Japanese firms to invest in Myanmar's telecommunication sector

YANGON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Two Japanese firms will invest a total of 2 billion U.S. dollars in Myanmar's telecommunication sector to help the state-owned tele-enterprise expand network and compete with foreign telecommunication operators in providing services, according to the state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) Thursday.

The investment will be made by KDDI Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation under a memorandum of understanding signed with the MPT of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Nay Pyi Taw.

Meanwhile, the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) and the Myanmar ministry jointly held a workshop Wednesday on "mobile communications as an agent of inclusion and change" in the capital.

The workshop focused on ways to stimulate economic growth by mobile industry and acceleration of digital inclusion, including the widespread rollout of mobile financial products for urban and rural communities, and how to deploy the country's radio spectrum assets most effectively.

GSMA voiced support of Myanmar government's oversight of the country's mobile sector.

Moreover, Japan is helping Myanmar in development of postal sector by providing technical support to the latter in postal services.

According to a one-year memorandum of cooperation (MoC) between Myanmar Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan has started to dispatch experts to give further training to Myanmar staff covering those in Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw.

source: Global Post

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/140716/japanese-firms-invest-myanmars-telecommunication-sector