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Myanmar beganliberalization of itstelecommunications market in 2013.[1]
Previously,Myanma Post and Telecommunication (MPT) had a monopoly in the country. In 2013, the government started taking steps to open up the telecommunications market, issuing licenses to new service providers. Consulting firmRoland Berger supported the government in the liberalization and tendering process.[2] In 2014, Qatar-basedOoredoo and NorwegianTelenor through their local subsidiaries – respectivelyOoredoo Myanmar andTelenor Myanmar – entered the market, resulting in the reduction of consumer prices, rapid growth in the number of subscribers, as well as the expansion of the country's infrastructure.[3] In November 2015, Ericsson named Myanmar the world's fourth fastest-growing mobile market.[4] As of June 2015, Myanmar has a mobile phone penetration rate of 54.6%, up from less than 10% in 2012. On 12 January 2017,Mytel (Telecom International Myanmar Co., Ltd.) received a license for the provision of telecommunication services, officially becoming the 4th operator in Myanmar.[5]
Bids were offered for two fresh telecom licenses by the Myanmar government. The deadline was set to be 8 February 2013. The licenses were expected to be issued in June and carry a contract duration of up to 20 years. Two more licenses were expected to be offered following this round of bidding.[6]
According to government statistics, 5.4 million of Myanmar's 60 million population had a mobile phone subscription at the end of 2012, giving the country a mobile penetration of 9 per cent.[7]
According to official figures released in mid-2012, Myanmar had 857base transceiver stations (BTS) for 1,654,667 localGSM mobile users, 188 BTSs for 225,617 localWCDMA mobile users, 366 BTSs for 633,569 localCDMA-450 mobile users, and 193 BTSs for 341,687CDMA-800 mobile users.Huawei who has built 40 percent of the towers and ZTE has built 60 percent in Myanmar, which amounts to 1500 across the country, said it has built the towers mostly inYangon,Mandalay, andNaypyidaw.[8]
The Myanmar Telecommunications Operator Tender Evaluation and Selection Committee selected NorwegianTelenor Group andOoredoo of Qatar as winners of the bidding, for the two telecom licenses issued by the government of Myanmar.[8] The licenses allow the operators to build and operate a nationwide wireless network for 15 years.Ooredoo began selling low-price SIM cards at a price of US$1.5 in Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyidaw in August 2014. Prior to 2012, during military rule, SIM cards cost USD 1,500.[9]
Mytel is the fourth telecom firm in Myanmar. It is a joint venture betweenMyanmar Army-backed Star High Public Co Ltd, which holds 48 percent, Vietnam'sMinistry of Defence ownedViettel Group, which holds 28 percent, and Myanmar National Telecom Holding Public Ltd, a group of 11 local companies with a combined 23-percent stake.[10] Commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing stated at the opening ceremony of Mytel on 11 February 2018 that it will cover 93 percent of the 2G networks and 60 percent of the 4G networks of Myanmar after installing towers and stations across the country.[11]
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Press
Television
Broadcasts 7 Free Digital Channel available inNaypyidaw,Yangon &Mandalay.
Providing Free to air Channels, Local & International Pay TV Channels, andHigh Definition Channels. 4TV Has Only Broadcasts 2 Way WithDTH andDVB-T2 In Myanmar.
Radio
News agency
The government allowed unrestricted access to theInternet for some years following the telecoms liberalization. Many people were using the internet freely, often with widely available smart phones.
Myanmar Teleport[12] (formerly Bagan Cybertech), Information Technology Central Services (ITCS),[13] and the state-owned Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT)[14] are two of theInternet service providers in Myanmar.[15][16]Internet cafés are common in the larger cities of the country. Satellite (VSAT) internet connection is also available fromSkynet, a satellite television provider, and another (VSAT) OperatorCom & Com.
According to MPT's official statistics as of July 2010, the country had over 400,000 Internet users (0.8% of the population) with the vast majority of the users located in the two largest cities,Yangon andMandalay.[17] More recent figures are hard to find, but the widespread use of smart phones and tablets with cellular modems on the 3G and 4G networks means that internet usage is likely to be far higher than the figures from 2010 indicate.
Although the internet appears largely unrestricted, Myanmar experience internet shut downs during politically sensitive times. In 2007, the military government shutdown the internet during the Saffron Revolution for a few days to restrict information from within the country to be disseminated to international media. In 2019 June to February 2020, a few townships fromRakkhine andChin State are facing internet shut downs as ordered by theMinistry of Transport and Communications.
On 3 February 2021, 3G and 4G data network was restored in Rakhine and Chin States.[18]
Starting from dawn of 1 February 2021, there're re-restrictions and outage to access to the internet by theMilitary Government because of2021 Myanmar coup d'état. The government banned and blocked social media, includingFacebook,Twitter,Instagram andWhatsApp, western news agency websites and also Wikipedia.[19]
Starting from 16 February 2021, the internet was shut down from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. in nationwide.[19]
On 22 February 2021, the internet was shut down only in Yangon from 12 a.m. to 12 p.m. while other states and regions were only from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m.[19]
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