As the industry moves toward ecosystems, collaborations are key to growth for telcos across the world.
“Partnerships and strategic alliances will shape the future of telco because no single player can build everything alone anymore. The industry is moving toward ecosystems — connectivity, AI, cloud, platforms, cybersecurity, and enterprise solutions all require collaboration,” said Atty Edgardo B. Lina Jr, Post-Contract Management Head under the PLDT Legal and Regulatory Group, at a technology panel in Singapore.
“From a contractual and governance perspective, the goal is not to slow innovation down, but to create structures that allow partnerships to scale sustainably,” he added.
Speaking at the ATxEnterprise Singapore 2026 panel of the Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG), Lina told an audience of enterprise leaders and industry professionals in tech and telco that partnerships allow telcos to move faster and expand beyond traditional connectivity.
“Through collaboration with platform providers, cloud players, fintech companies, and enterprise solution providers, telcos can co-create services that would be difficult to build alone,” he said, adding that, from a legal and operational standpoint, successful co-creation depends on clear alignment of roles, ownership, data use, revenue sharing, and accountability.
“Legal is not the enemy of innovation. Good governance helps partnerships move faster because expectations are clear from the start,” said Lina.
But while cross-border partnerships play a key role in boosting regional growth, it comes with its own set of challenges. “Regional collaboration is becoming more important because many enterprise customers now operate across multiple markets. Partnerships help telcos scale services regionally through shared platforms, infrastructure collaboration, and cross-border ecosystems,” he said. “But the challenge is fragmentation — different regulations, data privacy rules, contracting standards, and market conditions across countries.”
Lina also pointed out that policy changes and reforms, such as the Konektadong Pinoy Act in the Philippines, have signaled a move toward a more open and collaborative telco ecosystem. “For regional partnerships to scale, telcos need coordination, and not just connectivity,” he said.
With newer ecosystem models pointing to shared-outcome structures instead of traditional vendor arrangements, Lina said that the key ultimately is balance. “There is need to balance flexibility with clear governance, so the partnership can evolve without creating uncertainty later.”
“If there’s one capability telcos that must build, it’s partnership governance. You have to be able to manage ecosystems, and not just vendors,” he said.
ATxSG is Asia’s flagship technology event jointly organized by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) and Informa, with support from the Singapore Tourism Board.
PLDT’s participation in technology events like the ATxSG reflect the company’s commitment to operational excellence, and is part of PLDT’s broader transformation agenda, which ultimately aims to deliver a more seamless, responsive, and elevated experience for its customers.
