High-stakes network decisions, made in minutes: How EDOTCO Group is transforming network planning with AI

Our digital lives run on decisions we never see. Every video call, online payment, navigation route, and streamed movie depends on telecommunication infrastructure that was carefully planned long before anyone taps a screen.

Behind those everyday experiences are thousands of towers that help keep millions of people and businesses online.

But deciding where to build a new tower is far more complex than finding an empty piece of land. Planning new towers requires balancing factors such as where people live, where mobile signals are weakest, how demand is growing, and how the surrounding landscape affects coverage.

For EDOTCO Group, every new tower begins with one critical decision: where should it go? Answering that question means bringing together enormous amounts of planning, geospatial, and operational data to identify the right location to deliver the greatest impact for communities, customers, and operators alike.

Turning fragmented data into faster, smarter decisions

To make these decisions more precisely, faster, and at scale, EDOTCO developed the Network Planning & Analytics (NaPA) tool.

NaPA brings planning, geospatial, and operational data into a single platform, allowing planners to identify coverage gaps, compare potential tower locations, and evaluate rollout options without switching between multiple reports or tools.

This innovation was recognized with the International Innovation Awards (IIA), highlighting EDOTCO’s progress in advancing data-driven network planning.

Making data accessible for everyone

Consolidating all the data was only the first step.

Finding the right answers still requires specialized expertise. Previously, planning teams relied on the Data Science team to prepare datasets before analyzes could begin. Depending on the complexity of the request, obtaining required information could take anywhere from three days to a week.

EDOTCO recognized that the next stage of innovation was not simply consolidating data but making that data accessible to everyone. This is where they introduced NaPA GPT, an AI-powered conversational interface built on Microsoft Azure.

Built using Azure Container Apps, Azure Blob Storage, and Azure Generative AI, NaPA GPT securely processes complex queries, giving planners fast access to the insights they need to make informed decisions.

While NaPA GPT accelerates AI-powered decision-making within EDOTCO, the broader NaPA platform extends these insights to selected government agencies through customized infrastructure dashboards, supporting smarter, data-driven planning across the wider digital ecosystem.

Better and faster decision-making

Instead of navigating dashboards or waiting for specialist support, planners can simply ask questions in natural language. For example, a planner evaluating network expansion opportunities can ask NaPA GPT which areas show the strongest potential for future network investment based on a combination of planning criteria.

Unlike a standalone chatbot, NaPA GPT is connected to EDOTCO’s operational and geospatial datasets, allowing planners to explore relevant planning scenarios in real time. Within minutes, NaPA GPT can generate a ranked shortlist of potential opportunity areas based on predefined planning criteria. Users can further refine the results through follow-up questions, such as prioritizing locations near transport corridors or areas experiencing rapid development.

By giving planners, commercial teams, and regional teams direct access to insights, NaPA GPT enables faster exploration of scenarios, supports evidence-based decision-making, and helps teams make better-informed recommendations. EDOTCO’s experience reflects a broader shift identified in Microsoft’s 2026 Work Trend Index, which found that 69% of Malaysians using AI say they are now producing work they couldn’t have accomplished a year ago.

Building on a trusted cloud foundation

As NaPA GPT continues to expand across multiple markets, EDOTCO requires a cloud platform that could securely process large volumes of live geospatial and operational data. Pradeep De Almeida, Director of Engineering Technology & Innovation, EDOTCO Group, said:

“Microsoft Azure provides a secure, scalable foundation that enables us to bring together live operational data, advanced analytics, and AI in a trusted environment, giving our teams the confidence to make faster, better-informed, and predictive planning decisions,” he added.

Today, EDOTCO is embedding NaPA GPT more deeply into its planning workflows while exploring predictive planning, “what-if” simulations, and AI-assisted recommendations to support future network investments.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into infrastructure planning, EDOTCO sees opportunities to apply this approach beyond telecommunications, from regulatory planning to future smart city development. For EDOTCO, this is only the beginning of what’s possible when people, data, and AI come together.