Final Report Chapter 11 Conclusions and Recommendations CHAPTER 11 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 11.1 Conclusions (1) Necessity and Relevance from viewpoint of PESTEL In this section, we will present the results of a cooperative preparatory study for the Project for the Improvement of Communication Wide-area Networks in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (through application of the fast track scheme). The results of the study were obtained through PESTEL analysis, a contemporary strategic management review method. PESTEL analysis is based on the traditional PEST analysis with the addition of two new review items. This analysis is made using the 6 factors listed below and is considered particularly effective when used to make a judgment as to whether the implementation of a project is feasible. The six factors are political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors. 1) Political factors: In Myanmar, the phone penetration rate was as low as 10% as of the end of fiscal 2012, including both fixed-line phones and mobile phones. In view of the current situation, the country plans in its national development program to improve this rate to between 75% and 80% by 2016. To promote this kind of national program, the Myanmar government has been working proactively in the promotion of this project, since it is essential that the telecommunications networks be developed if the targeted goal is to be achieved. 2) Economic factors: One aim of this project is the construction of telecommunications networks that are more reliable and have greater transmission capability. The wide-scale use of such reliable networks will accelerate economic activities. At the same time, the economic community in Myanmar definitely has high expectations for the construction of telecommunications networks that are more reliable and efficient. In particular, it is expected that economic activities in urban areas will be stimulated through the development of telecommunications networks connecting metropolitan regions, and that more jobs will be created as the information and telecommunications industry grows. The project is expected to bring about immeasurable economic effects. Also, as described in Chapter 10, there are high expectations that the implementation of this project will produce satisfactory outcomes and returns on investment, including those outcomes ensured through microeconomic analysis of this project. 3) Social factors: A wealth of case studies from around the world indicates that the construction of reliable, high-capacity telecommunications networks makes the lives of the people of that country more 11-1