can subscribe to it from RM10 with the same late-night YouTube but with something extra:

A viable choice for the night owls, and if you subscribe for the highest package - you will get an extra FREE 15GB Video Walla which is compatible with YouTube, iflix, AstroGo, TonTon, Viu, Netflix and many more!

And that's it! With Celcom Xpax Ultra Pass™, you don't need to worry about spending your Internet data from streaming your favourite songs, or playing games with your friends at a mamak store! Now this is an offer for prepaid users that no one should miss out on, so sign up now at Celcom.com.my or subscribe to Ultra Hour Pass from RM10 via Celcom Life App or dial *118#!

Stay tuned for more local tech deals at TechNave.com.


Celcom Xpax users can use 5G connection in selected Mix & Match passes but only until the end of 2022

As local telcos begin pushing out 5G services, it turns out that it's not as simple as we thought. Like U Mobile prepaid users, Celcom Xpax users will be limited to using 5G connectivity in 2023. What do we mean? Well, read on below.

According to Celcom's FAQ for Xpax 5G users, all news and existing Xpax customers need to subscribe to the selected Mix and Match plan. Alongside a 5G compatible device within a 5G coverage site, the 5G service is only free until the 31st of December 2022. Until the said date, the monthly 5G service charge of RM10 will be deducted from your credit.

Also in the FAQ, Xpax subscribers won't be able to unsubscribe from the 5G service. However, the 5G service will still be expired until the Mix and Match pass expires, so you can't pull out in the middle of the period. As a reminder, the Mix and Match service is a one-time pass without any auto-renewal function.

If you want to read the complete FAQ on Celcom's 5G service, you can visit the official webpage here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Celcom achieves bringing YouTube video streaming in HD

Just in case you missed it, yesterday we reported that there’s a new YouTube Video Checkup tool for users. With this, now all telcos and their customers can now have a fair and independent rating.

The Video Checkup is targeted to maximise users’ data experience with smooth YouTube streaming. Michael Kuehner, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad said Celcom as a network service provider would greatly benefit from YouTube’s Video Checkup rating to further deliver the best video experience.

“Celcom will always continue to provide the best digital customer experience through such opportunities. The rating given by YouTube for Celcom customers will contribute to our many ongoing network modernisation initiatives to offer the best network quality experience to customers,” he added.

Currently, Celcom scores 4 star rating at 167 different locations according to YouTube Video Checkup rating. At this point of time, 4 out of 5 stars is the highest rating nationwide, as 5 stars are reserved for future technology that support higher bandwidth video.

For more information on YouTube Video Checkup, please visit youtube.com/videocheckup.


Celcom added two new Home Fibre plans - 500Mbps and 300Mbps starting from RM119

Besides the new Internet speed and hotspot upgrade, Celcom also introduced two new Home Fibre plans. Previously, their Home Fibre plan was up to 100Mbps only but now there's a new addition up to 500Mbps.

Alongside the 500Mbps plan, there's also the 300Mbps plan and both of them offer unlimited internet data quota. The price difference is quite far apart as well which are RM179 and RM119 respectively on a promotional launching price, that's a RM60 difference there. In an effort to promote these new plans, interested consumers would get a RM21 rebate for the first 3 months.

On top of the new Home Fibre plans, the 100Mbps plan got a new discount as well at RM120 (RRP RM129). With the on-going promotion, it's much better to go for the 300Mbps for the nearly same price with better internet download speed and rebate. For more information, you may visit the official webpage right here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Celcom and Digi customers can now get 5G roaming passes in 38 countries

Today, CelcomDigi announced that all Celcom and Digi customers can now apply and enjoy 5G roaming overseas. Supported in a total of 38 countries, also includes Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, China and others as long as the customers subscribe to both Celcom and Digi Roaming Passes.

For customers who are going on longer trips, Celcom offers a 30-Day Unlimited Internet Pass for RM98, with validity in 57 countries. Digi subscribers, on the other hand, can take advantage of the 30-Day World Pass that comes with 30GB high-speed Internet for RM95, with validity in 69 countries.

As for short-term travellers, Celcom and Digi are offering various daily and weekly roaming passes. Celcom subscribers can enjoy a 7-Day Unlimited Internet Pass for only RM58, whereas Digi subscribers can roam in Asia and more with 2GB Internet and 30 minutes calls, with 3-day validity from as low as RM25.

Subscribers visiting Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand get even more with 2GB bonus Internet quota. All the roaming passes which are currently offered support both 5G and 4G Internet so subscribers can roam worry-free globally. The Roaming Passes are available in the Celcom Life App and MyDigi app.

For more information on these offers, to signup, or for the full list of countries currently offered under the Roaming Passes, you can visit Celcom's and Digi's Roaming Pass plans here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Celcom and Digi merger into ‘MergeCo’ set to be completed in second half of 2022

The parent company of Celcom, Axiata Group Bhd has revealed that the much anticipated merger between Celcom and Digi is expected to be completed in the second half of 2022. Furthermore. the proposed merger will form a new entity called 'MergeCo'.

Previously, Axiata and Telenor Group - the parent company of Digi - had announced on 8 April 2021 that they were in advanced discussions to undertake a merger of both companies' telco operations. Subsequently on 24 November 2021, Axiata also announced that MergeCo had initiated engagement with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for the merger assessment process.

As reported by Bernama, a stock exchange filing to Bursa Malaysia for the merger was made yesterday. Axiata further clarified that the completion of the transaction will be subject to the approval of both the company and Digi shareholders, as well as regulatory approvals and other terms and conditions.

What do you guys think of the merger between the two main telco companies in Malaysia? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest tech news in Malaysia and beyond!


Celcom and Digi users can now visit and access all CelcomDigi branded touchpoints

Today, CelcomDigi just announced all both Celcom and Digi customers can now access each other's services in all of its bluecube and Digi Stores. This also includes its exclusive partners' 534 branded touchpoints across the nation.

With this, 11 types of sales and service transactions are now available for Celcom and Digi users simultaneously. This includes bill payments, plan changes, SIM card replacements, and prepaid reloads, as well as new Postpaid and Prepaid subscribers to complete their plan registrations, MNP registrations, or Internet purchases.

Besides these services available cross-stores, Celcom and Digi can also complete their transactions online via the Celcom Life and MyDigi apps respectively. Through the completion of its merger on November 30, 2022, CelcomDigi will continue serving the growing digital needs of more than 20 million consumers, SMEs, and large enterprises nationwide.


Celcom and Gigalink partnership will offer interactive digital ads and content on taxis

(from left to right) Muhammad Reduan Abd Lah Sani, Chief Executive Officer of Gigalink Solutions Sdn Bhd, Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, Afizulazha Abdullah, Chief Business Services & Solutions of Celcom Axiata Berhad and Dato’ Norhalim Yunus, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Technology Development Corporation experiencing and viewing the digital media content via Smartaxiads powered by M2M solutions from Celcom.

Celcom Axiata Berhad recently announced that through a partnership with Gigalink Solutions Sdn Bhd, it will now be able to provide M2M (machine-to-machine) targeted digital media content for taxis. This will be done through the Smartaxiads plarform allowing Celcom to show smart advertisements on taxis via Celcom 4G LTE. The platform will include a touch screen and interactive content such as the latest updates in the city that should prove useful to the right passenger. The Smartaxiads platform will utilize tablet-size panels installed at the driver's and front passenger's headrests in the taxi while a mini-sized router installed inthe headrests will connect with the Celcom 4G LTE via a special customized dongle. Other capabilities include the ability to detect and track Smartaxiads equipped vehicles. The Smartaxiads platform will be tied to the meter, so it will only come on when the taxi meter is running. It has already been installed in 500 taxis for now with another 1000 expected soon. Future features include more interactive applications and a passenger panic button along with plans to expand into Indonesia in the near future. Here's what they said about it:

“As a pioneer and leader in M2M solutions, we are diversifying our services as the market matures with the dynamic change. We are supporting local entrepreneurs in their marketing convenience and business sustainability, and simultaneously leveraging on this platform to offer enhanced customer experience. This will efficiently enable our business partner to grow and have an "edge" in the market with our solutions, aside from enabling taxi passengers to enjoy wireless efficiency via fleet management services and the customisation that we offer,” Afizulazha Abdullah, Chief Business Services and Solutions Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad

“We applaud Celcom’s commitment in supporting us to promote the adoption of technologies by local companies. We hope more government-linked companies alike will come forward and assist in commercialising the local invention in line with our economic transformation agenda.” Dato’ Norhalim Yunus, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Technology Development Corporation

“We are grateful that we made the right choice of partnering Celcom and we want to commend Celcom on the innovative M2M solutions provided to us. As the largest ‘mobile’ hotspots provider, our taxi passengers using the WiFi hotspot also speak well of the speed of broadband powered by Celcom which is accessible from all areas in the Klang Valley. It certainly fits the slogan "This Is Celcom Territory ".” Muhammad Reduan Abd Lah Sani, Chief Executive Officer of Gigalink Solutions Sdn Bhd


Celcom and Hong Leong Bank now working together offering exclusive rewards and rebates up to RM800

Today, Celcom Axiata Berhad has announced a new partnership with Hong Leong Bank. This initiative will offer both Celcom and Hong Leong Bank customers more value and significant privileges and benefits this year.

Starting now until 31 July 2018, all Celcom FIRST postpaid consumers and Hong Leong credit card owners can enjoy RM300 - RM800 cash back and savings. This is only applicable to those who purchase one of the latest smartphone device bundles from Celcom using selected Hong Leong credit cards. In addition, Hong Leong credit card users must use Hong Leong Sutera, GSC Gold/Platinum and Infinite credit cards to be eligible.

On top of that, customers can also get the rebate for Celcom Passport, a 7-day 3-in-1 pass worth RM138, when they spend a minimum of RM2000 with one overseas transaction by using a Hong Leong credit card. Celcom Passport allows travellers to roam with 3GB internet, Unlimited Calls and SMS in over 30 countries.

To know more about this offer, kindly visit www.celcom.com.my or any of Celcom Bluecube stores for the latest smartphone devices. If you need a credit card, you can also check out Hong Leong's offer over here or visit any Hong Leong Bank branch.


Celcom and MAS sign MoU, customers on both sides to benefit

Celcom Axiata Berhad and Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding today which will allow Celcom customers to get flight discounts while Enrich miles users can earn and spend them easier. This could mean you can earn or spend enrich miles via Celcom's various plans or bundles but no details were shared just yet. There could also be more attractive roaming plans in the works.

Michael Kuehner, Chief Executive Officer, Celcom Axiata Berhad and Izham Ismail, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Airlines with the signed MoU


9 tips and tricks you can use on your HUAWEI Mate 20 series smartphones for this CNY

Ah, its that time of year again. The classic Gong Xi Fa Cai music plays melodically through malls and radio stations and in the kitchen you see your family members fussing with never ending food, cakes, snacks and drinks. The house is full of your loved ones and suddenly, there’s so much to share and memories to capture. So how can you do this efficiently without leaving anyone out? If you’re an owner of the Huawei Mate 20 series, here’s a few tips and tricks to make your Chinese New Year hassle free!

Three words that makes family portraits an easy feat! With limited space, it's hard to fit in every family member into the photo. This will result in three scenarios: a very cramped looking photo, photos that have faces of their owners barely recognizable due to the distance and some people being cut out or hidden.

The Huawei Mate 20’s Ultra Wide Lens eliminates this problem, though. Without compromising quality, the camera makes extra room so that your family and even your extended family will be able to fit into this year’s Chinese New Year Portrait perfectly. While this is pretty good, do note that detecting faces with the Master AI of the smartphone can take a while to process so make sure everyone is ready to pose a little while longer for that perfect photo.

Chinese New Year is the time where we bust out the fireworks and sparklers and of course we’d want to be able to capture those moments for our memories as well. However, it can be pretty tricky to capture the perfect photo at night.

If you happen to own a Huawei Mate 20 smartphone, this wouldn’t be an issue. The camera app has Master AI implemented, which can help even those who are beginners to capture the perfect photo, regardless of circumstance. 19 categories are there in the Master AI, helping you determine which category fits what situation without you having you to worry about the settings. Conveniently, there is a fireworks category which is perfect for Chinese New Year. Posing in the dark? Night mode is there for your disposal as well, as it takes several shots for about 4 seconds and puts the photos together to get the best brightness and contrast so you don’t have to edit it yourself later.

Stunning lantern photo taken with the x3 zoom which categorized this scenario as fireworks

I love how soft this photo looks against the night sky

Playing with sparklers, why not try out light painting? Light graffiti would be perfect when you and your family members write out the perfect Chinese New Year greeting for that personalized digital greeting card. However, there are some limitations to the Master AI. Night mode can make photos too bright to the point that it looks like dawn at times and if you have shaky hands, the photos may come out blurry so you might want to take note of that. Other than that, the mode is pretty much great!

Here's what types of light paintings you can do on your Huawei Mate 20 series

Chinese New Year montages should highlight the best bits of you and your family’s celebration. Though, it can be annoying to get on your computer to edit a video and not to mention, editing can be quite tough.

AI Portrait Colour on the Mate 20 series helps you with that! In a room that’s too crowded and you’re trying to focus on just one person and highlight their presence (especially if it’s someone you want to impress) this function is perfect for you as it leaves the main subject in colour and the rest in black and white, in an interesting cinematic sort of mode. Personally, I’d love to use that function for any Chinese New Year OOTD (Outfit of the Day) or look book videos or even for a Chinese New Year gateway kind of montage.

Just because it's CNY, doesn’t mean that your diet goes completely out the window. All your New Year’s resolutions out the window just like that? Nah, fam. Control your food intake with the AI Calorie counter.

Point your camera at your dish and the HiVision function will be able to identify your dish along with its estimated portion to give you an estimated calorie count of your meal which is pretty nifty, especially since I’m always trying to make sure I don’t overeat.

However, the AI Calorie counter does come with some limitations as the AI is still learning. It may not be able to identify every single dish on your menu but it does cover a large variety of dishes. Maybe over time as more dishes are learned by the AI, it will be able to do better but for now, this is already pretty convenient as it is!

As time moves on, more and more traditional things can be forgotten or unknown. From tradition dishes to traditional garments, it can be pretty hard to know every single item from our ancestors. For instance, what is the difference between a cheongsam and a qi pao?

It can be an easier experience though, when you use the Mate 20’s Identify function in the HiVision menu. Like the AI Calorie counter, point your camera at the desired item and the AI does the rest. Just like the AI Calorie counter, the list may not be able to accurately identify each item as it is still learning but from what I’ve seen, the catalogue is pretty impressive.

Chinese is one of the hardest languages to learn. With hundreds of dialects and characters, it can be tough trying to figure out what your distant aunt from China wrote in her card to you or even try and figure out the ingredient list on an imported snack!

What's really cool is that it looks like the text had been in English on there the entire time!

AI Translate can help! By pointing your camera at the text, it will replace the text in the language you aren’t familiar with with another language that you are on the camera app itself, which is pretty neat. The coolest part is that the text looks like it actually belongs on the food packaging itself!

This is the first of its kind in the world. That's pretty nifty

Yes, you’ll be very popular during this festivities if you’re the one with a powerbank. But how can you be popular if you don’t have one? Chinese New Year is about the act of giving. If you can’t give out ang paus, why not share some of your battery?

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro allows you to reverse wirelessly charge other people’s phones via your own. Enable the feature in your settings and place the back of the other phone against it. It's a pretty cool feature that would definitely get everyone hanging around you (lol).

Just note that the wireless charge isn’t fast and can drain your own battery which you might need the whole day. Oh and it does get pretty warm when you do that but hey, if it lets you and the family share more, why not, right?

The Huawei Share interface on the Matebook

We all know that sharing photos on WhatsApp can decrease the photo quality, resulting in grainy, low-res photos. Now comes the age old question: How can I share my photos and videos conveniently and quickly without compromising quality? Email? Big hassle. Google drive? Suddenly your storage is full.

Huawei Share is here to help. I’m sure by now everyone is familiar with Apple’s Airdrop which can only be used in the Apple ecosystem, same thing as Huawei Share. With a press of a button, you can transfer your files to other Huawei devices, which include Huawei smartphones and laptops, quickly. It's not as fast as Apple’s Airdrop (for now) but it does do a decent job.

Back in the old days, every photo must be developed and it is kept in photo albums and hung up or displayed so your memories will always be around in plain sight to be seen. Nowadays, we take family portraits every year during CNY and it will be forgotten soon after that, never to be seen again.

Why not make your memories tangible by printing out your family photos and given to everyone with Huawei's One-Touch Printing? Connect your phone directly to a printer with WiFi direct and then under Huawei Share, choose Print. No more taking photos and forgetting about them in your phone a few days later.

Honestly, it's amazing to see how much AI in Huawei’s Mate 20 devices can help our lives be a little easier, especially during this festive season. From making sure we don’t overeat to sharing and capturing memories, I’m wondering what this company will be able to make our lives better next.

If you’re interested in getting your very own Huawei Mate 20 series device, you can head on over to any Huawei Experience Store or even the official online website. For more tips and tricks you can do with your smartphone, TechNave.com is the place to be!


Celcom and Maxis complete joint 5G network trial, achieving speeds over 1.1Gbps

The telco companies in Malaysia have been hard at work testing 5G technology, which is expected to take 2020 by storm. In fact, the latest news is of Celcom's and Maxis' success in a trial of the 5G Multi Operator Core Network (MOCN), a first for Southeast Asia. During the trial, results showed peak speeds of more than 1.1Gbps.

Celcom and Maxis ran the trial in December last year. With a Maxis 5G site located at Kuah's Seaview Hotel and the Celcom 5G site was the Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, the two company tested how MOCN would perform. MOCN is basically a form of Radio Active Network (RAN) that allows two different core networks to share the same.

Effectively, users of two different networks can connect to their respective ones via the same 5G base station. It also means that users can get 5G connections even when they are within the base station coverage of a different network. The potential benefit of such a setup is a more seamless experience when moving from under one network coverage to another.

Celcom and Maxis are expected to conduct more MOCN trials like this using 5G Standalone within Q1 of 2020, so perhaps getting actual commercial 5G coverage isn't as far off as we expected. Having said that, when will Malaysians get to enjoy 5G speeds consistently? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news updates.


Celcom and Microsoft introduces new Intelligent Virtual Agent for customer service

Today, Celcom Axiata Berhad has just announced a partnership with Microsoft Malaysia. For the first time ever, this initiative will introduce and deploy a state-of-the-art Intelligent Virtual Agent as a new customer service feature.

A first of its kind in Asia, the combination of technology, transaction capability and personality comes with Microsoft AI Machine Learning technology, the company even have two names for two personas - Clive and Emma to interact with customers 24/7 in regards to their inquiries and transactions.

With this, Clive and Emma can auto learn a wide variety of questions via a knowledge-based system and an integrated Microsoft Language Understanding Intelligent Service that improves their usefulness overtime, with constant updates. So in time, the end result will have a natural chatting experience.

Clive and Emma are already available on Celcom's Online Customer Service starting today, it's able to perform:

At the same time during the event, both Celcom and Microsoft Malaysia also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together and they have four missions - Use of Emerging Technology, Joint Go-to-Market for Small Medium Businesses, Modern Workplace Solutions and a Joint Recruiting Activities.

The MoU signed by Michael Kuehner, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad and K.Raman, Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia

Since our culture has a habit of speaking Manglish, both Clive and Emma can learn that as well overtime. They are available on Celcom app as well as the Customer Service page online here. Stay tuned for more Celcom news at TechNave.com.


Celcom and Resorts World Genting are now partners, offers 20% ticket discounts and more

Today, Celcom Axia Berhad has partnered up with Resorts World Genting and this initiative will provide a lot of benefits to both Celcom users and Genting members in multiple areas. The benefits include great family fun-filled activities such as ticket discounts, special offers and many more to come in the coming months.

That being said, all Celcom and Genting customers will be entitled to enjoy up to 20% ticket discounts for selected shows staged by Resorts World Genting. In addition, Celcom will regularly release upcoming contests on their Facebook and Twitter accounts for their customers to stand a chance to some free tickets for selected concerts.

The ticket discounts are available for the following upcoming shows:

Both Celcom and Genting will introduce more benefits and offerings in the near future. Tickets are available at the ticketing counter at Resorts World Genting and for more information on the latest offerings and upcoming performances, you may visit www.rwgenting.com.

Stay tuned for more Celcom news at TechNave.com.


Celcom and Unifi Mobile compounded a total of RM80000 by MCMC for unsatisfactory service

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin yesterday revealed in Parliament that two compounds have been issued to mobile service providers in Malaysia for not meeting the standard set by his ministry. As reported by national news agency Bernama, the two compounds include one amounting to RM60000 and the other compound amounting to RM20000 that is currently beng processed.

Zahidi further revealed that the two service providers compounded were Celcom, which failed to meet the standard in Sabah and the other one is Unifi Mobile, which failed to meet the standard in Melaka and Pahang. The Deputy Minister also confirmed that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has opened 20 investigation papers on mobile service providers in our country.

These investigations are based on findings of a quality service survey conducted nationwide last year. Zahidi shared these information when replying to a question by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tebrau, Choong Shiau Yoon in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Choong wanted to know the measures taken by the ministry in ensuring 4G internet access was satisfactory after 3G service had been terminated in all Malaysian interior and rural areas. Zahidi said starting this year, MCMC will also step up its audit at 3000 locations throughout Malaysia involving areas which received complaints last year.

As of 25 January, 1466 existing 3G transmitting stations have been upgraded to 4G by major service providers such as Celcom, Digi, Maxis and U Mobile. Zahidi further said that efforts to upgrade existing 3G transmitting stations to 4G would continue this year by using the existing spectrum to improve capacity as well as the quality of mobile broadband for consumers.

Furthermore, through the National Digital Network (JENDELA) plan, Zahidi said 2175 new towers would be built to expand 4G coverage especially in rural areas and the interior. Let's hope that all these infrastructure upgrades would be implemented smoothly!

What do you guys think of the statistics shared by Zahidi? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for all the latest tech news!


Celcom and iflix's partnership allows Celcom customers free access and low-rate monthly pay

Celcom team up with Iflix to provide unlimited access to the best entertainment content with En. Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin (blue shirt, center), Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, Azran Osman Rani (right from center), Chief Executive Officer and Group Chief Operating Officer Iflix Malaysia, Masdiana Sulaiman (left from center), Head of OTT Celcom Axiata Berhad

Great news for Celcom users, Celcom Axiata Berhad (Celcom) and iflix are pleased to announce their newly form partnership to offer subscribers unlimited access to tens of thousands of hours of entertainment starting today 15 March 2016. Celcom subscribers are able to enjoy two months of full iflix access at no additional cost, compliments of Celcom (valued at RM20). And if the customers wishes to us iflix after two months, they can pay a special rate of RM9 per month with auto renewal, charged directly to their postpaid or prepaid Celcom accounts.

“We are thrilled to welcome Celcom to the iflix family. With our seamless sign-up process, Celcom subscribers will be able to enjoy uninterrupted and unlimited access to thousands of their favourite TV shows, movies and more on iflix. This partnership with Celcom once again reaffirms our commitment to offer Malaysian audiences the best in entertainment content from around the world.” Azran Osman-Rani, iflix Group COO and CEO of iflix Malaysia commented.

Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad said Celcom was more focused than ever to ensure the development of its OTT services, to better cater to the ever changing digital needs of its customers.

“Iflix is one of the kind, it can be enjoyed on multiple devices at any time anywhere and it screams value for money. Customers can watch movie content seamlessly backed by Celcom’s extensive network coverage,” he said. The announcement follows on a succession of benchmark partnerships with leading telecommunications providers as part of the iflix’s commitment to bring the best in entertainment to Malaysian consumers across the country.

(left to right) Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Azran Osman Rani and  Masdiana Sulaiman

Celcom customers can simply log on to iflix.com or download the app and immediately enjoy the unlimited movies and tv shows offered without needing to sign up. Besides Malaysia, iflix is also available in Thailand and the Philippines, they are also the largest library of top Hollywood, Asian regional, and local TV shows and movies available in the region. Each subscription allows users to access the service on up to five devices, including phones, laptops, tablets, and television sets, for viewing wherever, whenever.


Celcom announced FiRST Blue, FiRST Gold and Free Internet on Weekends

Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad (middle), Kevin Chin, Brand Manager (second right) and Bernard Ho, Head of Brand Management (second left) with models at the launch of the FiRST Blue and FiRST Gold

Celcom Malaysia made a big announcement by revitalising its post-paid segment with the introduction of two new plans – the FiRST Blue and FiRST Gold. Customers will get to enjoy free Internet data during the weekends if they subscribe to it.

“Celcom is bringing the significantly fresh and enriched highlights of both FiRST Blue and FiRST Gold, which have been personalised to cater to the ever changing digital needs of Malaysians. It goes without saying that these new plans complement corresponding customer usage behaviour, and are powered by the country's widest network, the Celcom 4G-lightning speed network.” said Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer of Celcome Axiata Berhad during the launch.

FiRST Blue and FiRST Gold offers a total of 6GB and 12 GB internet data for the cost of RM45 and RM100 per month respectively, both of these internet plans are added up by 2/4GB monthly internet, 2/4GB internet for the weekends, and free 2/4GB Celcom WiFi. Other than that, customers can also enjoy unlimited music from Yonder Music, receive extra free Internet (the more they use), given extended credit limit for nonstop and great Internet surfing, auto debit of 5% savings on their monthly bill, Club privileges and they can also carry forward unused Internet data over to the next month.

“The FiRST Blue and FiRST Gold comprise entry and mid-level plans, and are designed for anyone who is never quite satisfied with their Internet quota and yearns for more – especially when they are more relaxed, and prefer to surf most during the weekends. These two plans are most desirable for busy professionals and those with families, and who want to enjoy the Internet to the fullest on their mobile devices.” Zalman added.

Here's a clearer picture of FiRST Blue and FiRST Gold benefits:

FiRST Blue and FiRST Gold will be available starting tomorrow (18 November) and customers can apply for the new plans by visiting Blue Cube stores and selected Celcom Xclusive Partners. For more information on the package and price plans, visit www.celcom.com.my.


Celcom announced new partnership with Uber and will give rewards to Celcom customers & Uber drivers

Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief Marketing Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad (second from left) and Karina Ali Noor, General Manager of Expansion, Uber Malaysia (second from right), sealing the partnership between Celcom Axiata Berhad and Uber. Also present are Eric Siew, Brand and Campaign Lead, Uber Malaysia (left)and Daren Victor, Head of Brand Management – Access, Celcom Axiata Berhad (right).

In case you haven't heard, Celcom Axiata Berhad has announced its new partnership with Uber Malaysia and this collaboration will offer every Malaysian some special benefits and offers next month. According to Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief Marketing Officer of Celcom, Celcom postpaid and prepaid consumers will be getting awesome price cuts and discounts as part of their loyalty program.

Aside from the free Uber rides and discounts, perhaps Celcom consumers will be even happier to know that they will get a RM10 off Uber rides to KLIA or KLIA 2 with Celcom passport - roaming pass. On the other hand, as a reward for loyal Uber driver-partners, Celcom will offer them a wide selection the latest devices that are compatible with Celcom’s Lightning Fast LTE network, bundled with Celcom FIRST plans with additional benefits which include zero-rated data charges on the Uber app.

So what do you think? Both Celcom and Uber Malaysia are sure excited and we think this is a win-win situation for everyone. For more information, you can head over to Uber's blog right here and stay tuned for more Celcom news at TechNave.com.


Celcom announced they will partner with several tech and government agencies with IoT solutions

Idham (center) explaining showcasing another Celcom innovation - IoT in Logistics -  to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia (right), during the Industry4wrd: Shaping the Future of Industry event. The ‘Hajj Pilgrim Tracker’ aims to make Hajj and Umrah trips safer and simpler for pilgrims, with a built-in phone ID card holder, mandatory to be worn by all pilgrims. This technology features position tracking, two-way voice communication, and a panic button

With the uprising of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) solutions, Celcom Axiata Berhad has announced that the blue telco will be partnering with several technology partners and government agencies for the development of IoT business solutions across multiple industries and businesses within Malaysia.

This was announced during the Industry4wrd: Shaping the Future of Industry event, which was organised by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Moreover, Celcom also showcased some of their proposed IoT industry implementations especially IoT in utilities, logistics, natural environment monitoring and industrial improvement.

“The IoT eco-system will enable industries and consumers to connect, control and monitor remotely on their devices via the internet anywhere and at any time. The Internet-of-Things will open up an incredible array of fresh opportunities and innovation, and we look forward to work closely with government agencies and technology partners to enable smart solutions for everyone,” said Idham Nawawi, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad.

Below is a list of Celcom’s showcased NB-IoT implementations:

Stay tuned for more Celcom news at TechNave.com.


Celcom announces the SafeMate which is the first Emergency Response Sidekick in Malaysia

Celcom announces the launch of Malaysia’s first emergency response sidekick called the SafeMate which allows the users to notify their friends, family members, or even the local authorities with a click of a button. The SafeMate is available from Celcom with an upfront payment of RM240 as well as an early bird offer of RM9.80 for 12 months.

With a button press, the SafeMate will attempt to contact a 24/7 emergency call center, if there is no response, the SafeMate will then attempt to contact their user’s emergency contacts. Lastly, if there is no response to the emergency contacts as well, it will proceed to contact the local authorities such as the local police. Not only that, the device also comes equipped with real-time GPS tracking to provide the contacts mentioned the ability to locate the user. The Celcom SafeMate is available at all Celcom Bluecube stores across Malaysia and the React Mobile - Safety App is available for download in the Apple App store as well as Google’s Playstore. For more update like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Celcom appoints former TM and MCMC chairman as its new interim chairman

Celcom Axiata Bhd today announced that Tan Sri Dr Halim Shafie has been appointed as its new interim chairman. Dr Halim’s appointment is effective since 2 June 2022.

As reported by national news agency Bernama, prior to helming the interim chairman role, Dr Halim has been serving as Axiata Group Bhd independent non-executive director since 1 November 2020. Furthermore, he has significant experience and influence in the industry, whereby he was previously Telekom Malaysia Bhd chairman from 2009 to 2015 as well as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman from 2006 to 2009.

Besides that, Dr Halim was also the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications secretary general in 2000 and has served in many government agencies. These include the Ministry of Education, Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) and the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN).

Speaking of Dr Halim’s appointment, Celcom CEO Datuk Idham Nawawi said that the company is looking forward to his guidance and leadership. The major telecommunication company also hopes that the new interim chairman can drive the organisation towards new strides and creating value for customers.

Dr Halim was appointed to fill in the role as interim chairman following the resignation of Datuk Izzaddin Idris as Axiata’s president and group chief executive officer (CEO) and Celcom’s chairman. Celcom Axiata Bhd announced Izzaddin’s resignation on 31 May 2022.

It would be interesting to see the direction that Celcom Axiata Bhd will be taking under the guidance of Dr Halim. Currently, the company is in the midst of two major undertakings, the merger with Digi as well as the 5G service agreement with DNB.

What do you guys think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest tech news in Malaysia and beyond!


90% of Snapdragon-equipped Android devices safe from QuadRooter thanks to Google’s Verify Apps

We have talked about a newly discovered vulnerability that affects Android smartphones that is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors named QuadRooter. Thankfully, the majority of the smartphones are safe thanks to Google’s Verify Apps function.

The vulnerability works by having the user installed certain malicious apps. However for those who installs just from Google Play Store, their very own Verify Apps feature, which "regularly checks activity on your device and prevents or warns you about potential harm", will protect you against any malicious app that may be related to QuadRooter.

So our advise is to forgo rooting for the time being until Google & Qualcomm have submitted a security patch to fix this problem on Android. Stay tuned to TechNave for more information.


Celcom awards 'Endless Trials' champion with RM100,000 cash prize

Celcom Game Hero cash prizes were presented by Zuwairi Zakaria, Head of Pricing and Retail Marketing of Celcom Axiata Berhad and Dato’ Lion Peh, Chief Executive Officer of Techninier Sdn Bhd at Menara Celcom

Celcom Game Hero series has once again made a return and this time around, Celcom's latest game tournament - ‘Celcom Game Hero - Endless Trials’ has ended with Muhammad Nazir Basri taking home the grand cash prize of RM 100,000 with 6290 points.

The tournament went on for a course of four months until the finalists battled each other for the grand cash prize. Nazir is 31 years old from Klang, Selangor came out as the winner after an intense one-hour live showdown. Coming behind him as the first runner-up is 29-year-old Mohd Farhan Hassin from Kota Bahru, Kelantan with 6245 points and RM60,000 cash prize. Then as for the second runner-up, Mohd Sabree Junyul (27) also from Klang, Selangor scoring 6235 points and winning RM40,000 cash prize. There were also compensation cash prizes 4th-6th place receiving RM10,000, as well as 7th-9th with RM5000.

In addition, that's not the end of Celcom Game Hero series. With their partnership with Techninier Sdn Bhd who was behind the games, they will introduce a new game called Knight Clash. It's a new scrolling runner game where the hero "Knight" must defeat waves of enemies and traps to save a princess. As usual, players will just need to get the highest score on the leaderboard to win the cash prize.

For more information on Celcom Game Hero’s fifth mobile tournament – ‘Knight Clash, visit www.gamehero.my.


Celcom awards a total of cash prize RM1 million to the top 10 winners of Celcom Game Hero

(Top L-R) Dato' Lion Peh, CEO of Techninier; Michael Kuehner, CEO of Celcom Axiata Berhad; YB Dato' Jailani Johari, Deputy Minister of Communication and Multimedia; Azwan Khan Osman Khan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Business Operations of Celcom Axiata Berhad; (Bottom L-R) Admad Fazli Admad Rusli and Mohd Farhan Hassin

Today, Celcom and Techninier are proud to present the winners of their first ever mobile gaming tournament "Celcom Game Hero - Sky Invasion 3D" at Pull Hotel, Bangsar. Two winners, Admad Fazli Admad Rusli and Mohd Farhan Hassin are the two winners, winning RM417,500 and RM317,500 respectively. The rest of the cash prize went to the other eight players who participated at the grand final that took place two days ago.

The Celcom Game Hero prize giving ceremony was graced by YB Dato' Jailani Johari, Deputy Minister of Communication and Multimedia at Pullman Hotel, Bangsar. According to Dato' Lion Peh, Chief Executive Officer of the local game company, he said the game app quickly become one of the Top Trending Apps on the Google Play Store, due to the overwhelming response of more than 300k gamers.

"We have made history with Malaysia with unprecedented response from gamers around the country and we hope this creates the realization for Malaysians that professional gaming with reward-based income is no longer just a pipe dream." he said.

In addition, there was also an ongoing second tournament for Celcom Game Hero with Techninier's Se7en Gear, a 3D arcade racing game within the next four months. Participants and gamers can expect new contents in the coming weeks and will fight for the grand prizes which includes a BMW 3 series, Honda Jazz, Perodua Bezza or cash prize among others.

For more information on Celcom Game Hero's second tournament, kindly visit www.gamehero.my.


Celcom bags a hat-trick bringing home three awards

On 2 December, Celcom Axiata Berhad won three awards from two well-known tech publications - PC.com and Hardwarezone.com, consecutively in the same week from their year-long effort on customer service and providing the best user experience.

This marks Celcom’s second successive win in two years, for winning Best Telco Brand 2015 at the HWM+HardwareZone.com Tech Awards 2015; and getting two more surprises at the PC.com Readers’ Choice Awards Night 2015 with Best Customer Service for Telecommunications and Best Post-paid Service Provider.

“We are thrilled to have been recognised with many such awards in a short span of time. These awards are solid acknowledgement that we are on the right track in moving towards a new frontier – which is the digitalisation of our products and services, coupled with enhanced network capacity and delivery. The awards validate our goal in delivering the best in customer experience in every aspect of our services, while we inspire innovation and excellence amongst our employees and we will continue to uphold the high standards for the industry,” said Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad.

Celcom Axiata Berhad, Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer, Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin (left) receiving the Best Telco Brand during the HWM +Hardwarezone.com Tech Awards 2015,  from HWM editor, Michael Low (right)

Celcom Axiata Berhad, Head of Service Operations, Gulshen Kaur Siva Singh (fourth from left), Group Brand Manager, A’an Sriyani (center) and team during the PC.com Readers’ Choice Awards Night2015 awards for Best Customer Service for Telecommunications and Best Post-paid Service Provider.

The voting by HWM+HardwareZone.com was done during 7 September until 15 October online, and also in Low Yat Plaza on 9 October until 11 October for readers and consumers to vote which brand gave them the most satisfactory result in the best of tech products, software and services in computer, consumer electronics, communication and digital entertainment sectors including telecommunications.

The PC.com Readers’ Choice Awards Night 2015 on the other hand, is the 15th annual award that honours the 32 best-in-class corporations for hardware, software and technology in this country that have submitted their products for review. The award categories were also votes from the magazine’s readers.


Celcom bringing digital cheer for Raya with FIRST gold 1+5 and Raya4Gembira promotion

En. Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad (middle) together with Celcom personnel cheering and wishing all Celcom customers Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

Starting on 1 July 2016, Celcom Axiata Berhad is excited to introduce the new enhanced FIRST Gold 1+5 for families, with an array of attractive promotions and digital mobile content, which can be easily accessed anytime and anywhere via quick code *555#.

The festive promotion includes a 2GB including free weekend internet, together with unlimited usage on Whatsapp and WeChat for 5 supplementary lines. A brand new Perodua Axia, RM1000 worth of duit raya, a minimum of RM20 airtime credit and RM20 worth of F&B vouchers await Celcom Axiata’s lucky customers’ when they download mobile content, and use services via the quick code.

Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad said Ramadhan and Raya is truly a time for spreading good cheer and creating memorable moments for its customers and their loved ones.

“We believe in jazzing up our customers’ joyous moments with special digital content related to Ramadhan and Aidilfitri. With FIRST Gold 1+5 from Celcom, customers can text and share their best memories during Raya with one another on social media chat platforms for free. We want our customers to capture and share as many wonderful photos and videos with their loved ones.

“Together with the new digital content, our customers’ experience and merriment will definitely be elevated and this will also serve as our on-going promise to continuously bring the very best experience for our customers,” he said.

Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief of Sales and Marketing Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad said uplifting customers' digital experience during the special time of the year, a quick code of *555# was created as a one-stop centre for all new and existing services related to Aidilfitri.

“Customers can start subscribing to any content available on our new portals like the new premium Raya Stickerz on emomi 365 at RM5 per week and stand a chance to win RM20 airtime weekly. Customers can also simply subscribe to selected Raya Call-Me-Tones and be the among the chosen one, to receive RM1000 worth of duit raya.

“On Big Win, a contest portal that makes a big winner out of you, we are offering a brand new Perodua Axia through Raya4Gaya Customers simply need to subscribe to *555#, snap a photo of your best Raya moment, upload and share onto the portal and be in the running to balik kampung with a brand new car. Each photo upload will cost RM1.

“For game enthusiasts, we are offering weekly subscriptions for game bundles on Game Store. With a huge variety of games available, our customers can spread and share their passion in mobile-gaming with relatives, friends and children. Game Store’s game bundles are priced at RM3/week for two games, RM5/week for five games and RM10/week for 12 games, available with subscribing at *555#.

“Not forgetting the many food lover today, customers who look forward to preparing easy and quick Raya meals, we bring them the #5minitjer – the latest mobisode cooking series, via ESCAPE, Celcom Axiata’s video streaming entertainment space, featuring international celebrity chef, Sherson Lian, who will showcase a series of twelve 5- minute Raya recipes. The first two episodes are free. ESCAPE is the perfect entertainment for on-the-go viewing,” he added.

To add on to that, Celcom is also offering Balik Kampung with Waze App without internet charges until 6 August 2016 for all Xpax customers upon subscription of Magic Reload and all FIRST customers.

Whilst continuously enhancing and bringing a joyful experience for customers, during Aidilfitri, Celcom Axiata also offers its limited-time deal for its prepaid segment – Internet Burung Hantu from Xpax. Internet Burung Hantu offers a promo that allow customers to stream unlimited movies all night long with relatives, while Xpax has improved add-on packs such as Facebook Pack – you can update your Raya activities with celebrations pictures, VideoTube Pack - to watch your favourite video on YouTube and Voice Calls Pack to stay connected and wish Raya to your friends and family.

For more info please log on to www.celcom.com.my and www.xpax.com.my. And to all our Muslim friends, enjoy your family time!


Celcom celebrates Ramadan with the Royal Malaysia Police and a new Raya video "Letters from Mak"

To celebrate the spirit of Ramadan, Celcom has once again teamed up with the Royal Malaysia Police’s Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department through the company’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) program. This time, goodie bags comprising of Bubur Lambuk, dates, and bottled drinks were handed out.

The Bubur Lambuk distribution by Celcom Axiata Berhad and Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department Kuala Lumpur yesterday  lifted the Ramadhan spirit among dedicated traffic personnel on the field

The distribution parade comprising of senior officials from PDRM were accompanied by the senior management team from Celcom namely Azwan Khan Osman Khan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Business Operations, Zuraida Jamaluddin, Chief Corporate Officer, Dave Morrow, Chief Digital Officer, and Surinderdeep Singh, Head of Enterprise Business & Solutions.

The Mounted Unit of PDRM also joined in the distribution of Bubur Lambuk by Celcom Axiata Berhad and Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department Kuala Lumpur yesterday

In the other corner, representatives from the Royal Malaysia Police were Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Noor Rashid Bin Ibrahim Deputy Inspector General, Royal Malaysian Police, Dato’ Mazlan Bin Lazim, Kuala Lumpur Deputy Chief Police, Senior Assistant Commissioner Shahrul Othman Bin Mansor, Director of Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department, Assistant Commissioner Mohd. Nadzri Bin Hussain, Chief of Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Kuala Lumpur, and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Zulkifli Jonit, Deputy Director, Enforcement/Traffic Control/Summons Management of the Traffic Police Department of Investigation and Enforcement.

This year marks the 13th year collaboration between Celcom and RMP’s Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department, as a part of Celcom’s corporate social responsibility and honouring the dedication and commitment shown by traffic personnel, especially during the challenging month of Ramadhan.

On the other hand, Celcom is also proud to release its web video entitled ‘Letters from Mak’. With the video length up to 3 minutes, ‘Mak Kata’ tells a story of values of sharing, family unity and appreciation towards loved ones, coinciding with the spirit of Aidilfitri.

In relation to that, Celcom will donate up to RM100, 000 when the ‘Letters from Mak’ video reaches above 2 million views. The donation will be given to four charity homes namely ‘Rumah Jagaan dan Rawatan Orang-orang Tua Al-Ikhlas’, ‘Pertubuhan Kebajikan Mental Selangor’, ‘Rumah Kebajikan dan Bimbangan At-Taqwa’ and ‘Pusat Kebajikan Jagaan Sri Sai Selangor’.

For more information on Celcom’s ‘Letters from Mak’ video, please visit www.MakKata.com.my.


Celcom celebrates the football season with a campaign giving out the Hyundai IONIQ 5 EV

In conjunction with the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022, Celcom is holding up a campaign, 'Gila-Gila Bola', to celebrate the football season with a bunch of activities for customers to join. Not only to have fun, but the participants can also stand a chance to drive home the latest Hyundai IONIQ 5. Now, let's check out how you can be a part of it!

Celcom has built a metaverse stadium, Celcom Gila Bolaverse, that allows visitors to explore and engage in digital football activities with their avatars. The activities include football games like flag hunting, Gila-Gila Dance, and more. Players can also win a limited edition Celcom NFT jersey (minted to only five holders) and VIP viewing party passes for the global football event finals in Kuala Lumpur. The Gila Bolaverse will be open to the public from 20 November to 20 December 2022.

Besides that, until 31 December 2022, Celcom customers can join the 'Spin to Score' promotion on the Celcom Life app to stand a chance in driving home the Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric vehicle. To earn the "spins", users can do it by subscribing to any Celcom Postpaid, Prepaid or Home Fibre plans, device bundles, roaming passes at RM88 and above, reloading with a minimum of RM30 for prepaid, signing up for auto-billing, paying bills or even just activating their Celcom Life App for the first time.

Are you ready for the world cup season? Leave a comment to let us know how you feel about it, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more local tech news.


Celcom clearing Apple iPhone 5s stock with 2 for 1 deal and new value plans

Celcom recently announced several new offers and deals for the Apple iPhone 5S. The first deal allows you to get 2 Apple iPhone 5s smartphones with the first smartphone from RM388 and the second from RM1188. This deal is valid until 31 August 2014 or while stocks last but it is only applicable to loyal Celcom subscribers who have been using Celcom for more than 24 months with a monthly spending amount of at least RM50. They also have to have a good payment record for the most recent 3 months and you will have to sign up for a new number. The contract is 24 months for this deal but for more details check out the tables below:

if first set is 32GB or 64GB  Apple iPhone 5s


Celcom collaborates with MDeC to facilitate eUsahawan programme

Dato' Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom (left) displaying the signed MoU with Dato' Yasmin Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer of MDeC (right)

Today on 4 March, Celcom Axiata Berhad (Celcom) and Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (MDeC) have sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), where Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions will be facilitated and conducted by Celcom as the digital partner to MDeC’s eUsahawan programme. This means that Celcom will be extending its vast 4G coverage further covering more campuses for 300000 students in 462 institutions including universities and colleges.

Dato' Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom (left) signing the MoU with Dato' Yasmin Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer of MDeC (right)

The MoU was approved and signed by Chief Executive Officer of Celcom, Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, and Chief Executive Officer of Multimedia Development Corporation, Dato’ Yasmin Mahmood. Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, is enthusiastic of Celcom's new role of becoming a digital partner for MdeC, and also the provision of SIM cards that are customized for eUsahawan students, phones or tablets bundled packages, as well as incorporating Celcom's online platform, Escape, as an online learning syllabus in eUsahawan.

“We applaud MDeC’s initiatives in introducing eUsahawan as the platform in cultivating more skillful youths by building a base for their readiness towards digital entrepreneurship. The prominence of an enabler in digitalizing these budding entrepreneurs however, cannot be denied. As the Undisputed No.1 Network Service Provider, it is only appropriate for Celcom to walk the journey towards digitalization together with MDeC, where the support of our network strength and robustness are intended to boost and facilitate the programme further. We are positive that our participation as a partner in eUsahawan will benefit the students and micro-entrepreneurs greatly."

“Superior connectivity that we provide would be the doorway to limitless information they may need to furnish themselves throughout the learning process. With the steadfast growth of e-commerce, Celcom’s digital solution will contribute in opening endless online opportunities that these youths could explore and building their pathway towards full-pledged digitalised entrepreneurship. Furthermore, this collaboration is also significant in demonstrating our support towards the government effort in stepping up towards a diversified and digitalized economy”, he concluded in the signing ceremony.

Meanwhile, Dato’ Yasmin Mahmood, CEO of MDeC is happy and confident that the the MoU will greatly help TVET students and micro-entrepreneurs to learn steadily in the growing digital entrepreneurship in the country.

“To successfully roll out the eUsahawan programme, MDeC needs to create and grow a robust enabling ecosystem, and one way is through public-private partnerships such as this. We are excited to be working with Celcom who will be providing connectivity to the eUsahawan participants. The connectivity by Celcom will not only allow the eUsahawan participants provide better service to their customers but also help them be more efficient in managing their business. The success of this programme will see our young entrepreneurs evolve from job seekers to job creators, and in turn, contribute to the country’s digital economy.”

eUsahawan is an MDeC’s initiative that was commenced in July last year, as it was designed to instill digital entrepreneurship knowledge via TVET institutions for a long term objective of increasing the number of micro entrepreneurs, utilizing the power of digital platforms to grow their businesses.


Celcom commits RM100 million to develop IoT solutions at its new headquarters office in Petaling Jaya


Celcom commits to help with COVID-19 situation in Malaysia with communications support

The rising number of people infected by COVID-19 in Malaysia means that medical staff in our country have to keep working hard in the next few weeks. To support all these front liners, Celcom has committed to providing additional communications support to medical staff in the different hospitals in Malaysia.

Celcom has already sent 200 postpaid SIM card to the Ministry of Health (MOH). These SIM cards all come with 20GB of data and unlimited talk time for free. It is hoped that the unlimited calls will be useful for medical officers who will have to contact many people categorised as patients under investigation (PUI).

Additionally, Celcom provided support to the Sungai Buloh Hospital, which is an important facility in dealing with the pandemic in Klang Valley. A total of 40 mobile devices and phone lines, as well as the mobile cell tower in the form of Celcom's Cellular on Wheels, were also provided. In particular, the Cellular on Wheels will ensure that the area around the hospital should not run into connectivity issues.

It's truly heartening to see all these companies doing their part in helping our country in this time of crisis. Hopefully, we'll all come out of this better as a nation. What other companies do you think should contribute and what could they do? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


99% of cheap phone chargers are unsafe and a fire hazard

While you may be heading to your nearest pasar malam or your nearest phone shop to buy that cheap charger for your brand spanking new iPhone (or even Android) – be warned. Those chargers are cheap because the manufacturers has most likely cut corners here and there to keep the price down, which results in an unsafe peripheral.

A recent finding, based on an operation conducted by British safety investigators has revealed that 99% of the third party chargers they tested in labs are failing basic safety tests. The chargers were determined to have “insufficient isolation with potential for electric shock.” This could also lead to sparks, which can result in the chargers being a fire hazard.

Buying accessories on the cheap can be a double-edge sword – you save money, but in turn you increase your risks in putting you and your family in danger of potential disaster anywhere it is being used. As always, we advise everyone to proceed with caution, and to stay tuned to TechNave for more news and info in the world of tech.


Celcom contributed RM100,000 to four total charitable organisations

The Celcom team comprising staff and SL1M trainees with (seventh from left) Zuraida Jamaluddin, Celcom Chief Corporate Officer and the girls from the Rumah Kebajikan dan Bimbangan At-Taqwa recently

Just recently, Celcom Axiata Berhad visited two charitable organisations - Rumah Kebajikan dan Bimbangan At-Taqwa in Puchong, Selangor. Led by Zuraida Jamaluddin, Celcom Chief Corporate Officer, the team comprise Celcom staff and Skim Latihan 1Malaysia (SL1M) trainees spreading the still on-going Hari Raya cheer with the children.

Zuraida Jamaluddin presenting a hamper to one of the young performers of the karaoke session

The orphanage houses a total of 55 boys and girls together, and a majority of them are primary school students. The activities on the day were a fun filled with karaoke sessions, eating and laughter. Every child received a goodie bag at the end of the day as well.

Celcom SL1M trainees with Esah Samad, 81, at the Rumah Jagaan dan Rawatan Orang-orang Tua Al-Ikhlas

Meanwhile, the visit to Rumah Jagaan dan Rawatan Orang-orang Tua Al-Ikhlas marked a sombre mood as the team exchanged greetings with bed-ridden occupants. This elderly care residence has 43 male and female occupants aged between 47 and 90 years old. Of the 43, only 10 occupants are physically mobile. The Celcom team bonded with the elderly occupants by sharing stories, nurturing kinship as well as serving them food.

Aside from these two organisations, Celcom also extended its goodwill to Pusat Kebajikan Jagaan Sri Sai Selangor and Pertubuhan Kebajikan Mental Selangor, as part of the company’s corporate responsibility (CR) initiative.

From left, Rumah Jagaan dan Rawatan Orang-orang Tua Al-Ikhlas founder Moji Mohamad receiving a contribution of RM 25,000 from Zuraida Jamaluddi

From left, Rumah Kebajikan dan Bimbangan At-Taqwa founder and caretaker Ustazah Norhayati Wan Abib accepting a contribution of RM 25,000 from Zuraida Jamaluddin

All these visitations are part of the company's CR initiative in which a total cash of RM100,000 is contributed to the four organisations, this is also the result of the views and likes garnered from the Letters from Mak videos that we shared about a few weeks ago.

Stay tuned for more Celcom news at TechNave.com.


Celcom employee tested COVID-19 positive in Sabah, Bluecube closed temporarily

As more cases pop up around Malaysia, it seems that one of Celcom's employees has been tested positive for COVID-19. However, this is from its retail outlet, Bluecube in Sandakan, Sabah and he's currently waiting for second test results with mild symptoms.

As a result, Celcom has already closed the outlet and are working with the Ministry of Health to carry out detailed contact tracing and quarantine for all possible close contacts of the employee. This includes all employees, guards, and technicians at Bluecube Sandakan, as well the person's family members who are currently in quarantine. Sanitisation has been carried out as well for the facility.

Just for information, Celcom has implemented the ‘Work From Home’ instruction for non-essential service employees within critical Covid-19 zones, such as Sabah and Kedah until further notice, as well as locations under the Conditioned Movement Control Order; Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya until 27 October 2020. Customers around Sandakan who require support for the company's products and services may visit a Celcom Certified Partner in Sandakan, or reach out via Celcom’s digital platform, via Celcom e-store, Celcom Life App, Celcom Online Customer Service.

Stay safe, stay at home, and stay tuned for local tech news at TechNave.com.


Celcom empowers schools with digitisation

Today, Celcom Axiata Berhad (Celcom) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Orangetree Production Sdn. Bhd. in support to the Ministry of Education’s initiative to digitise education in schools nationwide.

A new mobile app called ‘MySekolah’, which was conceptualised and developed by Orangetree Production and UUM, and is powered by Celcom, serve as a mode of communication between schools and parents for information on their children’s progress at school, such as updates and information from school teachers regarding their children’s attendance in school, examination results, upcoming school activities, etc.

(left to right) Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, Dato’ P. Kamalanathan, Deputy Minister of Education 1, Professor Dato’ Seri Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, Vice Chancellor, Universiti Utara Malaysia and Dato’ Sri Jaspal Singh Korotana, Chief Executive Officer of Orangetree Production Sdn. Bhd.

The MoU was inked in Kuala Lumpur by Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata, Professor Dato’ Seri Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia, and Dato’ Sri Jaspal Singh Korotana, Chief Executive Officer of Orangetree Production Sdn. Bhd. in the presence of Dato’ P. Kamalanathan, Deputy Minister of Education 1.

Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, with enthusiasm, said Celcom Axiata will continue its role as a catalyst in enhancing education facilities in the country whilst embracing the opportunity to develop more information gateways for students on their journey to garner the infinite values of knowledge.

“The digital ecosystem created with the development of digital applications and content, backed by our superior connectivity and will become ornamental in the development of the education system. Digitising schools will shift the boundaries of the overall learning process in schools to a whole new enhanced and modern perspective. Our contribution is aspired towards empowering future Malaysian leaders with immeasurable knowledge.

“In our ongoing efforts in embracing digitalisation, we are more than glad to take this journey with UUM and Orangetree Production, in digitising Malaysia’s educational facilities. We strongly believe the collaboration will highly benefit more than *400000 teachers and 5 million students in over 10000 schools nationwide.

This initiative also focuses highly on supporting the Government’s call for the adaptation of digitisation, as well as contributing to the Government’s aspiration of reaching 95% of LTE broadband penetration nationwide by 2020. It also affirms Celcom Axiata’s ongoing commitment in modernising and providing the best network and coverage.” Shazalli concluded.

The pilot stage for ‘MySekolah’ will be introduced at three locations; SK Bandar Baru Sintok and SK Datin Fatimah, Kuala Nerang in Kedah, and SK Precinct 14 in Putrajaya, with the availability of the app at other locations to be announced soon.

Furthermore, in the near future, Celcom will also offer special data and device packages for teachers, as well as plans to establish WiFi Hotspots in all schools governed under the Ministry of Education in both urban and rural areas.


Celcom finally offers Apple iPad mini with Retina Display from RM948

It has been 2 months since the last teaser ad, but Celcom is finally offering the Apple iPad mini with Retina Display from RM948. You have a choice of 12 month to 24 month contracts but you have to sign up for any of the three available Celcom First iPad plans. You will have to pay an upfront payment which will be rebated for the next 10 months. Contrary to the RRP listed on the Celcom site, the iPad mini with Retina Display is currently priced at RM1279 for the 16GB WiFi-only model and RM1699 for the 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE model. For more plan details check out the table below:

If you're looking for other options, check out our Apple iPad mini with Retina Display plan comparison tool. If you need more information about this deal do check out the Celcom site but you can also check out our other Celcom Telco deals as well.