Jon Omund Revhaug: 25 years of watching “Thai digital” grow, behind the scenes of True-dtac deal, to the role of CEO of Telenor Asia

Interview with Jon Omund Revhaug, Executive Vice President and Head of Telenor Asia

View original article on ThaiRath Money

For more than three decades, Telenor Asia, a leading global telecommunications group from Norway, or as Thais know it as the former owner of DTAC, has been one of the key drivers of technological transformation in Asia, from providing access to basic telecommunications to building the digital infrastructure that is the foundation of modern society. Whether in Bangladesh, Malaysia or Thailand, Telenor has not only invested but implementing structural changes.

In its 25th year in Thailand, Telenor continues to play a prominent role. Most notably with the historic merger of True and dtac in 2023, Telenor became one of the major shareholders of True Corporation, marking a new era of technology collaboration and investment in the country.

This time in Thairath Money, we talk to Jon Omund Revhaug, Head of Telenor Asia, the key figure behind Thailand’s major merger deal. An experienced executive of Telenor Group, he has been in the telecommunications industry for over 24 years and over 15 years from Asia. Jon Omund is the new leader who will continue the growth of a world-class telecommunications network business focused on ‘connecting people and businesses’ along with the goal of driving transformation of technology into a national digital infrastructure.

From the first Top-Up System, 2G to 5G

“It’s a pleasure to talk about Telenor and our journey in Asia,” Jon Omund Revhaug opens the conversation, recalling the company’s roots in 1996, when it first entered the Asian market, starting in Bangladesh before expanding to Thailand in 2000. 

“We came to Asia with a clear idea that we were going to bring mobile communications technology to the majority of people in the country. We set up a regional office in Bangkok in 2006 to oversee Telenor’s investments in the region. Later our regional headquarters moved to Singapore where it remains today. But I must say, our journey in Asia has been remarkable,” Jon begins, charting three key stages of Thailand’s evolution, illustrating the company’s path of business transformation alongside clear technological maturity.

• Part 1: Creating Access (Connectivity for the Mass Market) 

The first phase of investment in Thailand was to provide telecommunications services to the ‘mass market’ by joining hands with partners to make mobile phones and services accessible at the lowest possible prices, and available in even the most remote villages across Thailand. 

“The initial goal was to create a comprehensive network at an affordable price for the general public. If you recall, we were the first in Thailand to create an automatic top-up system to provide services to everyone in rural areas at the lowest possible price.” 

• Phase 2: Modernisation Phase 

The next phase of Telenor’s journey in Thailand began in 2010. When the world entered an era of modernisation, many countries began to transition their communication technologies from low-cost 2G voice services that focused on basic access only to 3G/4G networks, which was the beginning of “data” usage and continued with the growth of smartphones. 

“We realised that we needed to restructure our entire service to accommodate the coming digital world. This is the beginning of the ‘era of change’, which I call the modernisation era. We moved from low-cost 2G voice services to a more modern infrastructure that can support data services.” 

At that time, Telenor was working with global partners Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei to develop data infrastructure, both in terms of quality networks and lowering cost of smartphones to accelerate widespread adoption in the Thai market.  

• The Third Period: Partnership Era 

Ten years later, from 2020 to the present, Telenor has reached a point where heavy investments were needed to support future technologies such as 5G, cloud computing, AI and advanced digital infrastructure essential for modern society. This has led to an era of strategic partnerships and M&A to expand market size and build scale to cope with the large investments required.

“We believe that having a large enough market is essential, so we decided to merge dtac with True in Thailand and another deal in Malaysia. The merger with True will allow us to build a nationwide network with the most advanced 5G infrastructure in Thailand.” 

Jon said the first challenge was to expand the network nationwide and find partners to distribute affordable devices, while the second was to reduce costs and improve efficiency to maintain value for consumers. But all these challenges have always given Telenor the opportunity to be a “first mover”, from micro top-up to being the first to drive structural integration that supports the future. 

“We were considered crazy from the beginning when we said we were going to make cheap calls available for everyone, but that’s where we started, and that’s what has brought Telenor this far,” he said.

A historic deal believed to bring huge benefits to Thailand 

We invited Jon to continue our conversation about one of the biggest events in the Thai business world, not in terms of business value, but rather a “strategic turning point” that reflects the adaptation of the Thai telecommunications industry to keep up with the new wave of technology that is changing the economic structure and people’s lives.

Leading the merger integration planning project before taking over as CEO, Jon said the True-dtac merger had become one of the biggest projects of his career, and more than anything else, the deal became the biggest in Thai history, a market he believes has the same subscriber growth dynamics and infrastructure potential as Europe. 

“As someone who has overseen the entire merger from the beginning, this is a huge project with a lot of details. We are talking about two large organisations with completely different cultures, fundamentals and systems structures. We spent a lot of time understanding the strengths of both True and dtac, as well as their customer bases.” 

The concept of ‘Better Together’ became the main criteria when selecting the strengths from both sides, bringing the advantages of both companies together to provide customers with better services.

“If divided into two phases, the first phase is the technical and infrastructure integration, which has been very successful. We have a more comprehensive national network, including 4G, 5G, and stable 2G. The next phase is the integration of customer experiences into one, both in terms of IT systems and service channels, whether it is storefront services, digital channels, and call centres, which is still a challenge and takes time.”

He emphasised that the primary goal after the merger is to build a nationwide 5G infrastructure. In the long term, it is to provide services that meet the needs of all groups of people, not just in terms of price, but also to ensure that consumers receive more specialised services that meet their needs and have the most seamless and smooth experience. 

However, when asked about the issue of ‘internet service fees’  when there are only two major players left in the market, which some consumers still think will be cheaper, as well as the hope that ‘internet’ in Thailand will reach the point of being a basic public utility or not, Jon simply said, ” This industry requires a lot of investment, from buying spectrum to installing equipment. Therefore, there must be a sustainable business model. I believe that competition is a key mechanism that drives innovation, which leads to the ultimate goal of providing secure technology and services at an affordable price with a variety of choices.”

The merger is therefore the beginning of a new chapter in the industry, which has shifted from competition in promotions and number of users to competition in “innovation capabilities”, which will be the key to the growth of Thailand’s digital economy in the long term.

From operator to digital infrastructure builder 

“In the new role of not just a multinational operator, but a digital infrastructure provider essential for the modern world, everything will move forward together, including 5G, AI, IoT, and Data Centre. These things open the door to huge new economic opportunities for Thailand.” 

Jon went on to talk about opportunities for Thailand in the era of accessible AI, saying that we are at a juncture where the data explosion is occurring along with the need for fast processing and storage of data. But if we want to make the most of technologies like AI, IoT or advanced digital services, we need infrastructure that can handle massive amounts of data, cybersecurity services, and secure and reliable usage systems, which are Telenor’s core competencies. 

“I think this is a very exciting time. Everyone is just starting to have access to AI. AI is now on everyone’s phone, in their pocket. So behind those services, there needs to be strong processing and network capabilities. This is the role of AI in the new telecom world, and True and Telenor are committed to continuing to invest in building this foundation.” 

Jon points out that all this entails huge investment from telecom operators. These investments in the future will require companies with enough ‘scale’ and ‘financial strength’ to stay ahead of the competition. So to make Thailand’s digital economy transformation a reality, Jon says True needs the capacity, capital and expertise to invest more in AI technology, networks and processing capabilities. 

Having a market leadership position and connecting with leading global technology partners or companies is very important. Telenor is ready to support this to create secure services at an affordable cost for users. Jon revealed that Telenor is collaborating with Nvidia, the world’s largest processor chip provider, to develop data centres that can support future big data and AI needs. Telenor also aims to leverage its relationship with major technology companies and global OTT content providers that they have worked with for decades, to bring their latest innovations to Thailand. 

Leaving no one behind in the digital age 

“Digital Inclusion has always been a key mission for Telenor. However, the challenge is not just about expanding mobile coverage to all areas, but also about enabling all groups of people to ‘understand’ and ‘use’ the technology.” 

Telenor is committed to supporting Digital Inclusion in many ways. For example, expanding the network signal in rural areas, online skills training, and working with governments in each country, including Thailand, to develop online training programs for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, people in remote areas, or those who do not have digital skills. At the same time, Telenor is committed to Online Safety for both children and adults. Campaigns to make users aware of cyber threats, know about privacy settings, and understand how to navigate the online world safely is key. Because equal and safe access is the heart of sustainable digital development, Jon said. 

This conversation not only reflects the history of Telenor Asia, one of the telcos that has long been a “connector” for emerging markets in Asia, but also envisions Thailand’s future as a digital hub for Southeast Asia. From paving the way for mobile access in the past to the era of network consolidation via mergers and acquisitions, to today, where True and Telenor are investing to embrace a world powered by AI and big data. 

Every step of the way is designing the future of connectivity in Thailand, whether it’s access to digital services, building online safety, or preparing for AI. This is the mission that Jon and the Telenor Asia team are committed to driving towards making Thailand a sustainable leader in the digital economy in the region.

English translation published with permission of ThalRath Money