Macau-based MTel Telecommunication Company Limited held yesterday a banquet at L’Arc hotel in Nape to celebrate Spring Festival, on the sidelines of which the company’s chairman and CEO, Michael Choi Tak Meng, briefed the media about the company’s development in the past year, saying that “we’ve had a steady, solid growth in our results”, with over 60 percent of residents in the government’s high-rise rental residential building for senior citizens being MTel clients.
The number of internet customers exceeds 10,000 users, Choi said, adding that for the next three years, he hoped the company could achieve a 10-20 percent growth in Macau’s Internet Freedom Rate*: “Faced with the challenge of Macau’s population not increasing much, we still achieved a good performance last year”.
The company has experienced a significant increase in demand for value-added services, such as dedicated lines and cloud computing, according to the telecom operator.
In terms of tariffs, Choi pointed out that with the approval of the government, the company has reduced the original price by 35 percent, i.e., the current price of internet services is now 65 percent of the original price last year. He added that the company will progressively apply to the government for special concessionary rates for specific groups, such as the elderly.
Choi also said that although the price reduction has had a positive effect on attracting new customers, it has proved not very effective: “Because customers tend to stick with the companies they are familiar with, they often continue using the same provider,” adding he believed that the most competitive scene in the future for local telecom operators would be in the Zone A land reclamation development area.
Regarding future development, Choi pointed out that alongside the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, artificial intelligence (AI) was a key trend in the industry. He said that the company plans to focus on AI as a core direction for development, continuing to invest resources in enhancing the “AI + industry” scenarios and the MTel AI platform, with a view to empowering local sectors such as tourism, financial services, and commerce, ultimately reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and fostering innovation and transformation.
According to Choi, the company is currently collaborating with tertiary education institutions and high-tech enterprises to integrate open-source AI technologies like DeepSeek, aiming to develop a new generation of an AI metro network and optical communication network services in Macau.
MTel, during yesterday’s banquet, received two ISO certificates from the China Quality Certification Centre (CQC).
* The Internet Freedom Rate refers to the level of freedom individuals have to access, use, and share information online without censorship, surveillance, or restrictions imposed by governments or other entities.
Telecom operator MTel representatives, including Chairman and CEO Michael Choi Tak Meng (third from left), pose after receiving ISO certificates from a representative from the China Quality Certification Centre (CQC) during a Spring Festival banquet at L’Arc hotel in Nape. – Photo: Yuki Lei
