Section 2 | FOUNDATIONAL FACTORS in 90 percent of townships across the country—reported that its average revenue per user be instrumental in narrowing digital divides including gender.109 It must be noted that “I don’t use internet because I don’t want to break the phone—I just use the phone for calling and games.” telecommunications companies as a rule oppose the taxes that fund USFs110 and thus may —Urban female factory worker (in local currency) decreased by 28 percent in 2016 from 2015 due to increased penetration in rural areas and a tougher competitive environment.107 Not coincidentally, a USF working group108 convened by the Alliance for an Affordable Internet in Yangon in November 2016 included discussion of gender-responsive ICT policy and regulations, as USFs can function as spoilers to the USF development process in Myanmar. According to telecommunications giant Ericcson, in 2016 Myanmar had about 36 million mobile subscribers—increasing by 5 million in the first quarter alone—and is second only to India in terms of growth.111 A recent survey found proportionate increases in mobile ownership among men and women from 2015 to 2016; this means that while 52 percent of women now report owning a mobile phone, the 28 percent gender gap remains.112 Smartphone penetration among mobile owners is remarkably high (see Table 1), although statistics on data use underscore that owning internet-enabled devices does not equate with internet use.113 These figures are similar to data provided by Ooredoo Myanmar for smartphones on its network, although self-reported use of data services is less than the 57 percent of Telenor Myanmar subscribers who use data monthly. The state-owned telecom “I don’t even want to learn how to use my phone for more than calls—I don’t have time!” —Urban mother of female factory worker MPT reported 12 million data users at the end of October 2015.114 Table 1: Smartphone Ownership and Use, by Sex, Residence and Type of Age, 2016 Men Women Rural Urban Under Age 24 Over Age 55 Own a Smartphone 78% 77% 74% 82% 93% 55% Use Data Services 51% 47% 44% 57% n/a n/a Despite public enthusiasm for mobile devices, international and local industry experts interviewed for this report cautioned that Myanmar needs to invest in expanding highspeed broadband availability in order to achieve truly accessible and affordable internet usage. The World Bank is supporting government plans to divide the country into three service areas for faster internet connectivity via government-licensed ISPs. Given that mobile data is more expensive than fixed-line data, faster connection speeds would benefit Steve Gilmore, “Telenor Posts Higher Revenues Despite Increased Competition in Telco Industry,” Myanmar Times, October 27, 2016; Telenor Myanmar, “Telenor Network Carried a Record 7.2 Billion Text Messages in 2016.” 108 For member list, see Alliance for Affordable Internet, “A4AI-Myanmar Coalition Members,” n.d. Accessed February 14, 2017. 109 Alliance for Affordable Internet, “A4AI Myanmar Coalition Working Group Meeting Report,” press release, November 18, 2016. 110 GSMA, “GSMA Calls for Re-evaluation and Reduction of the Universal Service Fund Levy,” press release, April 10, 2013. 111 Ericsson, Ericsson Mobility Report on the Pulse of the Networked Society (Stockholm: Ericsson, November 2016). 112 Galpaya et al., Mobile Phones, Internet, Information and Knowledge. 113 Ibid. 114 Catherine Trautwein, “Myanmar Named Fourth Fastest-Growing Mobile Market in the World by Ericsson,” Myanmar Times, November 20, 2015. 107 Ending the Gender Digital Divide in Myanmar: A Problem-Driven Political Economy Assessment | 37