2

R
OSS Cormack, CEO of
Ooredoo Myanmar, spoke
to The Myanmar Times
last week by email about
his company and its plans for the
telecoms roll-out to come. Mr Cormack
has over 25 years of experience in the
telecommunications industry, working
with ve diferent companies and
most recently as CEO of Nawras in
Oman before coming to Myanmar to
head up local operations for the Qatar-
based company. He said he anticipates
huge strides for the country over
the next few years. This interview has
been condensed and edited.
What can we look forward to
following Ooredoos launch?
Obviously the focus initially is on
network roll-out. Were busy deploying
a next-generation 3G network that
will provide terric voice and fast data
services for our customers. Initially the
network will cover the key main urban
areas but well continue to build out
quickly into rural Myanmar and aim
to cover 97 percent of the population
within ve years.
Whats the goal for the company
and the country once the 15-year
licence runs out in 2029?
Myanmars telecommunications
infrastructure is currently
underdeveloped. The efect of
deploying the latest technology across
the country in a short space of time
will be felt across both macro and
micro economies. Improvements
in telecommunications will help to
provide the platform for a whole
range of key industries to grow, as
investment comes in and the country
opens up.
Having access to reliable voice
and services data will improve lives
and change the way people work.
Were building out a whole range of
innovative services that will support
the delivery of healthcare and
education. Were also working at the
grass-roots to foster an innovative
ICT sector and provide opportunities
for entrepreneurs to use our network
as a platform to deliver value-added
services to our customers. In 15 years
time, Im convinced Myanmar will
have made huge strides forward.
What will SIMs cost? And how
will distribution work in farung
areas?
Weve committed to selling our SIM
cards for no more than K1500 and
are working with a large number
of franchise partners and dealers to
ensure cards are readily available
everywhere we roll out.
In addition to providing voice
and data services, telcos have
branched into a number of value-
added services in recent years.
What do you have planned?
We have a huge number of value-
added services planned. One of the
most exciting is in the provision of
maternal and child health services.
We understand the importance
of collaboration and are bringing
together a range of experts in their
elds to develop an app that will bring
healthcare information, advice and a
referral system to pregnant women
and mothers. This type of activity will
bring real benets to people shortly
after our launch.
What is the single biggest
challenge when building towers?
Id say the biggest challenge lies in
the areas of land registration and
obtaining permits to build. That said,
were receiving plenty of support and
are condent of achieving our stated
goals.
How closely, if at all, have the
two companies needed to work
together or share information as
planning turns to reality?
We welcome healthy competition as
it benets the people of Myanmar.
Sharing of passive network
infrastructure makes a lot of sense as
it brings down costs and speeds up
deployment. We recently successfully
made calls to and from the other
new mobile operator. Interconnect is
obviously critical and that really does
mark an important milestone.
Ooredoo has announced plans
for a Myanmar-wide 3G network.
Business-wise, how do you justify
the higher expenses required to
bring data to areas where it might
not immediately provide returns?
In many ways Ooredoo is a data-led
organisation. Why should the people
of Myanmar settle for voice-only
services when having afordable
internet connectivity in their hands
can give them access to so much
more? We believe that deploying next-
generation technology from the get-go
will benet our customers now and
our brand for the future.
What else will diferentiate you in
the publics mind?
Im glad you asked that and can
answer in one word: people. We
currently employ over 700 local
Myanmar staf and are investing
heavily in recruitment and training.
Were building a great team, with a
great culture, and that will enable us
to deliver world-class customer service
and experience. That will set us apart
from the competition.
How will these jobs benet the
economy?
Within ve years 99 percent of our
staf will be Myanmar nationals. Were
also working with the Cherie Blair
Foundation to provide employment
and training to 30,000 Myanmar
women and help them establish
businesses. Theyll be trained here
in Myanmar by our Myanmar staf.
Overall the impact that we will
have on employment in Myanmar,
both directly and indirectly, will be
substantial.
Tell us about CSR plans.
We have a wide range of far-reaching
programs that will make a real
diference. On a broad level, were
focusing on healthcare, education,
the empowerment of women and
providing opportunities for young
people in Myanmar to reach their
potential. This is at the heart of
Ooredoos operations in each of the 17
markets we are present in.
How do you feel about being at
the forefront of a society-changing
endeavour on this scale?
In many ways, this is the last great
frontier in telecommunications roll-
outs. Its incredibly exciting and to
see the passion of our staf and the
way that we are working together and
supporting each other as a family is
extremely rewarding. 2-3
The telecom giants
The CEOs of Ooredoo and Telenor tell us whats coming down the line
4
Inside e-government
Plus, a history of telecommunication in Myanmar
5
How phones help farmers
And fower sellers. And taxi drivers. And everyone else
6
Talkin RedLink Myanmar ISP blues
Plus, secrets of the undersea cables, and your top brands
7
Payphones in the streets
Plus, the plunging price of SIM cards
8
Life in a computer showroom
Plus, the travel tech weve all been waiting for
9
Computer buying tips
How to make the smart choice
10
Is social media a social hazard?
Plus, how access works here, and top 5 tech for developing areas
12
The master plans for Myanmars tech sector
Plus, top 5 tech involving computers
The issue at hand
Contributors Jeremy Mullins, Myo Lwin, Wade Guyitt, Sandar Lwin, Kyay Mohn Win,
Chit Su, Ye Mon, Hein Htet Aung, Su Phyo Win, Nyein Ei Ei Htwe, Aung Kyaw Nyunt
Editors Myo Lwin, Wade Guyitt
Sub editor Mya Kay Khine Soe
Design Ko Khin Zaw, Ko Htway
Cover photo Zarni Phyo
Photography Zarni Phyo, Aung Htay Hlaing, Phyo Wai Kyaw, Boothee, Htoo Aung;
tech images fair use or via promotors websites
For feedback and enquiries, please contact
wadeguyitt@gmail.com, myolwin286@gmail.com
and
How red and blue will bring mobile to you
Deploying next-generation technology from
the get-go will beneft our customers now
and our brand for the future.
Ross Cormack, CEO of Ooredoo Myanmar, on a straight 3G rollout
MORE ON PAGE 10
3
What can we expect from
Telenor in 2014?
First and foremost its about
launching. We received our licence in
early February, and have an obligation
to the government to launch within
eight months of getting it. Before
October 5 we have to launch, so
sometime in September I expect that
we will have the launch.
We have estimated that we need
around 8000 base stations around
the country to cover our rollout
obligations. And of course thats
going to take some time to get there,
which means that from the launch
the network will very rapidly expand
wider and wider. To be very specic I
will wait until closer to the launch.
I imagine MPT has a bit of a
market advantage, in that theyre
established here?
In most other markets, an incumbent
would be very big. In Myanmar,
because of the way theyve been
doing business and limited the SIM
supply, etc, we have only 10 percent
penetration. You actually cannot
consider them as a normal incumbent.
Fixed line is also non-existent, almost.
So for the new operators we expect
the market to grow very fast, so the
advantage they have will disappear
very quickly.
Youre often paired of in the press
as Telenor and Ooredoo or
Ooredoo and Telenor. What
diferentiates you?
I never talk about my competition.
But we are extremely happy about
having competition. I think the reason
Myanmar has the level of mobile
penetration you see today is simply
just a lack of competition. Its lagging
even countries like Bangladesh and the
poorest circles of India signicantly.
First and foremost, we are
considering ourselves to be a mass-
market company, so we are here to
drive penetration to the poorest and
the most remote areas. That is going to
be our main position in the market.
Telenor is planning to do Edge
and 2G along with 3G, as opposed
to Ooredoos straight 3G rollout.
Whats the advantage?
There are actually more phones in the
world on a 2G 900 frequency than any
other. So in general you can assume
that all mobile phones will work in
Telenors network.
The second thing is that the
cheapest phones in the world are still
2G 900 phones. To reach the mass
market then youre talking about
the poor, and not the guys who can
pay $200 to buy a SIM card a SIM
card will cost US$1.50 dollars, K1500.
Its about how a family that is making
$400-700 per harvest can aford to
buy phones for everyone in the family
and then be able to keep them active.
Thats where price actually matters.
Thirdly, 2G phones are clearly much
better on battery, so in the areas we
are going to people can have solar
panels and do charging.
Then its also important to
remember that when it comes to
internet, were going to bring internet
to everyone. Its the rst time in
history where internet access is just
as important as voice access. The
people in this market are not spoiled
with 3G speed. A normal good 2G
network will give you a speed of 100,
150 kilobits per second, normally,
and sometimes you can actually have
higher. Its actually more expensive for
us, investment-wise, to go with both
2G and 3G than it would have been to
go with pure 3G, because we actually
have to invest in both technologies.
But the reason we do it is because we
want to serve the poor and we want to
give this access to everyone.
When were building out the whole
of Yangon, the whole of Mandalay,
the whole of it will of course have 3G
everywhere. In all the villages too:
When youre at home in your village
you will have 3G. You might not have
it in the eld, but who is actually
downloading videos while theyre
ploughing the eld?
In all our other Asian markets
today, there is still growth of 2G
phones. To think that the world is just
going to jump across away from 2G
is just an illusion. Thats where we
clearly have a diferent strategy. Were
a mass market strategy and were here
to serve the poor. We believe in 2G to
do that. Its not an inferior standard.
Were not doing it because we want
to give people a lower service. Were
doing it because we think its the only
way they can get access to the service.
Can you reveal price points yet?
No, except for we have said publically
and its been revealed by the ministry
also that we have committed to K25
per minute maximum.
How do you market to rural
people who may not have used a
telephone before?
I dont think rural people are any
diferent according to their needs than
city people. They know why you need
a mobile phone to make calls. They
know why you need to have access
to internet just as well as the people
as the cities. Its actually about giving
them the opportunity. Its actually
about rolling out the network where
theyre living. Its about selling SIM
cards where theyre living. Its about
having prices they can aford to pay.
Can you talk about CSR activities?
What are you planning?
It is on the basis of actually giving
people connectivity that we can often
then stimulate other kinds of activities.
So we will be working primarily in two
areas: One is in health and the other
is in nancial services. But you will
not see us do CSR just for the sake of
having PR. Its not a one-of, to just go
in and do something and then get the
PR and move out.
How red and blue will bring mobile to you
P
ETTER Furberg, CEO of Telenor Myanmar, spoke to The Myanmar
Times in his Yangon ofces last week about the much-anticipated
launch of mobile services later this year. Mr Furberg was appointed
CEO last July. He has worked in a number of international positions
with the Norwegian company, including eight years in Thailand. He said the
rm is aiming for top spot in Myanmar. This interview has been condensed
and edited.
Were a mass-market company and were
here to serve the poor. We believe in 2G to do
that ... We think its the only way they can get
access to the service.
Petter Furberg, CEO of Telenor Myanmar, on a combined 2G/3G rollout
MORE ON PAGE 10
4
1861
First telegraph lines erected in
Myanmar
1884
First telephone service in
Myanmar, with 1300 telephone
lines in Yangon
1937
50 towns linked for telephone and
telegraph service
early 1970s
22,000 telephones in Myanmar,
about 17,400 of which are in
Yangon
1978
Satellite earth station allows
direction contact to six countries
1987
73,203 telephones in Myanmar
1993
First cellular mobile system
started in Yangon
1997
Mobile capacity fully occupied
with 7000 mobile subscribers in
Yangon and 1000 in Mandalay
1997
MPT ofers internet email service
to 138 leased line users and
5510 dialup users in Yangon and
Mandalay
2000
SEA-ME-WE 3 undersea internet
cable complete
2005
482,128 telephones in Myanmar
2013
Low-cost K1500 SIM cards begin
to be distributed by lucky draw
2014
Telenor, Ooredoo given licences
to provide mobile phone services
country-wide

Source:
Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications
Telecom
timeline
BY SANDAR LWIN
sdlsandar@gmail.com
I
N 2000, the military
government announced a bold
push toward e-government.
As a signatory to the e-ASEAN
Framework Agreement, signed at
a Summit meeting in Singapore,
Myanmar was keen and required
to keep up with its neighbours.
Member States shall enhance
the design and standards of their
national information infrastructure,
the agreement said, with the goal of
facilitating interconnectivity and to
promote the use of ICT applications
in the delivery of government
services.
The local process began with the
formation of an e-National Task Force
led by then-Prime Minister General
Khin Nyunt. In 2001 the focus was
e-education (the government said by
2004 it had installed internet access
in 203 schools). In January 2002
and August 2003, ICT Parks were
constructed in Yangon and Mandalay,
providing central locations for tech
and software developments. In 2004,
e-passports, e-visas, e-certication
authority, smart cards, smart schools,
and data-trade interchange were all
being announced in the state-run New
Light of Myanmar.
After 14 years and billions of
dollars spent, however, not a single
public service department is yet
computerised. There are no ministry-
to-ministry links; no public services
have moved online. And the current
second wave of e-government pushes
essentially has been left to start
from scratch: Past reforms provided
little more than a legacy of mistakes
to undo, experts say clear lessons
about what not to do again.
One ofcial involved in the
military governments e-government
transformation admitted that the rst
push was a failure.
Only the budget was spent and
we got nowhere, said Daw Nweni
Soe Yin, deputy chief of engineers
from the Ministry of Communication
and Information Technology, the
focal ministry for e-government
transformation tasks. The
e-government transformation started
in 2000 but was not successful.
She said many factors are required
for successful e-government, but
for a number of reasons the deck
was stacked against those involved:
We had many weaknesses and
challenges, Daw Nweni Soe Yin said.
Foremost among these was the
fact that e-government then faced the
same problems as regular government
did: namely, misunderstandings and
miscommunications, revealing a lack
of basic knowledge about computer-
based systems, what e-government
is meant to do, how it works and the
reality of how things should get done.
Whether or not they understood
about e-government, ministries had
to respond to the pressure from above
for e-government transformation. But
orderless, bureaucratic organisations,
combined with the oral commands of
military ofcers whose instructions
were inconsistent, was a poor recipe
for change.
Paper-based or whatever, there
has to be a specic procedure, a
precise system for a task, said U Ye
Myat Thu, an IT expert from the non-
prot organisation of local scholars
Myanmar Egress. But the reality is
not like that.
Only if there is a clear system,
a precise procedure to do this and
that for this and that condition, is it
possible to write programs to install in
the computers, said U Ye Myat Thu.
He said computer systems, which
are built on logic and patterns, are
useless when decisions are made in
idiosyncratic ways.
While company A gets the
necessary licence for a good, company
B does not get for the same good. In
other cases, a certain good is banned
for all; however, supermen [wealthy
or well-connected individuals] get
a licence for it, he said. Computer
systems cannot perform in such
situations.
One goal of e-government is for the
overall system to work in harmony
for systems in one ministry or
department to cooperate with those
in another. Too many departments
and ministries in Myanmar, however,
set about solving the problem
themselves, by buying diferent
software for similar jobs.
U Kyaw Zarni Win, a director
from the Directorate of Investment
and Company Administration who
is enthusiastic about e-government,
said the disparity in practices lead to
problems from the start.
The people who started [setting
up the infrastructure] set a target for
a certain level whether or not they
understood the practical situation.
There were those who did it with an
understanding of IT and a far-sighted
plan, but some bought just what
[equipment] they found that was
afordable under the budget, without
any specic plan.
U Thaung Su Nyein, the head of
the MCFs e-government committee
and the owner of software company
Information Matrix, said that except
for the Ministry of Defence or other
ministries with unique portfolios,
most could be working from the
same systems. For example, about
half the ministries of Israel use the
same technology. They do not need to
pass through the same trial period of
separate software and make the same
errors for similar works.
As it was, however, the lack of
coordination led to billions of dollars
lost, all for a low-capacity data centre,
unqualied websites, and outdated
software and hardware that later
needed to be junked.
Now, when we want to move
to the next step, there are those
ministries that are using outdated
infrastructures that have to be totally
replaced with new ones, since the
system they used does not match
with later requirements and cant be
upgraded, said U Kyaw Zarni Win.
The old systems may go, but
the worries remain. After taking
ofce in 2011, President U Thein
Seins government has resumed the
e-government push. But despite
signicant changes in government
structure, U Ye Myat Thu of Myanmar
Egress says the mechanisms of
bureaucracy and consequently the
manner in which e-government will
be implemented have yet to be
swept away.
The current governmental
mechanism still operates depending
on the person in charge, U Ye Myat
Thu said. The head will decide
things. And the people in government
organisations do not know which
department is doing what things
clearly. Each person thinks that they
are doing what the head asked him.
The system of carrying out orders
to please a superior, he said, cant be
programmed in computers.
In February the World Bank
announced it would be giving US$10
million to develop e-government
programs in Myanmar as part of a
$31.5 million boost to the countrys
telecommunications sector. The
money will go to training programs,
communication between departments
and cloud storage. The regular public
budget for e-government, however, is
still being parcelled out to separate
ministries just as before.
The problem is about acting
disharmoniously with scattered
programs by each ministries, said U
Thaung Su Nyein, also the head of the
e-government committee of MCF. If
not, we could develop quite well with
the collective amount of the current
budget for e-government.
Daw Nweni Soe Yin also agrees
with that the current budget for
e-government is not being well
distributed.
Some ministries only buy
computers and printers when asked
to do so for e-government, she said,
and added that greater consideration
needs to be given to the aims of the
project as a whole. The rst thing we
should think about is what services or
procedures should be computerised
or go online, and then how we will
design the project for those tasks, and
what things need to be done and need
to be used. Only after these steps
should we buy the necessary items.
Although IT knowledge is a must,
the experts say that whats more
important to drive e-government
forward is thorough knowledge
about the works and structure of the
countrys government mechanism.
IT technicians are not the most
important people for e-government
transformation, U Ye Myat Thu said.
The leadership must know about the
available resources in the country and
be able to prioritise them that is,
whether government-to-government
or government-to-business or
government-to-public [interactions]
will be implemented rst.
Only then, U Ye Myat Thu said,
can IT technicians step in and deliver
whats needed: the kind of integrated
accessible framework that is the
hallmark of good e-government, one
that will bring people closer to their
government and the government
closer to its people.
Getting its wires crossed
Myanmars initial foray into e-government left a legacy of useless webpages, almost all dead or lacking updates.
What went wrong, and what needs to change this time?
A salesperson displays a computer at ACE products exhibition
at MICT Park in Yangon last March. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
5
BY KYAY MOHN WIN
kyaymonewin@gmail.com
A
T a small village market in
Minbu township in central
Myanmar last month I
overheard one side of a
surprising conversation.
Hey, its me Thaung Oo. Id like to
know if you still have some stock left.
I am running out of stock here while
the sales are going on. When I called
my home, they said they did not have
much left. If you have some, share it
with me.
The voice was coming from a
young man selling owers at a row of
roadside shops. As he talked he was
counting up the remaining bundles of
owers displayed.
I was surprised to see that it was
worth ordering stock over a mobile
phone for such a small bazaar, but
then I reected that this is a sign of
how times have changed in Myanmar,
and how mobile technology is
reshaping the way we live our lives,
even or especially in more remote
areas of the country.
About 10 years ago, the exorbitant
prices of mobile phones meant they
were restricted to wealthy traders
and rich people in big cities. A SIM
card was worth 30 to 40 lakhs (K3
million to K4 million, or up to $4000
see chart on page 7). Then, slowly
but surely, prices started to fall: rst
K500,000, then K200,000 in 2010.
Since June of last year, however,
the governments ofcial rate has been
much lower just K1500. You have to
be among the winners of a lucky draw
at your local ward administration
ofce, but your name will stay in
contention until its chosen. Some
who win choose to sell their SIM
on the black market, and the extra
supply means prices there while still
outrageous at around K100,000 is
at least dropping. The distribution
of extra SIMs, while not yet enough
for everyone, is at least helping to
correct the price to something more
reasonably, providing a welcome burst
of income in the short term to those
who sell them and a more afordable
option for those able to scrape
together enough to purchase one for
themselves.
For many, though, the SIM is worth
more kept than what someone else
would pay for it. Like the ower seller,
many farmers and small traders are
now reaping the benets of mobile
communications, not just in their day-
to-day social dealings but also in their
businesses, where getting in touch
helps them stay competitive and dial
up the prots.
U Hlaing Moe, a farmer from U-Yin
Zin village in Minbu township, won a
government SIM card three months
ago. The K1500 charge was soon paid
for: Owning a phone let him keep
better track of market rates and plan
his selling accordingly.
Because of mobile phones, I can
know the prices of crops in the city.
In the past, I had to carry my farm
produce to the city market without
really knowing the prices. It meant I
didnt know if I would make a prot
or not.
U Hlaing Moe said he and other
farmers had to sell at the prices being
ofered, and often took a loss. And
planning on the spot what to buy
while he was there was difcult if he
didnt know prices ahead of time.
Now, I ask the prices at the city
market and send goods only if we are
sure to make prots. We know the
latest prices in the market so that we
are not sufering due to being paid
lower in the city market for our farm
produce.
Its given him the sense of
condence and security which every
businessperson craves.
We cannot be exploited anymore,
said U Hlaing Moe.
Another farmer told a similar
story when asked about how mobile
phones had changed the agricultural
marketplace.
In the past we just had to turn a
blind eye to the brokers who came
to buy our crops at the prices they
ofered because we didnt know the
uctuations in the market, the farmer
said, asking not to be identied.
Now, he said, the phones help make
all transactions easier and make their
workdays more productive.
If we need farming implements
and machines in a hurry, we can ask
the prices and stocks in the city right
from our eld. We save time and
energy as we can also call our families
if we forget something at home.
U Sein, who runs a cargo transport
business in Magwe, said he was very
glad to see even porters and water
sellers using mobile phones these days.
I was a bit surprised when a young
boy who is carrying water for our
family told me the other day that he
now had a mobile phone and advised
me to call if we need him to do any
menial things, said U Sein.
Similar stories can be heard across
the country. In Mandalay Region, Ko
Htay Hlaing bought his mobile phone
when the price of SIM cards dropped
to K200,000. He said there is a good
phone signal in the 15 villages near his
own, and that its boosting his three-
wheeler taxi business as a result.
I am getting two or three times
the number of hires every day now
that I can be reached with this mobile
phone. The customers can just call me
over the phone.
Now, with Telenor and Ooredoo
set to ood the market with cheap
SIMs, some have bought handsets in
advance just so theyll be ready. For
those without, a cheaper SIM is a piece
of the puzzle theyve been waiting
for and at long last, its nally on the
horizon.
Translation by Myo Lwin
We cannot be
exploited anymore.
U Hlaing Moe on the value of a mobile
phone for farmers in rural areas
By hand
How mobile phones reduce labour, save time and make
money for those in rural areas
A farmer from Gwai Gyi Gon
village in Patheingyi township near
Mandalay chats with her relatives
last week. Photo: Phyo Wai Kyaw
6
BY YE MON
yeemontun2013@gmail.com
A
CCORDING to RedLink,
one of the few private
companies given
permission to provide
internet access in Myanmar, only
15,000 of the countrys 1-million-
plus internet users get online via
their services.
How you interpret that number,
however, depends on who you ask.
If the service is meant for the
public, its necessary to set the price
at a level the public can aford. The
present price is beyond reach, said
typical internet user 22-year-old Ma
Thandar from Thaketa township,
Yangon.
For nearly all of the countrys
population, the cost of a dedicated
home internet connection is too
much to aford. Ma Thandar said
most now depend on their mobile
phones internet data service.
The spread of mobile phones and
data plans means the majority of
internet users are using phones
rather than computers to get online,
leapfrogging past a couple of decades
of technological development in a
single signal bound.
Ko Myo Myint Nyunt, assistant
manager of sales and marketing
department from RedLink, told The
Myanmar Times that the company
is doing its best to bring costs down.
We are trying to minimise the
initial costs of selling to zero level,
he said. However, even though the
initial cost may drop to zero in 2015,
charges on devices will still continue
and [overall cost] cannot be reduced
to the level where grassroots people
can aford [home access].
Doing what they can, however,
the company has been setting
up free Wi-Fi for public use in
a number of areas in Yangon.
Shwedagon Pagoda is covered by
RedLinks free service, as are 10
government hospitals for the use
of patients and their families and
the University of Foreign Languages,
where the signals help keep
communications rolling. RedLink is
also looking to expand the system to
the Institute of Medicine 1 soon, Ko
Myo Myint Nyunt said.
Most universities, however, are
not within the permitted coverage
area for Red Link service, he said,
so the free Wi-Fi cant be extended
to them.
The point brings up the other
factor in RedLinks growth:
government-backed Yatanarpon
Teleport, which dictates the scope of
RedLinks oferings.
Despite being run by the sons
of Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann,
RedLink says it hasnt received any
special privileges, and currently ofers
service only in Yangon, Mandalay (in
conjunction with Fortune Company)
and Bagan. No oferings are yet
permitted in other states or divisions,
nor in Nay Pyi Taw.
Even coverage in the permitted
cities is not complete: A map on
the companys website shows its
footprint covers most of the city
but ends at Hlaing Tharyar to the
west, Insein to the north, and North
Dagon and Thaketa to the east.
Yatanarpon Teleport is
restricting our operations, said
Ko Myo Myint Nyunt. We are
authorised to operate only in three
cities. Permission is not granted for
use yet [elsewhere]. Authority can
be sanctioned only by Yatanarpon
Teleport.
As The Myanmar Times has
previously announced, the company
has said that, pending changes to
the telecommunications law that
would see private ISPs allowed, it
would like apply to provide service
countrywide. Only time will tell
when that will occur.
Private link biz
still seeing red
A major internet service provider reveals its frustrations
with government restrictions that cripple competition
Whats your brand?
Aye Myat Moe architect
I use a Samsung tablet that my brother gave me as a gift. It has a wider screen so
it is good for taking pictures and using the internet. Mostly I use it for checking
email, taking photos and using Facebook. I love to play Candy Crush a lot and it
is very convenient with this wide screen. For my computer I have Lenovo which
I normally use for AutoCAD and Revit software. The problem is viruses. It has
a lot of viruses. Luckily I have been able to retrieve my most important les. Im
thinking of changing my handset. Id like a Samsung S5. Also a Samsung notebook.
Mya Su San landscape architect
I use mobile phones for talking, listening to music and sending SMS. I like the
handsets with large memory as I like to listen to a lot of music. I dont use other
applications very much. For internet and for work, I use a computer for 12 to
16 hours a day. I dont use the internet through my mobile phone because I am
not used to using the small screen. I am never frustrated having to use these
electronic gadgets. But as Ive been using these things for some years, they are
wearing out. I am intending to buy a new laptop computer, either Lenovo or Dell.
I think these brands are more reliable.
Zarni Phyo photojournalist
Of course, my camera is indispensable. I use a Canon EOS 60D. Id like to buy
a Canon EOS 6D. For my phone I am using a Samsung Note 2. Actually I prefer
Sony, but when I bought this Sony was out of stock in Yangon. I used to have
a Sony Xperia Arc. I think it is more durable. For my computer, I use an Acer
which is within my budget. Im on it about three hours a day for photo editing and
internet. But what is frustrating is that it has broken down three times since I got
it. I will have to buy a new better one after getting a recommendation from those
who know more about it.
Mye Ti Tha student
The three things I use every day are my iPhone 4, my Xbox 360 and my Lenovo laptop computer. In the past I used an iPad,
but it was not convenient for using Facebook. When I rst bought a handset, I had a Huawei and a Samsung Note 2, but
downloading is faster with the iPhone. What I would like to buy now is a PS Vita which has better graphics. I want to get one
after seeing other people using them.
Ko Wai Yan taxi driver
I have a mobile phone which is very useful. I get many passengers through this phone. The FM radio lines are useful
sometimes. They keep us informed us about the areas where trafc is terrible so we can choose the clearer routes. Music is
the best from the radio. It is relaxing. I use the radio mainly for music. Though we call it the internet era, the connection is still
very slow in Myanmar and we are very much behind many other countries. It would be nice if we could have GPS to know the
whereabouts of each taxi, but I have not heard of taxis here having GPS systems installed. I think it is because of the high cost.
Taxi drivers here cannot spend much.
Chit Su, translation by Myo Lwin
BY WADE GUYITT
wadeguyitt@gmail.com
EVER heard of SEA-ME-WE3? The
undersea cable with the rhymey name
(it stands for Southeast Asia-Middle
East-Western Europe 3) enjoyed its
15 minutes of fame last July when a
fault occurred 13 kilometres (8 miles)
ofshore, disrupted internet access
across the country. While on one
hand it was nice to have something
concrete to blame for the slow(er)
speeds, its not entirely fair to use
SEA-ME-WE 3 as a scapegoat: After
all, it carries up to 80 percent of the
countrys trafc. (A dry cable runs
overland to Thailand and theres a
small connection to China thats more
often of-again than on-again, but
SEA-ME-WE 3 is the big access point.)
Making landfall here at Pyapon
in Ayeyarwady Region, the cable
is shared by 34 countries and 64
organisations; Myanmars share of the
bill was US$30 million out of the total
$1.434 billion construction cost.
As Julys damage illustrated,
however, the countrys dependence
on a single major access point puts
it in a precarious situation, net-
wise. (Supposedly the country was
supposed to be linked up to SEA-
ME-WE 4 as well, but missed its
chance when it didnt cough up the
cash; SEA-ME-WE 1 and 2, both now
decommissioned, didnt connect to
Myanmar.) Precarious telecoms are an
old story everywhere Britains rst
act after declaring war on Germany in
1914 was to cut its undersea telegraph
cables, leaving it dependent on
wireless communications that could
be easily intercepted and modern
cables arent any more safe: No more
than 2.5 inches (6.3 centimetres)
across, theyre damaged 70pc of
the time by anchors; sometimes
shermen also accidentally drag the
cables up of the seabed along with
the rest of their hauls. Talk about
netting a big catch.
So whether trying to defend ones
country or merely load a Youtube
video, more cables means more
security, and in March 2014 MPT
signed an agreement to buy into a
new cable, called SEA-ME-WE 5. Set
to span 17 countries and 20,000km
between Singapore and France,
SEA-ME-WE 5 will have 10 times
the capacity of the existing cable,
and be capable of transmitting the
equivalent of 4800 high-def movies
per second. The cable will land at
Ngwe Saung, then head to Pathein,
Yangon, Mandalay and nally China.
Its estimated to go online in 2016.
Myanmar gets online through one major cable, but another is coming in 2016
Plugging in
SIM cards from Myanma Posts and
Telecommunications. Photo: Staff
The current undersea internet cable serving
Myanmar (SEA-ME-WE 3) is shown in black; the
route of the additional cable (SEA-ME-WE 5) is
shown in red. Image: The Myanmar Times
7
BY HEIN HTET AUNG
dragon.hein@gmail.com
C
ALL them handphones,
cell phones or mobile
phones today its
portable telephones that
are running peoples lifestyles. But
if youre out of credit, dont have
enough money to top up and need
to make an emergency call, those
fancy pocket-sized timewasters
wont help one bit. Instead youll
need to nd a phone sa-khan, or
telephone base: Located in busy
public places and often trailing
wires behind them, these are
Myanmars public phone booths
and for K100 a minute, you can get
your message across.
Ma Theingi Myo works for a
PCO, or public call ofce. There
are usually two staf members at
each payphone, and we usually
divide the payments from calls in
half. In the past, people couldnt
aford such 2 lakh [K200,000]
handphones, so they usually used
payphones. When handphones
became afordable, some people
no longer used payphones at all. It
became hard to divide the payment
from each day.
They decided the split the take.
My partner comes one day, and
I come another, taking the whole
days prot without dividing it.
Calls cost K75 a minute, Ma
Theingyi Myo said, but due to
the rareness of notes they nd its
easier for everyone to charge K100
instead. She said they used to return
around K3500 a day to the ofce
and would keep the extra K25 per
minute for themselves, as well as
taking home a monthly salary.
She said the job used to require
workers to have passed the 11
th

standard, but now even 9
th
grade
students can get into it.
Ma Hla Hla Lwin from
Kamaryut township has been
working as a payphone attendant
for two years, alternating monthly
shifts with her niece.
I think half of the people
stopped using these phone boxes
after the appeal of WCDMA,
CDMA, and GSM, and now from 70
people there are only about 40 to
50 customers a day, she said.
Another operator on 38
th

Street, who has been working
for two years, said only afuent
people used to be able to aford
handphones, and everyone else
relied on payphones.
But she also said that, as
archaic as the phones appear, they
havent been around that long.
I am not sure about when these
payphones started to settle in the
streets, but I think they started
around the year 2000.
She said factory workers are
the most common customers for
payphones today. But this reporter
can add another group to the list:
desperate youth. I remember one
time, when I was out of credit but
needed to call home to say that Id
be late, a payphone came to my
rescue. I never thought that the
connection would be good but I
was wrong: Truthfully, it was so
clear I could easily hear what was
happening at home.
Now that many can aford a
mobile with one months savings,
payphones are often overlooked.
But Ill always look on them
kindly.
$0
$250
$500
$750
$1,000
$1,250
$1,500
$1,750
$2,000
$2,250
$2,500
$2,750
$3,000
$3,250
$3,500
$3,750
$4,000
$4,250
$4,500
$4,750
$5,000
$5,250
$5,500
$5,750
$6,000
$6,250
$6,500
$6,750
$7,000
1
9
9
8
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
2
0
1
1
2
0
1
2
2
0
1
3
Typical SIM card price
in Myanmar, 1998-2013
Source: Quartz (see qz.com/62523/)
Landline lifelines
Theyve gone from affordable dial-up to emergency back-up, but payphones can save the day
Customers use payphones in
downtown Yangon. Photo: Staff
8
BY HEIN HTET AUNG
dragon.hein@gmail.com
E
LECTRONICS shops have
to put up with a higher-
than-usual percentage of
customers who are really
just there to browse. Yet the staf also
have to be ready to help people make
a very difcult, expensive decision
one that might necessitate a number
of repeat visits.
There are a lot of customers
coming in, said Ko Aung Chan
Myae, sales manager at KMDs head
ofce on Pansodan Road in Yangon.
They are all diferent. Some
customers come in just for fun.
They just look around the devices.
Some stay for hours, choosing,
deciding and reconsidering.
Ko Aung Chan Myae said that
some promoters tend to look on
both such categories of customers
as timewasters, and may even stop
going to the trouble of approaching
them to help. But he says that
customers who are taking the time to
decide whats best for them deserve
an equal amount of patience from
salespeople.
The promoters cant just explain
whats written on the paper beside
the device. They have to ask the
customer what he or she wants to
use it for: for Ofce, for 3D AutoCAD,
for internet, for movies or music, and
so on. Then the promoters have to
assist in choosing.
He says budget is usually the
next factor that comes into play.
Sometimes a laptop will match
exactly what the customer is looking
for, but the price will be too high.
Then we start looking for a similar
item at a diferent value.
Ko Aung Chan Myaes attitude
toward customer service probably
comes from his experiences as a
buyer: In other words, hes just
giving the kind of service he likes to
get himself. When he started buying
electronics, he said, I would ask
the promoters whats best for me,
because I would make my choice at
the shop. I would discuss with the
promoters and let them help me.
After the choice, I would decide on
the price.
As well as price and features,
he said, some choose primarily by
name. He mentions Lenovo as a
particularly popular option among
KMDs customers.
People who choose by brand
usually have their mind mostly made
up before they walk in the door.
Its easier than making an arduous
shop-oor comparison of hundreds
of models and features, and can be
more satisfying too at least in the
short term.
But a staf member at Technoland,
on 36
th
Street, says that sometimes a
hybrid approach is best: First think
of use, then choose a trusted brand,
then look at price.
For example, say I want to use
it for 3D then, okay, Dell, or Asus.
Then I would consider budget. The
limit would be K3-4 million [$3000-
4000]. Then there are wider screens,
aluminum covers and heat absorbers
to consider too. Since it is for 3D, the
wider the screen, the better it is. The
better the heat absorber, the cooler
it is for 3D laptops, because the 3D
applications are large.
Its thought processes like these
that are difcult to work out when
faced with a string of impenetrable
numbers, but which salespeople can
help you puzzle out.
We have to make distinctions as
clearly as possible; otherwise, itll be
useless to the customers, said a staf
from Life Mark, a computer sales
and service centre on Seikkanthar
Street. Of course we want customers
to buy the highest value if possible,
but the prices can be obstacles. Then
we choose the earlier models. Then,
we help them choose the brand.
What is really important is that it all
depends on the user.
Shopping around
If shopping is like dating, these salespeople are trying to fnd you the perfect match
SOMETIMES the technologies of science ction seem to be about eliminating
tedium who wouldnt rather say beam me up instead of aisle seat, please?
but at other times theyre all about celebrating the spirit of adventure and
exploration, letting us imagine what it would be like to y like a bird or swim like
a sh. Heres where we stand on ve classic tropes of the future world.
High-speed travel
How fast is your commute? Not as
fast as it would be with Maglev, or
magnetic levitation.
Turns out the main thing slowing
down high-speed rail was the rails
(duh) so suspending cars inside tubes
via magnets instead allows much more
speed as in somewhere around
600km/h (370mph), according to
company ET3. And thats only for
interstate travel: The company is also
looking at international trips at speeds
up to 10 times that fast, getting you
from New York to Beijing in two
hours.
Thats barely enough time for an
onboard movie!
Flying cars
Roads? Where were going, we dont need
roads. That line marked the point at which
the Back to the Future lm franchise actually
went into the future and what better way
to symbolise that shift than with a ying car.
Conceptions of the future would be boring
withut them. So where are they? Well,
theyre here sort of. Current models
seem like they can be cars or airplanes but
not really both at once, since they require
unimpeded runways to take of. One such
model, the Terrafugia Transition which is
set to go onsale in 2015, is described by
Wikipedia as a roadable airplane. But the
company is working on a model that will
take of vertically, allowing a handy way out
of trafc. No release date yet though. Sigh.
A customer checks the monitor of a computer at an electronic products exhibition in Yangon last March. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
travel
9
BY SU PHYO WIN
suphyo1990@gmail.com
Desktop or laptop?
The rst thing to consider when
buying a computer is what your
needs are, and the rst question
should be one of portability versus
performance. If your work requires
heavy computing and youre always
going to be doing it in the same
place, you dont need to pay extra
for a laptop, and you might be
more comfortable with the bigger
screen and improved performance a
desktop ofers.
If you think it ll be useful to be
able to carry everything everywhere
as executives and students do
go for a laptop. But remember,
every gram counts, so consider
how much weight youre really
willing to haul around. Consider
battery life as well. With power
outages still a fact of life here,
you may nd yourself saved by a
reliable battery. Check this out in
the showroom; you can usually just
click the battery icon on the screen.
Four hours is about normal these
days, but some brands ofer twice
that or more. Remember, though,
that heavy use will shorten the
battery life signicantly. Likewise,
better batteries may mean a bigger
computer, which means more
weight. Its all a balancing act.
Whats on your to-do list?
Ask yourself why you want to buy a
computer and a variety of reasons
might come to mind. It could be
playing games which needs a
strong processor and graphics card.
It could be listening to songs which
needs good speakers and a sound
card. Writing or photo editing will
require a lot of time staring at the
screen, so youll want something
thats easy on the eyes likewise
programming or web design. And
weve already covered the pros and
cons of mobile computing.
In short, you should be thinking
of ve major categories: the type
(desktop or laptop), the processor,
the memory (upgrade only if youre
going to be pushing the limits of the
system), the brand (think reliability,
servicing and resale value) and the
budget (up to you, but dont assume
spending more is better).
Specs: special or specious?
If youre listening to music and
exchanging pictures of what you ate
for dinner with friends, you dont need
the worlds most advanced system.
Keep your budget low and save your
money for your next night out.
If youre programming, you may
want to pay more attention to your
processor. The highest processor now
is i7, but if you cant aford that, go
for an i3.
For games, its all about memory
not ones youll make when you
nally reach level 30, but the kind
that drives your computer. You may
want to considered upgrading from
the default 1GB, so make sure there
are extra slots available to do this.
Media
Gone are the days of oppy disk
drives; now we transfer les online
or with USB thumb drives. But with
the move toward cloud computing,
in which everything is on the
internet instead of on physical
media, even optical drives (CD or
DVD drives) are being removed from
many laptops to save space, weight
and price. This is great in countries
where superfast streaming or
downloading is a given, but consider
whether the lack of a disk drive will
pose a problem to you next time you
want to watch a movie.
Keep it cool
Some laptops have overheating
issues, and thats only going to get
worse on a blistering April midday.
Just like their users, computers
without good fans may be prone to
system failures. And contrary to the
name, you can actually get burned if
you rest your laptop on your lap. So
be careful, and consider using it on
a stand or a desk instead to ensure
adequate air circulation.
On brands
A trusted brand may mean a worry-
free experience, but dont let others
judge you based on what you use.
Buy a brand for whats inside, not
whats written on the case or what
your friends will think.
One consideration that is
important, however, is repairs.
Consider the costs of ordering parts
from other countries, and whether
your system can be repaired by
knowledgeable servicepeople if the
worst happens. Ask about warranties
for the system or for the parts inside.
Consider opting for a company with
a branch ofce in Myanmar so that
you can more easily get in touch if
you face problems.
When in doubt, back it up
Make sure youve got a plan for
viruses. Macs are worry-free in
this regard, but the ease of mind
comes at a premium, as they tend
to cost more. Still, its been said
that there are only two kinds of
computer users: those who have lost
everything in a crash and those who
will. Always keep backups of your
important les, whether in the cloud
(unlikely here, given access speeds)
or on an external drive. If youre
working on a particularly important
le, considering emailing it to
yourself or to a friend periodically, so
you can recover a recent version in
case of a crash.
The way the tech industry moves
these days, it seems like the cutting
edge goes out of date as soon as its
released. But dont feel bad if a new
model comes out soon after you
make your purchase. It doesnt make
yours worthless, so just be glad for
what you have and enjoy it. Buying a
new system should be a means to an
end, not an end in itself.
Translation by Khant Lin Oo
From eyeing to buying: Computers
Toshiba, Dell, HP, Apple, Acer the big brands all have fashy showrooms, and the competition between them is
tight. So how do you decide whats right for you?
Wade Guyitt
Driverless cars
Google it this ones already here. The
search engine giant has been developing
the automated car, and its licensed for
testing in Nevada, Florida, California and
Michigan. The software is called Google
Chaufeur, which, like cruise control,
works only until a human touches the
wheel or the pedals. The only crash so
far has come when a driverless car was
backended while under human control,
and last month the team announced its
vehicles have racked up an autonomous
1.1 million km (700,000 miles) on its
odometers.
Articial gills
Enjoy swimming? Also enjoy breathing?
Two new inventions allow you to go
underwater without needing to bring
along your own supply of oxygen.
With tankless diving, products by the
aptly named companies Like-A-Fish
Technologies and Triton aim to make
you into a sh by extracting oxygen from
the water itself. Thats deep.
Jetpacks
The Martin Jetpack, developed by
New Zealander Glenn Martin, may
be as close as weve yet come to solo
Superman-like (or at least Ironman-like)
ight. The jetpack was recently demo-ed
successfully, allowing lift, hover, and
directional movement. Its capable of
ight up to 2100m (7000ft) and speeds
up to 80kmh (50mph). And dont
worry, a parachute is ready to deploy
automatically if necessary. For Martin,
who envisions emergency workers or
disaster responders as among its rst
adopters, the test ight represents the
culmination of a decades-long dream.
Him and everyone else on the planet.
A customer checks the monitor of a computer at an electronic products exhibition in Yangon last March. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
Photoshop users, he says, require
a faster process and better graphics.
But like dating, not everyone
can be easily matched with a
complementary option, so its not
always a case of one-stop shopping.
It is our duty to explain whats
what, said a salesperson from
Chan Mon computers and printers.
Sometimes customers dont have
any idea. Those times, we have to
explain and bring out the customers
choice. Sometimes they say theyll
come back later, saying that theyll
think about it.
Photo: Staff
10
BY NYEIN EI EI HTWE
nyeineieihtwe23@gmail.com
ITS great to use smart phones, said
Ko Nay Lin, 29, from Bahan township.
But when friends hang out and sit
in teashops, now instead having of
warm and friendly conversations each
stares at his or her phone, like a cold
and silent meeting.
Like many people using mobile
phones today, Ko Nay Lin has a
smartphone can take pictures and
help him update others on how hes
spending his time. But he also says
he feels unsatised when he gets
together with his friends in person
now, because each of them seems to
be giving more thought to someone
far away than the people who are
present.
Its so sad that a friend overlooks
a friend who is sitting next to him
and talks to a stranger on the internet
whom he has never seen. They do
not talk to the friend next to them,
but instead really want to talk to the
person far away, said Ko Nay Lin.
He said this swing toward using
smartphones makes happy times with
friends only a memory.
The habits of teasing, putting a
rock into the cofee cups, discussing
a particular story with chaos in the
past are gone. Not only for the young
people the adult meetings have
become silent, too.
Ma Shwe Yi from Thingangyun
township said she didnt notice how
silent the meetings with friends had
become until she forgot her own
phone one day.
When friends meet together at
school, holding and using a phone
is like a habit, so we do not notice.
But when I forgot my phone, I
realised that were just sitting
together without talking. Even if one
is not using the internet, he or she
is playing games, and it makes me
surprised, said Ma Shwe Yi.
She also nds the degree of
intimacy expressed often difers
between online and in real life. When
meeting each other on the internet,
people uses a lot of friendly words,
she said, but not so much when
meeting outside.
When someone posts that he or
she is sick, the friend beside him or
her will sit still. But on the internet,
the friend will say, Take care, Im
worried, etc. Seeing that one is only
caring while on the phone it makes
me not know what to say when sitting
together, said Ma Shwe Yi.
Some, however, still feel that the
advantages of smartphones outweigh
their disadvantages.
Ko Myo Lwin Oo from North
Dagon township works as part of
a family business as a driver for
customers. I get all the updates I
want [about customers] because I
have a smartphone in my hand. I
dont even need to phone and ask like
in the past, he said.
Ko Myo Lwin said he thinks of his
phone as an entertainment tool. He
said smartphones make the time pass
more quickly when hes waiting for
customers to be ready.
I dont need to be bored anymore.
Even if Im not using the internet, I
could play games, wasting time.
And when hes around his family,
he says, the phone stays away.
Translation by Hein Htet Aung
BY WADE GUYITT
wadeguyitt@gmail.com
THE future is already here, writer
William Gibson is said to have said
its just not very evenly distributed.
While technology usually makes
us think of advanced gadgets, the
word really just means using science
to solve practical problems. And
when great thinking is applied to
the challenges of the developing
world, the results can be even more
miraculous than the latest app or
upgrade they can be life-saving.
Let this light do the heavy lifting
Like a luggage scale, the Gravity
Light (see Deciwatt.org) has a hook
on top and another below. Attach a
rice bag or other heavy object and it
will pull a rope, winding a series of
gears and generating illumination
for 30 minutes. Want more? Do
it again no candles or batteries
required.
The power of play
The Soccket, by Uncharted Play,
works through kinetic energy. It
looks like an ordinary soccer ball,
but boot it around for half an hour
and it will give you three hours of
power, enough to charge a ashlight,
lantern or mobile phone. Play longer
and it can take up to 72 hours of
charge. US President Barack Obama
gave the Soccket a high-prole
header during a trial in Tanzania last
year. Bonus points: The company has
a skipping rope which runs on the
same idea.
Flush out the system
Squeamish about drinking toilet
water? Many already do and not by
choice. The UN estimates 40 percent
of the world doesnt have access to
a toilet. But with a boost from the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
Marc Deshusses and other
researchers at Duke University are
experimenting with ways to make
dirty water safe. At supercritical
water conditions, organics in sewage
are converted to harmless carbon
dioxide, clean water and energy
in seconds, the project says. Field
trials are under way.
Drink up
Swiss-based company Vestergaard
has developed the LifeStraw, a way
of turning any unsafe sludge into
a source of safe drinking water.
(There are also larger sizes, big
enough for families and entire
communities.) The technology has
been deployed in disaster relief
eforts, given out in a number of
developing countries including
Myanmar and are now being
distributing to schools in Kenya
as part of what the company calls
the worlds largest privately
funded household water program,
beneting 4.5 million people.
Buy one for your own outdoor
adventures and you can help make
someone elses life a little more
stable.
One size ts all
Joshua Silver, an atomic physicist
at Oxford, came up with a way to
use water as a refractive device: By
adjusting knobs that make ones
glasses thicker or thinner, a wearer
can set his or her lenses to match
the ideal prescription. After the World
Health Organization told him that 1
billion people worldwide need glasses
but dont have them, he set out to
make a model with a clear silicone
uid at a low cost. As head of the
Centre for Vision in the Developing
World, hes given out 30,000 so far,
and aims to match the WHOs 1
billion gure by 2020 an apt date
for anyone looking to see better.
Are smartphones putting our real relationships on hold?
Busy signal
INTERNET service provision in
Myanmar runs via Myanma Posts
and Telecommunications, more
commonly known as MPT (theirs
is the pie-shaped logo on public
phone booths see related story
page 7).
MPT falls under the Ministry of
Communications and Information
Technology but is rumored to go
private in future. MPT also owns
51 percent of state-backed private
provider Yatanarpon Teleport.
Only MPT and Yatanarpon
are licensed to provide internet
services, though other companies
operate of their licences,
including SkyNet MPS, Elite
Tech and Fortune, and Red Link
Communications.
For a one-time payment of
K15,000, or by texting 1331 with
at least K10,000 in credit, you can
also unlock the internet on your
phone. (You can also turn your
phone into a wireless hub for your
computer if you like.) Your credit
will fall by K4 a minute whether
downloading or not, though, so
make sure to disconnect when
nished. Wade Guyitt
The links
behind the web
developing
world
Photo: Zarni Phyo
Photo: Htoo Aung
Can the market handle four
competitors [Telenor, Ooredoo,
MPT and Yadanarpon Teleport]?
In India, when we launched, we were
competitor number 14, and we were
able to grow and now were around
four or ve. So we love competition.
We think its great for the people in
Myanmar that there is competition.
When will you turn protable?
Telenor has publicly said that we will
be EBITDA [earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation and amortisation]
break-even in three years.
Historically telecoms companies
used to invest heavily in towers,
etc, up front. Now were going for
a model where we are trying to get
partners to do it, because we believe
in sharing. Towers, ber, etc, will be
invested in by companies who are
then renting them back to us. The
model is changing from being heavy
CAPEX up front to being long-term
OPEX-heavy. The overall protability
of a mobile investment doesnt
necessarily change, but the prole
of how cash ows are developing is
diferent from the rst time Telenor
came to Asia in 1996.
Whats been the biggest hurdle?
In our project plan we are tracking
5000-6000 diferent activities. Its all
about solving problems. Generally
things are progressing well.
Is Myanmar diferent from the
other ve Asian countries Telenor
operates in?
All countries are diferent. Part of
our DNA is to be very respectful
to the local culture, to the local
diferences. You cant replicate the
marketing strategy from one country
to another. You have to try to appeal
to the strings that resonate to the
people in the market.
But certain things are similar.
Like, we know how to do distribution
because we are doing it in all the
other Asian markets. Coverage
without someone to sell a SIM card
or rell has no meaning. Thats
why our target is to have 100,000
mom-and-pop stores selling SIM
cards and rells when our network is
completely rolled out. Were pushing
money down to the lowest level
and making sure that they have the
incentive to develop the business and
serve the local market.
People are very impatient, and
naturally so, because there has
been a pretty bad situation in
Myanmar up until now when it
comes to mobile services. Thats the
biggest challenge that we will face:
managing expectations. Even the
launch will be with a limited number
of sites. We will be launching with
1000 sites and then it will grow fast,
but it isnt overnight.
How does it feel providing such an
eagerly awaited product?
Whether its our Myanmar staf or
our international staf, everyone is
working in this company because
we want to make a diference. And
we know that we are making a
diference. We are really making
history. We are giving people access
to mobile. We are hiring, teaching
and training hundreds of people,
not only in the company but also
through partners. Were trying to run
business with a very high standard,
in terms of ethnics, business conduct
principles, health and safety. Its
really saying Myanmar is no diferent
than any other country in the world.
I think probably without exception
people feel that it is the best job you
can have in the world, actually, to
work for this right now.
Interview by Jeremy Mullins,
Wade Guyitt, Myo Lwin
Some groups have called for
a boycott of Ooredoo due to
Ooredoo being from an Islamic
country. How difcult will it be to
overcome these perceptions?
At the end of the day, were an
international telecommunications
company and our focus is on providing
great products and services for our
customers. We believe that each
and every person is born equal and
deserves respect. I think any suspicion
about our company will quickly
dissipate once people start to see more
of our brand and the positive efects
that we will bring to the people of
Myanmar.
Interview by Jeremy Mullins,
Wade Guyitt, Myo Lwin
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
12
BY AUNG KYAW NYUNT
aungkyawnyunt28@gmail.com
I
N 2011, an estimated 3-5 percent
of the population had access to
mobile phones. That proportion
has since increased to 12-13pc,
but still remains far lower than in
neighbouring countries such as
Thailand (where there are 93 million
mobile phone subscriptions and 66
million people) or even Bangladesh
(where there are 115 million
subscriptions and 157 million people).
But Myanmars low mobile
penetration is set to change. Deputy
Minister for Communications and
Information Technology U Thaung
Tin has said mobile phone density
will reach 50pc in 2015.
Its a lofty increase, to be sure,
but its feasible due to a one-two
punch that is now reshaping the
communications landscape.
First, the governments scheme
of distributing 350,000 low-cost
SIM cards each month since April
2013 on a lottery basis has resulted
in more than 8 million cards being
released at an ofcial price of K1500.
What used to cost the equivalent of
a few thousand dollars (see graph
page 7) is now within reach of those
working in manual labour, making
this not just a tech revolution but
a social development of surprising
power (see page 5).
Second, the government has
released its longstanding hold over
the telecoms industry. In January
2013 a call went out for applications
to become a private mobile provider.
The winners, Telenor from Norway
and Ooredoo from Qatar, were
announced in June 2013 and
licensed on February 5, 2014. Each
are authorised for an initial period
of 15 years. The involvement of
Ooredoo and Telenor represents a
milestone for phone and internet
communications in Myanmar (see
pages 2-3).
Among other barriers broken,
Telenors March 8 international
internet link marked the end of
governments Myanma Posts and
Telecommunications monopoly.
On March 3, Ooredoo linked up its
own connection from MICT Park
to nearby networks. And on April 7,
Telenor successfully made voice and
video contact from its data centre
about 22 kilometres (13.6 miles) from
Yangon to Telenor headquarters in
Bahan township.
As well as greatly expanding
telecoms infrastructure in the
country, the two companies plan
to ofer low-cost SIMs of their own,
both by the third quarter of 2014,
with the eventual goal being 97pc
mobile coverage by the end of 2018.
And in-country agreements arent
the only contracts being made: In
December 2013 MPT signed an
agreement with Orange from France
to provide international roaming,
allowing travellers with mobile
phones from other countries to place
and receive calls while in Myanmar.
Itll come at a fee, but at a time
when tourism is booming, the deal
will help put visitors at ease as they
explore the country.
All these developments are
part of a wider re-thinking of the
countrys ICT infrastructure. A new
telecommunications law, promulgated
in October 2013, replaces the
Myanmar Telegraph Act of 1885 and
the Myanmar Wireless Telegraph
Act of 1934. We are now acting
according to international norms
and standards, said Minister for
Communications and Information
Technology U Myat Hein.
He also said that state-backed
Yadanarpon Teleport will, at an
unknown date, enter the market
under its own steam. We have
ordered Yadanarpon Teleport to
go public later, U Myat Hein said
(see page 10 for more on internet
access).
The competition promises good
things for the economy, and that
means good things for Myanmar.
The advantages of having access
to better mobile communication is
known the world over, said U Nyan
Tun Oo, Yangon Regions minister
for electricity and industry, at the
ICT 4M Forum held in Yangon in
mid-March.
If mobile density increases by 10
percent, the increase in GDP is 1.2pc,
according to a survey organised by
Telenor and conducted by Deloitte
consultancy and Boston consultancy.
If the internet use increases by 10
percent, the GDP in developing
countries will be up from 3 to 5
percent, the survey has said, U Nyan
Tun Oo said.
His audience at the forum know
this better than most. A number of
attendees cautioned that even with
the telecommunications rollouts,
the information and communication
technology (ICT) sector needs still
more support, commitment and
involvement from the government.
U Khun Oo, chair of the Myanmar
Computer Federation, said he
believes the government needs to
show it understands how crucial the
ICT sector is for development.
We dont really see the
governments performance relating
to the development of ICT, U Khun
Oo said. We dont see any activities
from the government side for ICT.
We need the personal involvement of
government leaders and, if possible,
the president himself should set up a
master plan and implement it for the
development of the ICT sector and
for more application of ICT.
U Zaw Min Oo, the federations
general secretary, echoed the call.
The government needs to
decide a master plan and assign an
organisation to implement it without
fail. I see the need to have a central
organisation. It means [deciding]
which organisation or body will
really implement the master plan.
That organisation will have a good
name or reputation if it performs
well and it will also have a bad
name if it fails. But an organisation
is essential for being committed
and dedicated to the success of the
plan. It must be responsible and
accountable.
U Thaung Hsu Nyein, the chair
of the e-government committee,
has said Myanmars e-services and
websites have received low scores
(see page 4), and the country has
yet to automate most recordkeeping
activities. Daw Thiri Khit, the chair
of Mandalay Regions Computer
Entrepreneurs Association, said that
e-government will be successful only
if the government explains its
benets to the public and if its
employees make efective use of ICT.
The same can be said, of course,
for tech generally. In this special
report, The Myanmar Times is
proud to provide a look at successes
and struggles of this burgeoning
sector. From a look at the
technology of the future (pages 8,
10 and below) to a timeline of past
developments in Myanmar (page 4),
we hope to help make sense of the
changes now under way.
Making the right call
If mobile density increases by 10 percent, the increase in GDP is
1.2pc ... If internet use increases by 10pc, the GDP in the developing
countries will be up from 3 to 5pc.
U Nyan Tun Oo, general secretary of the Myanmar Computer Federation, quoting the results of a survey organised by Telenor
How the government is steering the country toward a high-tech future and what
industry insiders say still needs to be done
Holograms
Weve got 3-D movies that look 3-D, but what
about actual 3-D images? When will we see
life-sized holograms like in Star Wars? Well, now,
actually at least, depending on your denitions.
CNN integrated pseudo-holograms into their US
election coverage in 2008, and lately the trend is
for dead musicians to be revived for concert
appearances by a technology called Musion Eyeliner
thats based on a trick rst used in theatres 150
years ago. The closest to a futuristic experience
might be the Voxibox, a gaming system now in
development. Who wouldnt want to sit down to a
chess board like this?
Paper-thin computers
Laptops make a big deal of being able to t in an
envelope, but what if they were as thin as the
envelope itself ? Enter the PaperPhone, with its
3.7-inch bendable e-ink display and not much
else except a small handle on the left where the
battery and circuitry are stored. As thin as paper, the
phone can do everything a regular smartphone can,
but also allows gestures like bending and ipping.
The researchers behind the project predicted
that everything is going to look and feel like this
within ve years. The catch? That was in 2011.
Now theyve come out with the next iteration: the
PaperFold, three displays that can be moved around
as easily as sheets of paper, whether stacked, spread
or arranged into a laptop with virtual keyboard.
3-D printing
Calling it printing may be misleading, but additive
manufacturing (versus subtractive manufacturing,
where we take a mass of materials and trim of the
stuf we dont want) is certainly the most signicant
development on this list. Basically a 3-D object is
created using a material and a shape you dene.
Download or design an object and the software
will slice the design into razor-thin layers, which are
then printed one by one, stacked together and
joined in diferent ways depending on the materials
and process used. Nearly anything can be printed
this way with the right raw materials: metal, plastic,
food, even human skin cells for medical advances.
How we make things may never be the same again.
The internet of things
Essentially the extension of the internet (or more
accurately, digital communications) to non-
computer objects, the internet of things can
refer to anything from running your air con from
a smartphone to tagging objects in daily life to
associate them with an online presence, making
sure you always know how many of something
you have left before you need to order more. Or
automatically triggering an order when you run
low. Buying, selling and the way we relate to our
possessions are in for a shake-up. Wade Guyitt
Unplug for good
Wi-Fis nice until the battery runs out; what we
really need is wireless charging. Fortunately its
on the horizon. Using magnetic elds, companies
like WiTricity are developing perfectly safe ways
to charge or power devices without the need for
a middleman, er, cord. With Intel as a backer,
expect big things soon.
digital living
A RECENT survey of smartphone owners in Canada found people spent an average of 8 hours a
day staring at a screen. And thats for entertainment only the survey didnt take into account time
spent behind a computer at work. Similar studies in the US, Britain and China found similar results.
Heres ve ways the digital world is set to become even more integral to our lives in the near future.