Ooredoo, one of two international telecoms operating in Burma, announced distributors for its low-cost mobile devices on Friday. The Qatari company pledges to provide affordable devices and SIM cards to the country and has already integrated itself into Burma’s growing tech scene ahead of the product roll-out.
The six companies named as distributors in a press release that went out at the end of last week were: Great Ayerwaddy Telecoms Company Limited, MDG Mobile Company Limited, Capital Connect Limited, Kiwi & I Co. Limited, and MDR Golden Myanmar Sea Co. Limited. These companies are “exclusive, territory specific distributors,” according to the release, and “are currently signing up hundreds of dealers within townships across their territories.”
Showing posts with label Telecom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Telecom. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Foreign telecom companies to introduce SIM cards
Foreign telecom companies, Ooredoo and Telenor are preparing to launch the sale of their new SIM cards in August and September, according to company sources.
Although Ooredoo Myanmar originally said it will begin in August, they may even begin earlier, while Telenor are plying for time and will launch as planned in September.
“We don’t know when the sale will be. But I am certain that it is nearer,” said Ooredoo Myanmar’s information manager Thiri Kyarnyo.
As of July all Ooredoo staff are already using SIM cards with numbers starting with 0997 which includes internet subscription but they can use only internally.
Although Ooredoo Myanmar originally said it will begin in August, they may even begin earlier, while Telenor are plying for time and will launch as planned in September.
“We don’t know when the sale will be. But I am certain that it is nearer,” said Ooredoo Myanmar’s information manager Thiri Kyarnyo.
As of July all Ooredoo staff are already using SIM cards with numbers starting with 0997 which includes internet subscription but they can use only internally.
MPT to begin selling unlimited SIM cards
The state-owned Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT) said it will start selling unlimited SIM cards rather than a limited number by lucky draw, according to senior managers.
MPT has signed MoU with KDDI Corporation from Japan to compete with overseas telecommunication companies and provide enhanced mobile services.
“We are planning to change the sale plan of CDMA 800 MHz and GSM SIM cards. When we have finished making arrangements, we will announce the time to start it,” said General Manager Khin Maung Tun from MPT.
MPT has signed MoU with KDDI Corporation from Japan to compete with overseas telecommunication companies and provide enhanced mobile services.
“We are planning to change the sale plan of CDMA 800 MHz and GSM SIM cards. When we have finished making arrangements, we will announce the time to start it,” said General Manager Khin Maung Tun from MPT.
Japanese Mobile Carrier To Pioneer Myanmar's Growing Mobile Market
Major Japanese mobile carrier KDDI Corp. (TYO:9433) is partnering with Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corp. (TYO:8053) to invest about $2 billion in Myanmar’s state-owned telecommunication business over the next decade, when the country’s telecommunications sector is expected to grow rapidly, the companies said Wednesday.
The two companies signed a deal Wednesday with state-owned Myanmar Post & Telecommunications to jointly operate a mobile phone network in the country, which is opening up to investment after decades of military rule.
About 10 percent of 65 million Myanmar residents use mobile phones, KDDI said, but demand is expected to greatly increase. KDDI and Sumitomo already operate the largest share of a growing mobile market in Mongolia.
The two companies signed a deal Wednesday with state-owned Myanmar Post & Telecommunications to jointly operate a mobile phone network in the country, which is opening up to investment after decades of military rule.
About 10 percent of 65 million Myanmar residents use mobile phones, KDDI said, but demand is expected to greatly increase. KDDI and Sumitomo already operate the largest share of a growing mobile market in Mongolia.
International call charges high, say IT technicians
The international outbound roaming rates remain high and unacceptable, say consumers and IT technicians.
Myanmar Post and Telecommunication introduced the system to take effect since July 2 with roaming charges ranging from Ks 3,500 to Ks 5,000.
The users can call to Thailand, Singapre, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Japan, South Korea, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Belgium, Luxemburg, Romania, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Qatar, UK, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Moldavia, France, Papua New Guinea and Germany.
Charges for message will vary in accordance with the distance, ranging from Ks 400 to Ks 700.
Myanmar Post and Telecommunication introduced the system to take effect since July 2 with roaming charges ranging from Ks 3,500 to Ks 5,000.
The users can call to Thailand, Singapre, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Japan, South Korea, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Belgium, Luxemburg, Romania, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Qatar, UK, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Moldavia, France, Papua New Guinea and Germany.
Charges for message will vary in accordance with the distance, ranging from Ks 400 to Ks 700.
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 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.
Thursday, 17 July 2014
Ooredoo’s Myanmar strategy chief looks beyond voice and tex
Myanmar may have one of the lowest teledensities in the world, but Nick Swierzy (pictured), chief strategy officer for Ooredoo’s Myanmar operation, is confident that advanced services – running over the operator’s all-IP network – will prove popular in a short space of time.
Flagging up the likes of mobile health and money services, Swierzy told Mobile World Live there was a big opportunity to go beyond the traditional talk and text model.
“We think we can get Myanmar using advanced services more quickly than other markets,” he said.
Flagging up the likes of mobile health and money services, Swierzy told Mobile World Live there was a big opportunity to go beyond the traditional talk and text model.
“We think we can get Myanmar using advanced services more quickly than other markets,” he said.
Mobile data users reaches 3 mln in 2014
The number of mobile data users has increased steadily since 2011 and is approaching 3 million this year, according to the Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT).
Mobile users can order data services via SMS to receive internet on their phone, a process which once required filling out multiple forms at the MPT offices in person.
Still additional data services cost Ks 10,000 (US$10) – a price since reduced from Ks 30,000 ($30) – and the connection speeds are often low and unreliable.
“Accessing mobile internet has become convenient, thanks to Android powered handsets. But regardless of the handset quality, the MPT data services are still terrible,” said mobile user Thar Nge.
Mobile users can order data services via SMS to receive internet on their phone, a process which once required filling out multiple forms at the MPT offices in person.
Still additional data services cost Ks 10,000 (US$10) – a price since reduced from Ks 30,000 ($30) – and the connection speeds are often low and unreliable.
“Accessing mobile internet has become convenient, thanks to Android powered handsets. But regardless of the handset quality, the MPT data services are still terrible,” said mobile user Thar Nge.
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Ooredoo to sell SIM cards according to market demand
Ooredoo Myanmar has refuted rumours that only 20 SIM cards will be distributed to each retail store and confirms that it will provide as many SIM cards as the market demands.
“Everyone may have as many SIM cards as they want,” said Thiri Kyer Nyo, information officer for Ooredoo.
Ooredoo’s SIM cards will be 3G Advanced, meaning they will require mobile handsets with 900 to 2100 UMTS frequency range, according to former announcements by the company.
“Ooredoo aims to grant data services at reasonable prices for all. We are now negotiating with handsets vendors. The network of Ooredoo will cover 97 per cent of the country in five years,” Thiri Kyer Nyo continued.
“Everyone may have as many SIM cards as they want,” said Thiri Kyer Nyo, information officer for Ooredoo.
Ooredoo’s SIM cards will be 3G Advanced, meaning they will require mobile handsets with 900 to 2100 UMTS frequency range, according to former announcements by the company.
“Ooredoo aims to grant data services at reasonable prices for all. We are now negotiating with handsets vendors. The network of Ooredoo will cover 97 per cent of the country in five years,” Thiri Kyer Nyo continued.
Mobile Internet: the Hope of Myanmar’s Technology
Revo Tech, a Myanmar-based creative digital agency, is optimistic about the country’s opportunities for mobile apps and web development.
“It won’t be like Silicon Valley even in five or 10 years,” according to Myo Myint Kyaw, founder and chief executive of Revo Tech.
Kyaw added that they predict to catch up with Singapore in three to four years.
Myanmar, however, is a country that suffers from undependable Internet connections. As a consequence, electronic documents are better delivered manually. In addition, files are hand-delivered as high-resolution photographs since they can't be sent electronically.
“It won’t be like Silicon Valley even in five or 10 years,” according to Myo Myint Kyaw, founder and chief executive of Revo Tech.
Kyaw added that they predict to catch up with Singapore in three to four years.
Myanmar, however, is a country that suffers from undependable Internet connections. As a consequence, electronic documents are better delivered manually. In addition, files are hand-delivered as high-resolution photographs since they can't be sent electronically.
Future looks bright in Myanmar as jobs platform Work gets 600,000 monthly pageviews
Southeast Asia is full of promising markets, ready to be tapped by the right players at the right time. For Myanmar, the country which just started to open up to the world in 2011, the right time for internet companies to take full advantage of the new ecosystem is perhaps tomorrow. But Rocket Internet has been taking first-mover advantage since 2012.
Jort Statema from the jobs portal Work.com.mm – one of the sites under a joint venture between Rocket and telco Ooredo – told us some of the challenges they face when venturing into Myanmar’s online space. Operating since June 2012, the 12-man team at Work pursued various online and offline initiatives to educate the market and get companies and regular people on board the job search service. The site has 50,000 registered job seeker profiles and 4,000 company profiles, recording 90,000 visits per month and 600,000 monthly pageviews. Each month the platform sees 2,000 new job posts, with 80,000 job applications in total completed within the site.
Tech Scene in Myanmar Hinges on Cellphone Grid
YANGON, Myanmar — Images of Steven P. Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg adorn the walls of Myo Myint Kyaw’s creative digital agency. He says they inspire him. But he imagines neither man ever worked in an environment where Internet connections were so unreliable that a “file transfer” often involved delivering electronic documents across town by taxi.
In Myanmar, that is often faster than using email.
Mr. Kyaw said the start of a website for an American client based in Thailand involved an upload that took seven hours — a process that would have taken just minutes elsewhere. On another occasion, a client had to fly from Malaysia to hand-deliver high-resolution photographs that proved too large to send electronically.
In Myanmar, that is often faster than using email.
Mr. Kyaw said the start of a website for an American client based in Thailand involved an upload that took seven hours — a process that would have taken just minutes elsewhere. On another occasion, a client had to fly from Malaysia to hand-deliver high-resolution photographs that proved too large to send electronically.
Thursday, 10 July 2014
NEC, Shwe Taung provide ICT infra at Nay Pyi Taw Centre
Myanmar corporation Shwe Taung Group, together with NEC Asia Pacific have provided network and security infrastructure for the Myanmar International Convention Centre in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar. NEC Asia Pacific is the main ICT services provider for the convention centre. The Myanmar International Convention Centre is a newly completed 60,000 square meter convention and exhibition centre that recently held the ASEAN Summit 2014, which Myanmar hosted for the first time.
Thursday, 3 July 2014
MPT to add international roaming service in 31 countries
Myanma Posts and Telecommunications will extend its services to 31 foreign countries for both its GSM and WCDMA networks as of July 2, according to a report on MRTV yesterday.
“International outbound roaming (IOR) will be available in 31 countries. The service will be available both for both prepaid and post-paid phone users. Prepaid mobile users need to use top-up cards,” a senior MPT executive said in the report.
“MPT has arranged the availability of top-up cards in the countries where the MPT service will be available. Post-paid users will have to pay Ks 0.5 million for IOR at the MPT’s telephone tax collection centres in Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon and Mandalay,” MPT general manager Khin Maung Tun said.
“International outbound roaming (IOR) will be available in 31 countries. The service will be available both for both prepaid and post-paid phone users. Prepaid mobile users need to use top-up cards,” a senior MPT executive said in the report.
“MPT has arranged the availability of top-up cards in the countries where the MPT service will be available. Post-paid users will have to pay Ks 0.5 million for IOR at the MPT’s telephone tax collection centres in Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon and Mandalay,” MPT general manager Khin Maung Tun said.
Two Telecoms Race To Wire Myanmar
Only a tiny number of people in Myanmar have mobile phones. Even fewer have access to the Internet. But that hasn’t stopped word of BarCamp from quickly spreading. BarCamps–informal gatherings of grassroots geeks who come together to listen to one another give talks on technology–are usually publicized via online social networks. Since the first one in Silicon Valley less than a decade ago these Information Age talkfests have been held in 350 cities. In January of last year Yangon drew the biggest crowd for any BarCamp worldwide, some 6,500 people. More than 5,000 attended this year’s gathering.
Govt to officialise importing mobile phones
Myanmar is importing about 10 million mobile handsets every year but only about 20,000 of them are imported officially, according to Minister for Commerce.
The government is currently making the necessary requirements to encourage importing more handsets officially and to combat illegal imports from countries like China and Thailand.
“Illegal imports are about 98 or 99 percent. When I think a way to deal with that situation, I found a solution which is the best to organise mobile phone dealer association. I am already in discussion with Ministers for Telecommunication and Finance,” said Minister for Commerce Win Myint.
The government is currently making the necessary requirements to encourage importing more handsets officially and to combat illegal imports from countries like China and Thailand.
“Illegal imports are about 98 or 99 percent. When I think a way to deal with that situation, I found a solution which is the best to organise mobile phone dealer association. I am already in discussion with Ministers for Telecommunication and Finance,” said Minister for Commerce Win Myint.
Ooredoo, Telenor to partner with Samsung for mobile services
International telecoms operators Ooredoo and Telenor will cooperate with tech giant Samsung to provide faster mobile internet services in Myanmar.
Ooredoo Myanmar and Samsung signed a memorandum of understanding last Friday offer customers a range of “Special Bundles” designed to make the most of Ooredoo’s 3G network on data-driven Samsung devices.
Ooredoo’s products and services will include competitively priced voice, SMS and data bundles, high-quality SIMs, customer care and device detection capabilities. This is aimed at accelerating growth in one of the world’s most underserved markets for mobile and internet use, according to the press release.
Ooredoo Myanmar and Samsung signed a memorandum of understanding last Friday offer customers a range of “Special Bundles” designed to make the most of Ooredoo’s 3G network on data-driven Samsung devices.
Ooredoo’s products and services will include competitively priced voice, SMS and data bundles, high-quality SIMs, customer care and device detection capabilities. This is aimed at accelerating growth in one of the world’s most underserved markets for mobile and internet use, according to the press release.
Myanmar’s new mobile internet users embrace Android smartphones, pick Viber over Facebook
Half of Myanmar’s mobile internet users came online during the past 12 months, according to a major survey in the newly emerging nation. 49 percent of all the country’s web users only access the web on their phones. That means the people of Myanmar are skipping the era of PCs entirely. They’re also sidestepping basic ‘feature phones’ and are instead leaping straight into Android smartphones. The survey from On Device Research, which questioned people and also monitored the device they’re using, found that China’s Huawei is the number one phone brand in Myanmar with 71 percent of respondents using an Android-powered Huawei smartphone. 14 percent of the remaining phone market share is split between dozens of other brands with less than one percent of the pie. How much do smartphones dominate in Myanmar? Only 3.5 percent of the web traffic analyzed by the survey is from people on feature phones.
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
U.S. Delegation Visits Myanmar to Invest in Community-Based Businesses
The US Department of State, in cooperation with the Richardson Center and the Aspen Institute, led a partnership delegation to Myanmar to invest in community-based businesses from April 28-May 3. During the trip, the delegation had discussions with government ministers, entrepreneurs, civil societies and farmers in Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyitaw. In the discussions, they talked about politics and social and economic investment.
"Last year, many in the international community thought Myanmar was changing in very positive ways, but Myanmar is now at a precarious point in its democratic transition," said Mickey Bergman, the leader of the delegation and vice-chairman of the Richardson Center.
The delegation spoke with companies and professional economists about business, investments, agriculture, food security, telecommunication, education, power and water in Myanmar.
"Last year, many in the international community thought Myanmar was changing in very positive ways, but Myanmar is now at a precarious point in its democratic transition," said Mickey Bergman, the leader of the delegation and vice-chairman of the Richardson Center.
The delegation spoke with companies and professional economists about business, investments, agriculture, food security, telecommunication, education, power and water in Myanmar.
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Myanmar grapples with telco tower requests
A picture tells a thousand words as Ooredoo attempts to educate illiterate about benefits of online services.
As expected, building towers in Myanmar is proving a challenge for Ooredoo, which on Tuesday shed more light on the progress it has made towards its Q3 launch.
Speaking at CommunicAsia, Carson Wolfer, head of business development, partnerships and CSR at Ooredoo Myanmar, said it is not just his company that has to overcome the limitations of the country's patchwork infrastructure; the government's telco ministry has to as well.
As expected, building towers in Myanmar is proving a challenge for Ooredoo, which on Tuesday shed more light on the progress it has made towards its Q3 launch.
Speaking at CommunicAsia, Carson Wolfer, head of business development, partnerships and CSR at Ooredoo Myanmar, said it is not just his company that has to overcome the limitations of the country's patchwork infrastructure; the government's telco ministry has to as well.
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