3
The targets included in the licences set out an ambitious vision for improvement of voice
and data service coverage throughout the country:
“Commercial launch no later than 9 months after the effective date of the Licence;
Geographic coverage for voice services of 25% and for data services of 10% within 12
months;
Geographic coverage for voice services of 75% and for data services of 50% within 60
months.” 111
The two international licensees each achieved 1 million subscribers within the first 2-3
weeks of operations. 112
Each operator licence includes the requirement that after three years (assuming network
rollout targets are met) each operator must contribute 2% of annual revenue to a
Universal Service Fund managed by MCIT. This Fund is intended to subsidise the cost of
telecommunications service in areas where infrastructure deployment is not economically
viable for network operators. (For more on universal service, see below under “Cost of
Telecommunications Access”).
To support the rollout targets, MCIT also issued new draft rules for the
telecommunications sector relating to Licensing, Access and Interconnection, Spectrum,
Numbering and Competition, which was open for public consultation in November 2013. 113
Each class of licence permits companies to engage in the specific activities set out in
Table 25 below. As of April 2015, MCIT issued several types of licences to 20 companies
to provide these telecommunications services. These licences differ from the licences to
operate national telecommunications networks held by Telenor, MPT, and Ooredoo. See
also Tables 33 and 34 at the end of this chapter for further information.
Table 25: Classes of Telecommunications Licences in Myanmar
Class of
Telecommunications
Licence
Example of activities
Network Facilities Service
(Individual)
Construct,
maintain,
operate,
and
telecommunications services over:
Terrestrial fixed line transmission facilities
Terrestrial radio transmission facilities
Mobile base stations
Submarine cable facilities
provide
111
New Light of Myanmar, “Telecommunications Operator Tender Evaluation and Selection
Committee issues press release” (28 June 2013), pg 5 and 16.
112 TowerXchange, “The Myanmar tower rollout: FAQs (updated June 2015)”.
113 See the draft rules here http://www.mcit.gov.mm/content/proposed-rules-telecommunications-sector.html
and comments by MCRB http://www.myanmar-responsiblebusiness.org/news/comments-mcit-proposed-rulestelecommunications-sector.html
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CHAPTER 3: SECTOR-LEVEL IMPACTS