Fourth Telecoms Operator Approved in Myanmar – Burma

Construction News Myanmar Vietnam
Mobile phones are seen in a shop window in Yangon April 11, 2013. Cellular operator Digicel Group Ltd. jumped into Myanmar early and big, hiring staff, funding local sports, negotiating land deals for thousands of cell tower sites and signing up hundreds of partners for retail outlets. The strategy helped propel it onto the shortlist for a mobile licence in one of the world's last mobile frontiers, putting an operator that ranks 65th globally in terms of customers up against giants such as Vodafone Group Plc. Myanmar this month short-listed 12 consortia for two licences it plans to grant foreign operators in late June. The government wants to expand mobile penetration from less than 4 percent to up to 80 percent by 2015-16. Picture taken April 11.                            REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun (MYANMAR - Tags: BUSINESS TELECOMS) - RTXZ35D
Mobile phones are seen in a shop window in Yangon April 11, 2013. Cellular operator Digicel Group Ltd. jumped into Myanmar early and big, hiring staff, funding local sports, negotiating land deals for thousands of cell tower sites and signing up hundreds of partners for retail outlets. The strategy helped propel it onto the shortlist for a mobile licence in one of the world’s last mobile frontiers, putting an operator that ranks 65th globally in terms of customers up against giants such as Vodafone Group Plc. Myanmar this month short-listed 12 consortia for two licences it plans to grant foreign operators in late June. The government wants to expand mobile penetration from less than 4 percent to up to 80 percent by 2015-16.

RANGOON — After months of delay, a fourth telecoms operator has been approved for a license, said Win Than, Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology, in Naypyidaw on Friday.

The telecoms license was awarded to three shareholders: Myanmar National Telecom Holding Public Ltd., formed from 11 private companies; Viettel, a Vietnam-based telecoms operator; and Star High Public Co. Ltd., proposed by the Defense Ministry, Win Than said.

Prospective local companies had to possess at least three billion kyats (US$2.3 million) or have enough capital reserve to create a new public telecoms company. According to an announcement from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, seven foreign firms showed interest in the partnership.

Norway’s Telenor, Qatar’s Ooredoo, and the state-owned Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) hold the country’s other three telecoms licenses.

The government established a Joint Venture Formation and Tender Selection Work Committee to promote a more transparent process for awarding the license.

Burma’s fourth operator will run as a joint venture with at least 51 percent owned by the local firm, and the remaining share going to the foreign firm.

Source: http://m.irrawaddy.com/burma/fourth-telecoms-operator-approved.html