Interview with Yang Mulia Awang Ahmad Fathi bin Dato Paduka Haji Junaidi, Deputy Chairman & Executive Director of Imagine Sdn Bhd, Brunei

Jun 2026 Interview with Yang Mulia Awang Ahmad Fathi bin Dato Paduka Haji Junaidi, Deputy Chairman & Executive Director of Imagine Sdn Bhd, Brunei

How has Brunei’s telecommunications sector evolved into a central pillar of Wawasan 2035 and how does it underpin the nation’s broader diversification strategy?

Brunei’s telecommunication transformation reflects a deliberate national strategy to position digital infrastructure at the core of economic diversification. Brunei, as a small nation, is on a continuing developmental journey. Under Wawasan 2035, we are working to build a more diversified, knowledge-driven economy and strengthen support for national development. Our role serves as a foundational pillar in achieving the goals of Wawasan 2035, not only as a telecom provider but as an infrastructure enabler supporting government digitalization, business growth, education institutions and especially SMEs which are central to Brunei’s Wawasan initiatives.

In recent years, Unified National Networks (UNN) was established to consolidate infrastructure and assets previously managed in silos by multiple telecom providers. This allows the country to optimize investments, reduce costs and ensure nationwide coverage, while allowing service providers to focus on innovation and digital services. With strong public sector leadership, this approach has built a more coordinated and future-ready ecosystem showing that telecommunications in Brunei is not just infrastructure, it is a strategic enabler for economic resilience and long-term national growth.

It is about optimizing our operations and becoming more efficient in how we use our resources. By doing so, we free up additional resources that can be focused on digital innovation. This also gives local operators structural advantages, reducing duplication and allowing them to compete through better digital services and innovation, creating a stronger and more dynamic ecosystem that benefits both businesses and consumers.

Imagine has emerged as a leading digital service provider, earning recognition as Broadband Telecom and Mobile Operator of the Year for Brunei at the ASEAN Telecom Awards 2025. The company continues to expand its footprint across consumer, enterprise, and digital platforms. How would you describe Imagine’s evolution and its current role within Brunei’s telecommunications landscape?

Our transformation began in 2019 when we started as a traditional telecom operator. Today, we see ourselves as a technology company, expanding beyond connectivity into areas such as cybersecurity, unified communications, data analytics and digital enterprise solutions. As the third mobile entrant in this market, our original strength was in broadband. Entering the mobile sector required us to innovate more rapidly, which led to differentiated offerings like device bundle plans and focusing on customer service.

Being new in this space, we have established numerous partnerships with companies in Brunei, Singapore and China, including drone companies for 3D animation, earning recognition from the Brunei Book of Records for flying the largest number of drones in the country. We also partnered with Huawei Brunei to enhance fiber-to-the-home deployment.

Regional recognition at the ASEAN Telecom Awards in 2025 affirmed our efforts, but beyond awards, what matters most is helping businesses grow, supporting SMEs and enabling communities to thrive and strengthening Brunei’s broader digital ecosystem.

How do recent partnerships with entities such as Shanghai Crostars Innovation Culture & Tourism Technology Group, Toppan Ecquaria and Huawei Brunei reflect Imagine’s goals to accelerate digital transformation across Brunei’s industrial and social economy?   

This is our first step into these types of businesses. We use a reverse engineering approach, engaging with our customers to understand their needs and how we can support them. We focus on improving their operations and enhancing their business outcomes. We collaborate with partners such as Shanghai Crostars, bringing large-scale drone technology into Brunei and achieving a Brunei Book of Records milestone, which opens opportunities for industries like logistics, media and creative services.

With Toppan Ecquaria, we strengthen secure digital onboarding and enterprise services, helping businesses operate more efficiently and securely. And with Huawei Brunei, we enhance FTTR deployment, cloud readiness and network resilience, enabling both public and private sectors to adopt advanced digital solutions. Together, these partnerships accelerate Brunei’s industrial modernization, support SMEs and improve productivity across the social and economic landscape, directly contributing to the goals of Wawasan 2035 by building a knowledge-driven, diversified and future-ready economy.

Imagine continues to drive nationwide connectivity expansion, including the April launch of its Fibre Everywhere platform. How does Fibre Everywhere represent a transformative milestone for Brunei’s connectivity landscape and for the citizens it serves?

Our focus is on providing a reliable infrastructure. Before implementing Fibre to the Home, there were challenges with connectivity, signal strength and overall network stability. With this deployment, we can now offer a more solid and consistent connection, reflecting the integrity of the system we have established in Brunei. Our FTTR rollout and fibre-ready housing initiatives are designed for tomorrow’s demand, not yesterday’s usage, anticipating households running multiple smart devices, streaming content simultaneously, relying on cloud storage and increasingly working remotely. This improved reliability is transformative because it allows customers to operate with confidence, innovate and adopt digital solutions without disruption. For many companies, even a brief system downtime can be a significant risk, potentially leading to losses.

Imagine has embraced bold branding initiatives, including high-profile drone shows. How has the company’s brand evolved alongside its technological transformation and how central has marketing innovation been to its recent success?

One of our key pillars at Imagine is community, focusing on how we collaborate with the community and businesses across Brunei. We continually look for ways to support them. For example, on the branding side, we leverage our capabilities to organize events that provide SMEs with a platform to showcase and promote their products and services, directly supporting Wawasan 2035’s goal of developing SMEs. Initiatives like Imagine Fit Fest, a series of health and sporting events including cycling, encourage SME participation, create revenue opportunities and strengthen engagement between SMEs and communities.

Our SafeLink pilot is another example of how technology and brand come together. It is a simple QR-enabled safety bracelet for children with autism, small technology but potentially life-changing for families. Through these high-profile branding initiatives and digital services, Imagine has evolved from a connectivity provider into a partner in building a digitally empowered, future-ready economy. Marketing innovation is central to this transformation, helping us showcase our capabilities, elevate expectations and create meaningful connections between technology, business and community.

Innovation remains core to Imagine’s strategy, supported by training initiatives and platforms such as the Digital Innovation Node (I-DIN). How would you assess the depth of talent within Brunei’s ICT sector and what concrete steps is Imagine taking to strengthen skills development and build career pathways?

One initiative we are particularly proud of is our collaboration with the University of Brunei Darussalam. Last year, we participated in their anniversary celebration and we continue to explore ways to further develop this partnership. We have onboarded many university students to work alongside our innovation team, providing a safe environment for them to test their models and ideas. Some of these ideas have already been shared with our clients to explore their potential implementation in our operations.

Our collaboration with Toppan gives us an additional edge, as they provide valuable tools, particularly in AI which our teams leverage to develop applications tailored to our customers’ needs. Through Toppan’s hands-on training and seminars, UTB students gain practical exposure to emerging technologies, strengthening local ICT skills, building career pathways and preparing a digitally fluent, future-ready workforce that contributes directly to Brunei’s digital economy and the goals of Wawasan 2035.

How is Imagine leveraging its market leadership to support local entrepreneurs and SMEs and why is their success essential to building a resilient digital economy in Brunei?

We support SMEs through the national events we organize in Brunei, providing them with a platform to come together, showcase their capabilities and benefit from connectivity solutions we offer during these events. By empowering these SMEs, we help nurture the future companies of the country and contribute to a more diversified and innovative economy. We also collaborate with startups in Brunei on the back end of our infrastructure projects. These efforts ensure that local businesses can thrive, strengthening Brunei’s digital ecosystem and supporting a resilient, knowledge-driven economy.

Imagine integrates ESG principles into its operations, including the launch of the Safelink pilot project supporting individuals with autism and organizing record-breaking blood donation drives. The company has also received recognition for fostering inclusive employment opportunities. Which ESG initiatives most clearly reflect Imagine’s commitment to community impact and responsible social advancement?

For us, sustainability extends beyond the environment to include social and institutional dimensions. Internally, we are working to reduce our operational footprint through energy tracking, responsible IT practices and waste reduction. Equally important is how connectivity serves social needs. For example, during last year’s World Blood Donor campaign, we collected 449 pints of blood at a single event, setting a national record and demonstrating how a corporate platform can drive collective action.

We maintain ISO 45001 standards and ensure workplace safety is not performative but embedded in our culture. Recognition like ‘Anugerah Majikan Prihatin’ reflects our commitment to inclusive hiring and employee well-being. Together, these initiatives highlight Imagine’s dedication to social impact, community empowerment and building a responsible, future-ready growth.

How would you summarize your current growth strategy for Imagine and what are some of your personal goals and aspirations for the company for its next phase of development?

My vision for Imagine is not for the company to act in isolation, but to play a meaningful role within a broader national digital ecosystem. Brunei’s digital transformation cannot be driven by a single company or sector. Alignment among policymakers, infrastructure providers, technology partners, businesses and even small market players is essential. Collaboration is not optional; it is a necessity.

At Imagine, our responsibility is to contribute where we can, adding value and strengthening the national infrastructure. This includes nurturing talent, supporting innovation and building reliable partnerships both locally and internationally. Our key challenge is balancing commercial competitiveness with our national responsibilities. To achieve this, we must remain agile and innovative, working collaboratively across the public and private sectors. By doing so, we can contribute to building a stronger digital economy for Brunei.

As Brunei advances toward becoming a fully digital economy, what message would you share with global investors, policymakers and technology partners observing its transformation?

Brunei may be a small nation, but we have always believed that size does not limit ambition. As the world becomes increasingly digital, connectivity is no longer just about communication, it is about opportunity. Connectivity enables education, empowers entrepreneurs, strengthens government institutions and connects communities to the global economy. Ultimately, digital transformation is not just about technology; it is about people and the opportunities we can create for the next generation.