WHO WILL LEAD THE NEXT WAVE OF DEALS IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE?

This breakout session examines evolving deal structures and financing opportunities in APAC, focusing on routes to exit, the increasing role of private credit, and the impact of debt on large transactions. Discussions will delve into pricing trends across acquisitions, LBOs, and capex financing, alongside the influence of interest rate shifts and global events, such as the US election, on the region's digital infrastructure market in 2025.

• Exploring evolving deal structures in APAC and optimal routes to new financing opportunities
• Analysing strategies around the routes to exit  
• What role is private credit having in the APAC market now that local banks are maxed out? What role does debt have in large transactions?  
• What are developments across evolving pricing in crucial subsectors of acquisitions, LBOs, capex and greenfield financing?
• What impacts are interest rates having on the market in 2025, and how will the global influences (such as the US election) reverberate within the APAC region?  

This session focuses on the next phase of growth in network solutions, including small cells, 5G, and DAS, analyzing recent deals in next-generation connectivity infrastructure. It explores the increasing investment in small cells, lessons from emerging business models, advancements in in-building technologies, and the impact of Malaysia's second 5G network on operators and investors in APAC.

• Determining the next phase of growth across network solutions, small cells, 5G and DAS
• Which deals have taken place in next generation connectivity infrastructure?  
• Analyzing the rise of investment into small cells and what can be learnt from these business models  
• Examining the development of inbuilding technologies and investment in APAC  
• What will be the impact of a second 5g network in Malaysia? How are operators and investment leaders viewing these developments? 

This breakout session explores recent deal case studies in Australia and Japan, uncovering key lessons for future transactions and identifying factors driving Australia's surge in data center investments. It examines the advantages of pan-regional DC platforms, Japan's potential as a key digital infrastructure market with untapped capital, and the challenges of land and power bottlenecks shaping its development.

• Examining recent deal case studies in Australia and Japan and what can be learnt for future transactions
• What has led to the increase in datacentre investment in Australia? What is the outlook for the rest of 2025?  
• Are pan-regional DC platforms generating advantages over national champions in countries like Australia?  
• Will Japan become the next digital infrastructure market to watch? Is there a pol of untapped capital?  
• How will the DC market develop in Japan? Will it be bottlenecked by a land of land/power?  

This session examines Johor’s potential for continued growth as a data center hub amid power and water limitations and its strategic role in US-China digital infrastructure development. Discussions will also explore the rise of Tier-II markets like Batam, the regional impact of data center growth on power and land resources, and the adoption of technologies such as water recycling and desalination to address resource scarcity challenges.

• Will Johor continue its growth, or will it be bottlenecked by limitations of water and power?  
• What is Johor’s role in US-China digital infrastructure development across APAC?  
• How are other Tier-II markets, such as Batam, emerging as key geographies in the market?  
• What impact will DC growth have on power across the APAC region? Which markets are most vulnerable? Which markets pose the greatest risk in terms of land limitation?  
• How are new technologies, such as water recycling, desalination and storage tanks, being introduced to limit water scarcity in the region – and how are operators and investors seeing this challenge?  

This breakout explores the innovative strategies fueling the rapid expansion of fibre networks across the APAC region, with a specific focus on the key players and funding mechanisms shaping the sector's future. Key topics include Indonesia's fibre investment leadership, greenfield rollout trends, the impact of capital costs, and the rise of fibre carveouts to optimize balance sheets and foster strategic partnerships.

• Examining innovative approaches driving the rapid deployment of fibre networks across the APAC region
• Indonesia – Who is leading the bulk of investment into Indonesian fibre and will a wholesaler emerge by 2030?  
• Who is leading the charge for greenfield fibre rollout across APAC?
• What levels and sources of funding are being deployed and how is the cost of capital affecting rollout prospects?
• What is driving the growth of fibre carveouts in APAC? Exploring balance sheet and ROIC optimisation, reducing capex requirements, the generation of additional revenues and creating partnerships 

This session delves into the evolving M&A landscape in APAC, uncovering new opportunities for investment and the critical role financial banks play in facilitating deals. Discussions will cover the next wave of international investment, emerging deal structures, navigating bottlenecks in the M&A process, and strategies for overcoming the regulatory and operational challenges that impact dealmaking in the region.

• Unveiling the opportunities for M&A and investment and analysing the role of financial banks  
• Examining the next wave of international investment into Asia and dissecting the deal structures that are gaining traction
• What bottlenecks emerge during an M&A process and how can these be navigated?
• Analysing the political, regulatory and operational challenges for APAC dealmaking and strategies for navigation 

This breakout roundtable explores how TowerCos can leverage the renewed demand for small cells and in-building solutions, focusing on market-specific dynamics in countries like the Philippines and Malaysia. Key topics include innovative financing models driving tower infrastructure growth, the strategic implications of partnerships with telcos and hyperscalers for managing edge computing and 5G infrastructure, and the impact of AI on TowerCo expansion and investment strategies.

• How can TowerCos capitalize on a renewed interest in small cells and in-building solutions?  
• Exploring market specific dynamics in countries such as Philippines and Malaysia
• What innovative financing models are driving growth in tower infrastructure?  
• What are the strategic implications of TowerCo partnerships with telcos and hyperscalers for managing edge computing and 5G infrastructure?  
• How are AI, regulatory and geopolitical factors influencing TowerCo expansion and investment?  

This session examines the regional M&A opportunities in the APAC telecom sector, focusing on telcos modernizing operations and leveraging data to become 'techcos.' Discussions will explore key investors driving telecom investment, the influence of joint ventures between investment firms and telcos on market dynamics, and the growing trend of telcos monetizing non-core infrastructure to unlock capital.

• Where do regional opportunities lie for M&A in the telecom sector?  
• How are APAC telcos modernizing and leveraging data? Which operators are leading the charge in becoming ‘techcos’?  
• Who is spearheading investment for telecoms in APAC?  
• How will joint-ventures between investment firms and telcos influence market dynamics?  
• Is there a trend emerging in telcos monetizing non-core infrastructure to free up capital? What is behind the acceleration of this trend?  

This session explores how AI is unlocking new revenue opportunities for data centre operators, while investors increasingly turn their attention to this subsector. It will also cover the synergies created by GPU as a Service, the Infratech layer in the broader ecosystem, the advantages of Software-Defined Data Centers (SDDC), the growing role of liquid and chip cooling technologies in managing high-density infrastructure and ESG targets, and how traditional digital infrastructure players are navigating energy bottlenecks in the power industry.

• Examining how GPU as a Service is unlocking new revenue streams for datacentre operators  and how investors are looking at subsector investments
• How is the Infratech layer creating synergies in the wider ecosystem of applications and underlying core infrastructure?
• Examining the benefits of a Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) such as agility, time reduction and policy-driven automation
• Analysing the expanding role of liquid and chip cooling technologies in managing high-density infrastructure and meeting ESG targets  
• How are traditional digital infrastructure players manoeuvring in the power industry to ease the ongoing energy bottlenecks?  

In this market deepdive roundtable session, we explore the emerging digital infrastructure landscape in the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. We will examine how major projects like Google's hyperscale data centre in Vietnam, along with significant investments by AWS, Google, and Microsoft in Thailand, are driving growth in digital infrastructure, global connectivity, and data services, while also assessing the impact of foreign investment on technology development and the M&A outlook for these markets in 2025.

• How will the Vietnam’s nationwide deployment of 5G by 2025 and 99% coverage by 2030, coupled with foreign ownership opportunities in the DC market, create opportunities in digital infrastructure and telecommunications?
• How will major projects like Google’s hyperscale data center in Vietnam as well as Thailand’s investments by AWS, Google and Microsoft, drive growth in digital infrastructure, and what opportunities will this create for global connectivity and data services?
• How will significant foreign investment influence the development of advanced technologies in these markets?
• What is the M&A outlook for these markets in the remainder of 2025?