Myanmar invites bids for national telecoms licences

The Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has announced it will award two nationwide telecommunications service licences by the first half of 2013. The country currently has just one operator serving the market, state-owned telephone service provider Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications.

The announcement forms part of the government’s updated policy framework for the development of its telecommunications and ICT industry, and it is looking to invite both local and international operators in the sector.

The government’s main goals for the policy are to increase the overall tele-density — the number of telephone connections for every hundred individuals living within an area — of the country to between 75 per cent and 80 per cent by 2015-2016. It also wants to make the telecommunications services available to the public at affordable prices, and to give the public the capability of choice for the telecommunications services.

The Telecommunication Operator Tender Selection Committee officially set up by the Union Government will be handling expressions of interest from operators. As a first step, interested entities are required to submit an expression of interest by January 25, 2013 to the Committee.