According to research by Ovum,
Myanmar’s under-developed telecoms
market is set to become the world’s
fastest-growing as the country
launches its first privately-owned
mobile network. The entry of private
player Ooredoo will see a rapid
growth in mobile subscriptions and
revenue in the country. Ovum
forecasts that Myanmar’s mobile
subscriptions will grow at 29.3%
CAGR to 32.3m at end-2019. Mobile
revenue will grow at a similarly rapid
rate as a result of the new
competition – reaching $1.2bn in
2019, up from $691m in 2013.
Ooredoo mobile SIM cards were soft-
launched at retail shops in August.
Ooredoo Myanmar will be offering 3G+
services, which include both voice and
mobile broadband, in urban areas
around Mandalay, the capital Nay Pyi
Taw, and Yangon. Ovum expects that
Ooredoo will be offering 3G (HSPA+)
SIMs at a competitive price of
MMK1500 ($1.50), which is same as
committed to by the other licensee
Telenor. Decades of military
dictatorship crippled Myanmar’s
telecoms sector and mobile access
was restricted to a handful of elite
groups in power. The state-owned
operator, MPT, monopolised the
sector and the junta imposed
extremely stringent controls on SIM
cards, pushing prices as high as
$4,500 in 2011. Since April 2013, the
quasi-civilian government via MPT
has stopped selling SIMs in the open
market and instead offers 350,000
SIMs per month across the country
through a lottery system – priced at
~$1.50. However, many of these SIM
cards end up in the black market and
cost anywhere between $80 and $130.
As a result, Myanmar’s mobile
penetration grew to just 12.3% at end-
2013, which is still considerably low –
given a 60m strong population.
in a Rohingya refugee camp
recently. A visiting minister from
the capital was also there, and
willing to be interviewed as well.
He was even open to discussing the
negativity surrounding the
treatment of the Rohingya. I was
able to interview the regional
government on the matter as well.
I have not had any issues with
the stories I want to pursue. As
with all stories, in Myanmar or
elsewhere, we strive to be balanced
in our treatment, and that means
giving a voice to all parties
involved, including the relevant
government officials.
What do you know about your
audience?
We do not have any tracking
numbers for Myanmar as yet.
However, we do have anecdotal
accounts. Viewers have written in
with feedback on the news coverage.
For example, viewers praised our
coverage during the landmark by-
elections in April 2012. We had
seven news teams on the ground.
The interview with President Thein
Sein in July 2012 also won praise. A
viewer wrote: “The questions were
measured and issues-oriented.”
Some viewers even try to tip us off
on news breaks, like “the
government sent security forces to
Maungdaw, Arakan, because of the
current instability”.
But we also get some flak:
viewers complained about the font
being too small on our news
scroller bar when we refreshed the
on-air look in June of this year.
On which platforms are you
available in Myanmar?
Channel NewsAsia is beamed
regionally on AsiaSat 7, with its
footprint extending from the
Middle East through South Asia,
Southeast Asia, and North Asia to
Australasia. The channel is not
encrypted at the moment, so it is
freely available to anyone with a
dish big enough to receive the
satellite signals. Online, the channel
is streamed at
The website provides news, videos
and also hosts microsites for its
long form programmes. People in
Myanmar can reach us via Channel
NewsAsia’s Facebook, YouTube
and Twitter.
Tell us about your B
usiness
Insights
seminar in Myanmar
In the past few years, we have
increased not only our news
coverage but also our
documentaries and programmes on
Myanmar. Earlier this year,
Channel NewsAsia stepped up its
engagement with Myanmar by
bringing the series of
Business
Insights
seminars to Yangon. These
seminars engage think tanks,
government and business leaders
who bring the latest and very
dynamic conversations to the table.
It’s a formula we are replicating
across Asia – in cities such as
Jakarta, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur
and Ho Chi Minh.
The event in Yangon took place
in January and was attended by the
Presidential Spokesperson and
Deputy Information Minister Ye Htut
and close to 200 invited guests:
local and foreign businessmen,
journalists, diplomats such as the
US and Singapore ambassadors and
entrepreneurs. Representatives
from sectors such as business, law
and academia discussed business
opportunities in Myanmar and the
challenges of operating in the
country. It was an opportunity for
political and business leaders to
understand more about the
changing face of Myanmar.
May Wong, thank you.
Left
May Wong
interviewed by
Burmesemedia
at Channel
NewsAsia’s
bureau opening
Right
CNA’s
Business
Insights
in
Myanmar
Poor con-
nectivity
makes it
difficult to
break news
“
”
