Indonesia’s TBIG receives two PR Popular Awards 2026, highlighting corporate communication, governance and innovation amid Southeast Asia’s digital infrastructure growth.
JAKARTA — PT Tower Bersama Infrastructure Tbk (TBIG), one of Indonesia’s telecommunications infrastructure companies, has received two recognitions at the 7th PR Popular Awards 2026. The awards highlight the company’s corporate reputation as well as the role of professional leadership in maintaining stakeholder confidence.
TBIG received the PR Popular Company Awards 2026, while its Chief Financial Officer, Helmy Yusman Santoso, was recognized with the Popular PR Person Awards 2026. The dual recognition places corporate communication and professional leadership at the center of the company’s reputation-building efforts.
The achievement comes as telecommunications infrastructure becomes increasingly important to Southeast Asia’s digital economy. Across the region, businesses, governments and consumers are relying on increasingly sophisticated digital networks, creating greater demand for reliable connectivity infrastructure.
For infrastructure providers, however, technological capability is only one part of the equation. Long-term relationships with telecommunications operators, investors, regulators and other stakeholders also require transparency, consistency and institutional credibility.
Corporate Reputation as a Business Asset
TBIG is the holding company of Tower Bersama Group. Established in 2004 and listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2010, the company currently reports more than 24,000 telecommunications sites and more than two decades of industry experience.
That scale places reputation alongside operational capability as an important corporate asset.
Telecommunications infrastructure involves long-term commercial relationships. Operators depend on infrastructure providers to support network deployment, while investors assess financial performance, governance and the company’s ability to sustain growth.
In this environment, communication cannot be treated simply as a public relations function. It increasingly forms part of the broader framework through which companies build trust and explain their strategic direction.
Communication and Leadership
The recognition given to Helmy Yusman Santoso illustrates the increasingly close relationship between corporate leadership and communication.
As CFO, Helmy is closely involved in financial communication and capital-market matters. In TBIG’s first-quarter 2026 financial announcement, he highlighted the company’s access to diversified sources of capital, including domestic lenders as well as bond and sukuk markets.
This type of communication is particularly important for a publicly listed infrastructure company.
Investors require accurate and timely information, while other stakeholders need to understand how financial decisions support the company’s long-term strategy.
The award therefore reflects more than an individual achievement. It also illustrates the importance of professional communication in maintaining confidence in a corporate institution.
Digital PR and the Changing Communications Landscape
TBIG’s latest recognition is part of a broader series of awards related to corporate communication.
The company also received the Indonesia Top Digital PR Awards 2026, recognizing its efforts to optimize public relations and corporate communication through digital platforms. TBIG says these channels are used to provide credible, transparent and relevant information to stakeholders.
The shift toward digital communication has significant implications across ASEAN.
Corporate information can now reach investors, customers and the wider public almost instantly. At the same time, inaccurate or incomplete information can spread just as quickly.
Companies therefore face growing pressure to communicate with greater speed while maintaining accuracy and accountability.
Infrastructure Supporting Regional Digitalisation
The importance of companies such as TBIG extends beyond individual towers or sites.
Telecommunications infrastructure provides a physical foundation for digital services, including mobile connectivity, cloud-based applications, digital commerce and emerging technologies.
Indonesia, as Southeast Asia’s largest economy and one of the region’s largest digital markets, has particular strategic importance in this development.
TBIG describes itself as a provider of telecommunications infrastructure for BTS placement by telecommunications operators in Indonesia. Its reported scale of more than 24,000 sites demonstrates the size of the infrastructure ecosystem in which it operates.
As regional digitalisation continues, infrastructure companies will increasingly be assessed not only on their assets, but also on efficiency, innovation, resilience and governance.
Innovation Beyond Connectivity
TBIG’s recent international recognition also points to another important trend: telecommunications infrastructure is becoming increasingly technology-driven.
At the Asia Telecom Awards 2026 in Singapore, TBIG won the Digital Initiative of the Year and AI Initiative of the Year awards. According to the company, the recognitions reflected digital initiatives and the use of artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency and telecommunications infrastructure management.
For ASEAN’s telecommunications sector, the development is significant.
Artificial intelligence and automation are increasingly being integrated into infrastructure management, while operators and infrastructure providers seek ways to improve network reliability and reduce operational complexity.
This means that the competitive landscape is gradually shifting from infrastructure ownership alone toward technology-enabled infrastructure management.
Governance and Stakeholder Confidence
Corporate reputation is also closely connected with governance.
TBIG received the Top GCG Awards 2025 and Indonesia Best Corporate Secretary Awards 2025, with the company highlighting transparency, accountability, ethics, regulatory compliance and information disclosure as key components of its governance approach.
For investors in infrastructure businesses, these factors can be particularly important because projects and commercial relationships often have long time horizons.
Good governance provides a framework for managing those relationships.
Effective communication then allows the company to demonstrate how governance principles are being implemented in practice.
Financial Discipline and Growth
Reputation ultimately needs to be supported by business fundamentals.
TBIG reported total debt of approximately IDR28.656 trillion as of March 31, 2026, while cash balances stood at IDR778 billion. The company reported net debt of IDR27.877 trillion and a net debt-to-annualized EBITDA ratio of 4.8 times.
The company also reported continued access to diversified funding. In February 2026, TBIG priced new rupiah bond and sukuk issuances, including IDR700 billion in one-year bonds at a 4.85% interest rate.
These figures demonstrate why corporate communication is particularly important for infrastructure businesses.
The market needs to understand not only the company’s achievements but also how its financing, investment and operational strategies support future growth.
A Broader ASEAN Perspective
The TBIG story reflects a wider trend across Southeast Asia.
As digital economies mature, infrastructure companies are becoming increasingly important partners in the development of national connectivity.
At the same time, governments across the region are pursuing digital transformation agendas that require reliable networks and supporting infrastructure.
This creates opportunities for infrastructure providers, but it also raises expectations.
Companies must demonstrate that growth is accompanied by responsible governance, technological innovation and sustainable stakeholder relationships.
Reputation in a More Competitive Digital Economy
The two PR Popular Awards received by TBIG therefore have significance beyond a corporate communications event.
They reflect a business environment in which reputation is increasingly intertwined with operational credibility.
A telecommunications infrastructure company may possess extensive assets, but long-term value also depends on whether customers, investors and regulators have confidence in the institution managing those assets.
This is particularly relevant as competition for capital, technology and strategic partnerships intensifies across Southeast Asia.
Companies with credible governance and clear communication may be better positioned to maintain long-term stakeholder relationships.
Looking Ahead
TBIG’s recent achievements suggest that the company is pursuing several dimensions of corporate development simultaneously: infrastructure expansion, digital transformation, financial management, governance and stakeholder communication.
Its recognition at the 7th PR Popular Awards 2026 adds another element to that trajectory.
The challenge now is maintaining consistency.
As digital infrastructure becomes more sophisticated, stakeholder expectations will also evolve. Companies will be expected to explain their strategies clearly, demonstrate measurable results and respond responsibly to emerging technological and social issues.
For TBIG, the ability to maintain that balance could become increasingly important as Indonesia’s digital economy continues to expand.
Conclusion
TBIG’s two recognitions at the 7th PR Popular Awards 2026 offer a useful perspective on the changing role of corporate reputation in Southeast Asia’s telecommunications infrastructure sector.
The awards for both the company and Helmy Yusman Santoso underline the relationship between institutional reputation and professional leadership.
More broadly, TBIG’s record of recognition in digital PR, governance, sustainability and telecommunications innovation demonstrates how infrastructure companies are increasingly expected to combine physical assets with strong institutional capabilities.
For ASEAN, where digital connectivity is becoming an increasingly important driver of economic activity, that combination will matter.
The next stage of competition will not simply be about building more infrastructure. It will also be about building trust around the infrastructure, communicating its value and ensuring that technological growth is supported by sound governance.
Sources
SINDOnews — TBIG Raih Dua Penghargaan Bergengsi di Ajang 7th PR Popular Awards 2026
