32 Brooten, McElhone and Venkiteswaran of towers that extend mobile penetration is much more limited, particularly in remote regions (Aung Kyaw Nyunt 2016; Heijmans 2017). As such, only an estimated 40 per cent of the population actually has access to the internet, either through mobile or broadband, although that number is rapidly increasing (Internet in Myanmar 2017). Broadband penetration initially lagged behind mobile but it is now growing quickly. Nevertheless, wired broadband may become increasingly irrelevant as mobile continues to proliferate and prices continue to drop. This rapid growth in mobile services has largely replaced the need for internet cafes for online communication, although they still function in some areas so that people can charge their phones and connect to wireless internet, as explained by Htaike Htaike Aung and Wai Myo Htut in this volume. In rural areas, many people are now getting their news through online sources, especially Facebook, displacing radio as a primary source of information. Facebook and Viber have become Myanmar’s most popular news dissemination and messaging sites. The number of digital media has grown, with popular online news aggregators attracting large audiences. Access to social media on mobile phones has for the first time given people direct access to politicians and other high-profile people, as discussed in this volume by Yan Naung Oak and Lisa Brooten, who explore the use of Facebook by high-profile figures in Myanmar and assess the platform’s role in efforts to develop a more diverse public sphere. The rapid rise in social media use has led more people to express their political views, at the cost of promoting intolerance against ethnic and religious communities (Lee 2016), an issue discussed by Sarah Oh and Eaint Thiri Thu in this volume. Another concern is the lack of basic literacy about privacy rights and risks in this new digital age, as discussed in the chapter by Kamran Emad and Erin McAuliffe. Political Economy of Myanmar Media To a large measure, the Myanmar media landscape is controlled by military and political figures and their business allies, especially the broadcast and daily newspaper sectors. Which forms of ownership regulation will be introduced and to what extent the state will retain control over infrastructure such as broadcast towers, printing stations 01 ch1-MyanmarMediaIT-5P.indd 32 8/4/19 10:29 am