Telecom operator advances ‘AI Macau’ vision with new digital infrastructure for smart city future

As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and economies worldwide, Macau’s leading telecommunications provider is repositioning itself as a key enabler of what executives describe as an “AI-powered future.”

Speaking at Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2026, Ebel Cham, vice president of Commercial at Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau (CTM), said the company has spent the past five years laying the foundation for large-scale AI adoption through sustained investment in network infrastructure, cloud platforms and data centers.

In an interview with Telecom Review, Cham said the transition reflects a broader shift in the telecommunications sector, as operators move beyond traditional connectivity to support AI-driven services. “AI is not only a new technology,” she said. “Telecom operators need to plan ahead to cope with the AI era.”

As part of that strategy, CTM has upgraded its fixed and mobile networks to 5.5G standards while expanding its cloud and data capabilities to handle growing computing demands. In recent years, CTM has expanded its AI ecosystem through partnerships with mainland Chinese firms, including Baidu, to localize AI platforms in Macau. Cham said these developments are creating new opportunities for telecom operators to move up the value chain.

“In fact, we stepped into the AI service development project about three years ago. At that time, we based it on our existing cloud platform and partnered with the mainland Chinese Baidu Group to localize its PaddlePaddle AI platform in Macau,” Cham said.

Another central pillar of CTM’s strategy, outlined by Cham, is the “token economy,” where computing power is measured and monetized according to AI usage.

Cham compared tokens to fuel, stressing that demand will ultimately depend on practical applications. “Token is just like oil,” she said. “But the car needs to drive – it still needs useful applications.”

Ebel Cham

Beyond infrastructure, Cham highlighted that telecom companies should support clients in deploying AI solutions to improve efficiency, reduce costs and develop new services.

CTM, Cham added, is advancing “AI-powered services” to make computing resources more accessible. “In the past year, we observed that a lot of open-source AI, including large language models, AI applications and AI agents, have appeared in the market,” Cham said.

Cham also highlighted that CTM’s longer-term vision builds on its earlier “Digital Macau” initiative, which is now evolving into what it calls “AI Macau.” A key component is the planned CTM AI Hub, a platform designed to integrate local and international computing resources, AI models and applications into a unified ecosystem.

“CTM AI Hub is a must. With the strong support from Huawei, I believe AI Macau will take off and become a role model for the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong, Macau and the coastal regions,” Cham said.

The hub aims to help businesses and public-sector users develop and scale AI services more efficiently, supporting broader digital transformation in Macau. Cham added that the platform could also connect with global partners, extending its reach beyond the Greater Bay Area to Portuguese-speaking markets.

On future plans for CTM, Cham highlighted the company’s long-standing partnership with Huawei as central to its AI ambitions. “In fact, our entire CTM network, including fixed broadband and mobile services, uses equipment supplied by Huawei,” she said.

“They provide very strong technical support to CTM. When we consider building our AI computing resources, our first choice is, of course, to partner with Huawei. They have very advanced products to build AI computing power. Based on CTM’s existing infrastructure, we have joined together to launch AI computing resources.”

Huawei’s involvement also extends to energy-efficient technologies designed to support large-scale AI deployment. Cham pointed to liquid cooling systems as a way to reduce power consumption and improve performance in AI and high-performance computing (HPC) clusters and environments.