Ooredoo launches in Myanmar

Ooredoo launched telecommunications services in Myanmar, taking on two rivals rolling out networks in the country, which has only 10 per cent mobile penetration, according to government figures. Telenor Group won the other licence granted to foreign operators.

The country’s sole telecom provider until now, state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), last month announced its partnership with Japanese firms KDDI Corp and Sumitomo Corp.

Sumitomo, a trading house, and KDDI, Japan’s second-largest wireless carrier, said they would invest about US$2 billion to expand the existing network.

Ooredoo’s voice and 3G Internet services will initially be available in Myanmar’s three main cities of Yangon, Mandalay and the capital, Naypyitaw. The network will cover 25 million of Myanmar’s approximately 60 million people by the end of the year and 97 per cent of the population within five years.

Telenor will launch its voice and data services in September in the three largest cities and will reach 90 per cent of the population within five years, spokeswoman Hanne Knudsen told Reuters.

Ooredoo has 800 local employees working to connect the entire population.