EDOTCO Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. and International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) have formalised a strategic collaboration under the Circularity@Campus programme through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reinforcing a shared commitment towards circular economy practices, sustainable innovation and future engineering talent development.

The collaboration introduces a practical model for how decommissioned telecommunications infrastructure can continue generating value beyond its operational lifecycle. As part of EDOTCO Malaysia’s routine technology refresh and site rationalisation process, selected network infrastructure equipment that would traditionally enter the waste disposal stream will instead be repurposed to support academic learning, engineering research and innovation activities at IIUM’s Kulliyyah of Engineering.

Giving "Decomm" Infrastructure a Second Life

Through the initiative, a range of fully functional decommissioned network infrastructure assets covering power, energy and antenna systems will be contributed to IIUM, providing students and academics with direct exposure to real-world telecommunications infrastructure hardware that is typically inaccessible within conventional academic environments.

The initiative reflects a growing shift in how sustainability is approached within the digital infrastructure industry. Rather than viewing decommissioned assets solely through a disposal lens, the collaboration demonstrates how infrastructure operators can extend the lifecycle and utility of technology assets through reuse, education, and research-driven applications.

Beyond supporting academic exploration, the programme contributes directly towards EDOTCO Malaysia’s broader sustainability ambitions. An estimated 400 kilograms of functional decommissioned hardware will be diverted from waste disposal channels, avoiding an estimated 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions associated with manufacturing replacement equipment and disposal processes. The initiative will also contribute towards EDOTCO’s sustainability and ESG reporting objectives as part of its broader commitment towards achieving carbon neutrality targets by 2030.

Creating Long-Term Value Through Circularity and Collaboration

The collaboration also strengthens industry-academia linkages by creating opportunities for joint research, technical collaboration and project-based innovation involving live telecommunications hardware. Through greater access to operational technologies and infrastructure systems, students and researchers will be better positioned to develop practical engineering capabilities while exploring future applications in areas such as Smart Cities, environmental monitoring and sustainable infrastructure systems.

The official ceremony on 20th May featured welcome remarks by Associate Professor Dr. Khairul Azami Sidek, Dean of IIUM’s Kulliyyah of Engineering, followed by opening remarks from Datin Azzahraa Annuar, Director of Governance, Risk, and Compliance of EDOTCO Group. The event also included the formal handover of the MoU and donated equipment between the leadership of both organisations.

The collaboration marks another milestone in EDOTCO Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to embed circular economy principles into the digital infrastructure value chain, while creating long-term value that extends beyond connectivity to education, sustainability and innovation.

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Written by
EDOTCO Editorial