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When Ubonpan Chuencom, Vice President, Carrier Business Service at National Telecom (NT), Thailand, talks about AI infrastructure, she's seeing it from the front line.
As a member of the ITW & Datacloud Asia Advisory Board, Ubonpan has watched AI-driven investment pour into Thailand, bringing hyperscale data centres, new connectivity requirements and increased interest from global technology players. But she believes the biggest opportunities are still ahead.
One observation stood out during our recent conversation.
While much of the industry's attention is focused on data centre announcements and AI infrastructure investment, Ubonpan argues that the real challenge for telecom operators isn't simply supporting growth. It's figuring out where they fit in the value chain.
"How do operators become strategic partners to hyperscalers and AI providers rather than simply connectivity providers?"
is a question many executives across Asia are grappling with today.
It's a challenge that's becoming increasingly urgent.
AI is driving demand for more fibre, more international connectivity, more subsea capacity and more digital infrastructure. Yet at the same time, hyperscalers are seeking greater control over their own infrastructure, changing the dynamics of traditional partnerships. For operators across APAC, growth opportunities are clear, but so is the need to evolve.
That theme runs throughout this year's ITW & Datacloud Asia agenda.
Sessions such as "The New Interconnection Economy: Partnerships, Peering & Power Dynamics", "Investing in Asia's AI Connectivity Backbone" and "The Next Growth Engine: Where Will Telco Revenue Come From?" all tackle the same fundamental question: where will value be created as AI reshapes the digital infrastructure landscape?
Another point Ubonpan raises is one that many infrastructure leaders quietly acknowledge.
Every country wants AI investment. But attracting investment and creating long-term national value are not necessarily the same thing. Thailand, she notes, is entering a critical phase of development, where governments, investors and industry leaders are beginning to think more carefully about how digital infrastructure growth translates into broader economic benefits. She believes closer collaboration between industry and government will be critical to ensuring sustainable growth.
That conversation will continue at ITW & Datacloud Asia through the Digital Policy Exchange, the Digital Infrastructure Leaders' Summit, and the opening keynote exploring how Singapore and the wider region are building the infrastructure foundations for AI growth.
Perhaps the most thought-provoking part of our discussion, however, was her prediction about what separates winners from losers by 2030.
According to Ubonpan, future success won't be determined solely by network assets or infrastructure ownership. It will come down to an organisation's ability to move beyond traditional telecom services and create higher-value digital and AI-enabled offerings. The companies that adapt will thrive. Those that don't may find themselves under increasing pressure.
It's exactly these kinds of conversations that make industry events valuable.
Not because they provide easy answers, but because they bring together the people actively trying to solve the same challenges.
This December, ITW & Datacloud Asia will bring together operators, hyperscalers, investors, policymakers and infrastructure leaders from across the region to discuss where AI demand is emerging, how networks and data centres must evolve, and what the next phase of digital infrastructure growth will look like across APAC.
We will be hearing more from Ubonpan Chuencom herself on stage in Singapore.
