Activating a SIM To aquire a data service plan, the store will make a photocopy of the buyer’s passport to accompany the application form submitted to MPT. In addition, the buyer is required to obtain and submit two passport photos to be included with the form. The photos cost a little over $1.00. Compared to the average Myanmar salary (~$2/day), this is a notable sum. After photocopying the passport, the store employee completes the remaining paperwork. One full copy, including one of the two original passport photos, is given back to the customer for their records. A redacted scan of the completed form is included in Appendix 1 - Photo 5. In total, the application to obtain data service requires (1) an official ID (a passport for foreigners), (2) passport photos, and (3) a completed form. Purchasing a Data SIM Following completion of all required forms and applications, the buyer is able to purchase a datacapable SIM card, which costs $250. When purchasing a data SIM, the buyer chooses whether it is an international or national SIM from the national operator. With an international SIM, all received calls and texts are free, and international outgoing rates were quoted as costing $1 per minute. With a local SIM, all local and international received calls and texts are free as well; but calls and texts can only be sent in-country. International or not, a data SIM offered by a Myanmar operator is not capable of international roaming data service. It is capable of receiving additional credit, reloaded or topped-up, for international voice minutes, national voice minutes, and national text messages. Also worth noting, the data SIM offered did not have an authentic appearance, looking almost hand-made, and used.53 Before activating data service, voice and text service must be activated. International data SIM’s and service can be purchased for either $10 or $20. Until recently, these SIM’s could only be purchased with Foreign Exchange Certificates, a form of surrogate currency pegged to the USD at approximately 1:1.The delegation paid to activate an international data SIM at the cost of $10.54 53 54 See Appendix I, Photo 6 See Appendix I, Photo 7 19