Indonesian telecom operator Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison has teamed up with Ooredoo Group, NVIDIA, and Nokia to launch an artificial intelligence infrastructure venture targeting Southeast Asia, as telecom operators race to build computing capacity to support growing enterprise demand for AI.
The new platform, called Zankore, aims to develop up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of NVIDIA DSX AI Factory capacity over time. The first phase is expected to provide around 200 megawatts (MW) of AI computing capacity in the first half of 2027 using NVIDIA’s GB300 NVL72 systems. Financial terms of the venture were not disclosed.
Under the partnership, Ooredoo Group will provide long-term capital and serve as the lead investor, while Indosat will contribute its domestic telecommunications infrastructure and operational capabilities. NVIDIA will supply accelerated computing technology, AI software and access to its ecosystem, while Nokia will provide networking infrastructure for the platform.
“As enterprises move from AI experimentation to mission-critical deployment, they need more than computing power; they need an integrated AI ecosystem,” Indosat President Director and CEO Vikram Sinha said in a statement on Thursday.
The announcement comes as telecom operators increasingly position themselves as providers of AI infrastructure, seeking new revenue streams beyond traditional connectivity. Companies across the region have stepped up investments in data centres and high-performance computing as demand for AI workloads grows among enterprises, cloud providers and governments.
According to its statement, Zankore is designed to serve customers across the Asia-Pacific region while supporting Indonesia’s ambitions to strengthen its position in the regional AI ecosystem. The infrastructure will be built on NVIDIA’s DSX AI Factory architecture, which integrates computing, networking, cooling and power management into a single platform.
It will also deploy NVIDIA’s MaxLPS technology, which is designed to increase computing output within existing power constraints by dynamically allocating electricity across GPU clusters.
Ooredoo Group CEO Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo said the company views AI infrastructure as a long-term investment opportunity and will provide capital to support the platform’s expansion.
To oversee the venture, Zankore has established a board comprising representatives from both Indosat and Ooredoo Group, alongside independent director Arijit Ranjan Sarker. Former Ericsson chief technology officer Ulf Ewaldsson has been appointed chief executive officer.
The transaction was advised by Citi on behalf of Indosat, while FTI Capital Advisors acted as financial adviser to Ooredoo Group.
The launch comes just over a month after Indosat completed the carve-out of its fibre infrastructure business into PT Infra Fiber Teknologi (IFT), an open-access wholesale fibre platform backed by Arsari Group. The 11.7 trillion rupiah (about $650 million) transaction monetised Indosat’s fibre assets while allowing the telecom operator to retain an effective 49.7% interest in the business.
Indosat said proceeds from the transaction would be reinvested into its core telecommunications business, including the rollout of 5G infrastructure and AI-ready digital services.
