ScopeTel & Orange Business seal Asia-Pacific tie-up

ScopeTel and Orange Business in Malaysia have signed a memorandum of understanding covering work in Malaysia and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

The partnership is intended to support digital connectivity and communications services for the oil and gas, maritime, energy, government and enterprise sectors. Areas covered by the agreement include satellite communications, network connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud services, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence.

The memorandum was signed in Kuala Lumpur by Rakesh Jethi, Managing Director of ScopeTel, and Alwyn David, Country Head Malaysia at Orange Business. It was witnessed by Ir. Norafizal Mat Saad, Vice President of Group Strategic Relations & Communications at PETRONAS.

ScopeTel is a Malaysian provider of satellite communications and digital services, while Orange Business is the business services arm of the French telecoms group Orange. The tie-up is intended to combine ScopeTel's domestic market presence with Orange Business's international network reach.

Target sectors

The focus is on industries where communications links are critical to day-to-day operations and where remote locations can make network access more difficult. Oil and gas, maritime and energy assets in particular often depend on satellite-based connections alongside terrestrial networks.

Under the terms outlined, the partnership will look at the joint development and delivery of secure multi-orbit satellite communications for remote operations. It will also examine the use of low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit satellite services alongside SD-WAN, cloud connectivity, cybersecurity tools and managed network services.

The companies also plan to pursue end-to-end managed communications services and explore a shared business pipeline through joint marketing, business development and project collaboration in Malaysia and selected regional markets.

Industry context

The agreement reflects continuing demand across Asia-Pacific for more reliable communications infrastructure in sectors with dispersed assets, offshore operations and high safety requirements. Companies in those areas have been increasing their use of hybrid network models that combine different satellite layers with fixed and mobile connectivity.

In Malaysia, that demand is tied to industrial digitalisation and efforts to improve communications coverage in harder-to-reach locations. Satellite links remain important in offshore energy, shipping routes and remote industrial sites where fibre or mobile coverage may be limited or costly to deploy.

The arrangement also reflects wider digital adoption across enterprises and public sector bodies. Beyond connectivity itself, the scope identified by the partners points to demand for related services such as cybersecurity, cloud access and network management.

Jethi described the agreement as a broader strategic move for ScopeTel.

"Today marks an important milestone for ScopeTel as we embark on a strategic collaboration with Orange Business, one of the world's leading providers of digital infrastructure, telecommunications and cybersecurity solutions. This partnership goes beyond the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. It represents a shared vision and commitment to combine our respective strengths, expertise and technologies to develop innovative, secure and resilient digital solutions for the energy industry," said Rakesh Jethi, Managing Director of ScopeTel.

David said the arrangement would bring together local satellite expertise and Orange Business's broader communications footprint.

"This collaboration will position our organization and ScopeTel as trusted partners in delivering resilient communications for mission-critical operations - a nod to our expertise and value offering to customers led by our global network, digital integration, and managed connectivity capabilities, and ScopeTel's local satellite communications know-how and operational presence," said Alwyn David, Country Head Malaysia at Orange Business.

Regional angle

The partnership extends beyond Malaysia to selected Asia-Pacific markets. That regional element suggests the companies expect demand for similar communications models in neighbouring countries with offshore energy operations, shipping networks and remote industrial activity.

For Orange Business, the agreement adds to efforts to deepen its presence in South-East Asia through local partnerships. For ScopeTel, it provides access to a larger international platform as it seeks to broaden its addressable market beyond its home base.

The memorandum also carries a diplomatic undertone, with the companies pointing to links between Malaysia and France through the pairing of a Malaysian communications provider and a French-owned business services group. In practical terms, the immediate emphasis remains on identifying commercial projects and building services for customers in sectors where uptime, coverage and security are central requirements.

The partners said they would explore new commercial opportunities through joint marketing, business development and project collaboration in Malaysia and selected regional markets.