Having previously served MEASAT for a decade in senior leadership roles, industry veteran John Loke is returning to MEASAT as its Chief Technology Officer, overseeing the company’s digital evolution and regional strategy.
APB+’s Shaun Lim sat down with Loke to understand his priorities in his new role and MEASAT’s plans to expand content delivery across APAC.
MEASAT distributes DTH TV channels to over 20 million viewers regionally. How do you plan to leverage AI-driven solutions and multi-orbit strategies to enhance broadcast reliability and expand content delivery across APAC?
Loke: The 91.5°E hotslot has been the cornerstone of MEASAT's video neighbourhood for decades. Serving 20 million viewers is a significant responsibility, and geostationary earth orbit (GEO) remains unparalleled for a high-scale simultaneous multicasting.
However, staying at the forefront of the industry requires us to look beyond a single orbit.
Our multi-orbit strategy is already in motion through strategic partnerships with Starlink and Shanghai Spacesail for low earth orbit (LEO) broadband, alongside Guodian Gaoke for Tianqi LEO Internet of Things (IoT) services.
By building this hybrid ecosystem, we enhance resilience across the region. In Southeast Asia, where tropical rain fade is a constant variable, LEO does not replace GEO. Instead, it complements it by providing critical return channels and enhanced interactivity.
Underpinning this infrastructure is AI-driven automation. We are moving toward zero- touch operations at our Cyberjaya Teleport, utilising AI for real-time bandwidth allocation and predictive rain-fade compensation. Besides being technical upgrades, these moves are essential for maintaining our 30-year legacy of SpaceTech leadership and ensuring we deliver a seamless, world-class experience to our partners and viewers across APAC.
As you lead both satellite engineering and digital transformation, what are your priorities for integrating satellite technologies with digital platforms, and how will this shape MEASAT’s role in Malaysia and the wider region?
Loke: Combining satellite engineering and digital transformation under a single remit is a deliberate strategic move. It reflects our belief that in the modern SpaceTech era, the infrastructure and service layers must be seamlessly integrated.
Our immediate priority is evolving from a connectivity provider into a comprehensive digital platform. While our CONNECTme service has successfully connected over 500,000 rural Malaysians, the next phase is about depth.
We are integrating satellite connectivity with essential digital pillars such as e-government, telehealth, and financial services. Besides providing a pipe, we are also providing the lifeblood of the digital economy.
Regionally across APAC, as data sovereignty becomes a priority for governments, MEASAT’s role as a sovereign provider is more critical than ever. With our hybrid teleport and deep local expertise, we offer a secure, independent gateway for national defense and industrial solutions. We are positioning MEASAT as the primary architect of inclusive, sovereign connectivity for the region, capable of bridging GEO assets, LEO partnerships, and cloud integrated workflows.
Internally, my focus is on ensuring our organisational maturity matches these external ambitions. This includes a major emphasis on getting our workforce AI ready through continuous upskilling.
We are committed to moving beyond pilot programmes to full-scale, data-driven execution. By combining an AI empowered team with our robust infrastructure, we ensure that MEASAT remains a dominant force in the regional satellite landscape.
