6/9/22, 10:05 AM Myanmar Universal Service Fund supports mobile signal coverage growth | Myanmar 2019 | Oxford Business Group (https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/covid-19-update-registration) Keywords (optional) Search Myanmar Universal Service Fund supports mobile signal coverage growth Myanmar (/country/myanmar) ICT (/search-results? sector=52392&country=all&keywords=) View in online reader (/node/943351/reader) Text size + Analysis - l i fi l h dl ffi i l i bil i l hi h ill b Since the liberalisation of the telecommunications industry, the Myanmar government has made a point of tailoring its digital strategy to achieve its goals on economic inclusion. With this in mind, the Telecommunications Law of 2013 gave the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) the ability to establish a Universal Service Fund (USF) with the ultimate goal of ensuring universal mobile coverage. In early 2018 the government of Myanmar revealed plans to impose a 2% tax on the income of mobile operators through the establishment of a USF. As part of the government’s overall Universal Service Strategy (USS), the proceeds from the fund will be used to provide basic telecoms services in rural areas that remain underserved due to logistical challenges and communal unrest, such as in Shan, Kayin, Kachin and Rakhine States. The government has set a target of 94.8% population coverage by the first quarter of 2019, to build on the 90% covered in early 2018, according to the USS issued by the Posts and Telecommunications Department with the assistance of emerging markets ICT consultancy firm Intelecon. The Scheme In broad terms, the USF will be responsible for the implementation of the USS, along with its programmes and projects. In doing so, the USF will help to fund the deployment of basic infrastructure in unconnected rural areas, with the intention of introducing more advanced telecommunications services in the future. Starting in June 2018, Myanmar’s four mobile operators – the state-owned MPT, Telenor Myanmar, Ooredoo Myanmar and Mytel – have been required to make financial contributions to USF. Over the initial five-year period, it is estimated that the scheme will collect between $100m to $121m from operator https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/analysis/final-hurdle-officials-are-pursuing-99-mobile-signal-coverage-2022-which-will-be-funded-first 1/4