Indosat Unveils 1-Gigawatt AI Infrastructure Play Across Southeast Asia

Telco Pivot to AI Infrastructure

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison introduced Zankore by Indosat this week, a joint venture designed to deliver artificial intelligence computing infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region. The platform will deploy 1 gigawatt of NVIDIA DSX AI factory capacity, making it one of Southeast Asia's largest AI infrastructure projects by nameplate power.

Zankore brings together four partners with distinct roles. Ooredoo Group acts as lead investor and platform sponsor, providing capital and regional reach. Indosat contributes market knowledge, digital infrastructure and operational execution in Indonesia. NVIDIA supplies accelerated computing hardware, AI software and access to its global AI ecosystem. Nokia provides AI-native networking technology to link compute nodes and manage data flows.

The initiative reflects a broader shift among regional telecommunications operators seeking revenue growth beyond connectivity services. Vikram Sinha, president director and CEO of Indosat, explained that enterprises are moving from pilot projects to mission-critical AI deployments that require integrated infrastructure. Zankore will combine AI models such as Sahabat-AI with network capabilities including AI Grid and AI-RAN, according to Indosat.

Phased Rollout and Power Efficiency

Zankore plans to bring approximately 200 megawatts of AI capacity online in the first half of 2027, powered by NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 chips. The platform will incorporate NVIDIA DSX MaxLPS, a dynamic power optimization system that reallocates stranded power across the GPU fleet. MaxLPS is designed to deliver up to 40 percent more compute capacity within the same power budget, increasing utilization and revenue potential per megawatt.

The DSX reference architecture integrates accelerated computing, networking, power distribution, cooling and operations into a unified system. This approach aims to maximize useful AI output from each available megawatt, a critical consideration in markets where power availability and cost constrain data center expansion.

Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, group CEO of Ooredoo Group, described AI infrastructure as a fundamental layer of the digital economy. Ooredoo is betting that early investment at scale, with technology partners capable of delivering end-to-end systems, will generate long-term returns as enterprise and government AI adoption accelerates.

Governance and Market Positioning

Zankore has established a board of directors that includes representatives from its principal shareholders and independent leadership. Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo and Thomas Chevanne represent Ooredoo Group. Vikram Sinha and Vishal Gupta represent Indosat. Arijit Ranjan Sarker serves as independent director. Ulf Ewaldsson has been appointed CEO, tasked with scaling operations across Southeast Asia.

Meutya Hafid, Indonesia's communications and digital minister, said the country has the resources and talent to serve regional AI demand. The government supports initiatives that strengthen digital competitiveness while ensuring AI benefits are distributed across the economy, according to Hafid.

Justin Hotard, president and CEO of Nokia, noted that sovereign AI capabilities are a priority for governments and enterprises concerned about security and control. As AI expands into physical infrastructure and industrial applications, intelligent orchestration of compute, connectivity and control becomes essential. Nokia's networking technologies will provide the connectivity fabric linking AI factories, data centers and edge deployments.

Regional AI Ambitions

Zankore positions itself as a platform for hyperscalers, enterprises, governments and AI developers seeking secure and scalable computing resources in Southeast Asia. The region faces growing demand for AI services but limited domestic infrastructure capable of supporting large-scale model training and inference workloads.

Ronnie Vasishta, senior vice president of telecom at NVIDIA, described AI factories as essential infrastructure for every nation and industry. Built on NVIDIA accelerated computing and open models, Zankore will enable Southeast Asia to shape its own AI trajectory and create opportunities for communities and enterprises across the region, according to Vasishta.

Citi acted as exclusive financial advisor to Indosat on the transaction. FTI Capital Advisors advised Ooredoo Group.

The venture reflects a calculation by telecommunications operators that AI infrastructure represents a higher-margin business than traditional connectivity services. Success will depend on securing reliable power supply, attracting anchor customers and managing capital intensity as the platform scales. Zankore's ability to deliver on its 1-gigawatt target will serve as a test case for similar initiatives across emerging markets in Asia.