Editing Telecommunications in Myanmar (section)

===Telephone system===
* General assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government
* Domestic: system barely capable of providing basic service; cellular phone system is grossly underdeveloped with a subscribership base of less than 1 per 100 persons{{Update inline|date=May 2016}}
* International: country code - 95; landing point for the [[SEA-ME-WE 3]] optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; [[satellite]] earth stations - 2, [[Intelsat]] ([[Indian Ocean]]) and [[Thaicom|ShinSat]] (2007)

Bids were offered for two fresh telecom licenses by the Myanmar government. The deadline was set to be 8 February 2013. The licenses were expected to be issued in June and carry a contract duration of up to 20 years. Two more licenses were expected to be offered following this round of bidding.<ref name=burmatelbid>
{{Cite news
| title = Myanmar telecom bidding war heats up
| publisher = Investvine.com
| date = 31 January 2013
| url= http://investvine.com/myanmar-telecom-bidding-war-heats-up/
| access-date =1 February 2013}}
</ref>

According to government statistics, 5.4 million of Myanmar's 60 million population had a mobile phone subscription at the end of 2012, giving the country a mobile penetration of 9 per cent.<ref name=ref2013040505>
    {{Cite news
    | title = Vodafone, China Mobile eye Myanmar
    | publisher = Investvine.com
    | date = 5 April 2013
    | url= http://investvine.com/vodafone-china-mobile-eye-myanmar/
    | access-date =5 April 2013}}
</ref>

According to official figures released in mid-2012, Myanmar had 857 [[base transceiver station]]s (BTS) for 1,654,667 local [[GSM]] mobile users, 188 BTSs for 225,617 local [[WCDMA]] mobile users, 366 BTSs for 633,569 local [[Code division multiple access|CDMA-450]] mobile users, and 193 BTSs for 341,687 [[Code division multiple access|CDMA-800]] mobile users. [[Huawei]] who has built 40 percent of the towers and ZTE has built 60 percent in Myanmar, which amounts to 1500 across the country, said it has built the towers mostly in [[Yangon]], [[Mandalay]], and [[Naypyidaw]].<ref name=":1">"[http://www.yozzo.com/news-and-information/mvno-mobile-operator-s/updated-myanmar-telecoms-license-awards-to-go-ahead-as-planned Myanmar's two telecom licences goes to Telenor and Ooredoo]", Yozzo Telecom News, 27 June 2013</ref>

The Myanmar Telecommunications Operator Tender Evaluation and Selection Committee selected Norwegian [[Telenor Myanmar|Telenor Group]] and [[Ooredoo Myanmar|Ooredoo]] of Qatar as winners of the bidding, for the two telecom licenses issued by the government of Myanmar.<ref name=":1" /> The licenses allow the operators to build and operate a nationwide wireless network for 15 years. [[Ooredoo]] began selling low-price SIM cards at a price of US$1.5 in Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyidaw in August 2014. Prior to 2012, during military rule, SIM cards cost USD 1,500.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thenextweb.com/asia/2014/09/26/myanmars-mobile-revolution-kicks-telenor-prepares-launch-service/|title=Myanmar's Mobile Revolution Kicks On|website=TNW News|date=26 September 2014 |access-date=22 May 2015}}</ref>

[[Mytel]] is the fourth telecom firm in Myanmar. It is a joint venture between [[Myanmar Army]]-backed Star High Public Co Ltd, which holds 48 percent, Vietnam's [[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)|Ministry of Defence]] owned [[Viettel|Viettel Group]], which holds 28 percent, and Myanmar National Telecom Holding Public Ltd, a group of 11 local companies with a combined 23-percent stake.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/business/belgian-firms-withdrawal-mytel-operator-sees-minimal-impact.html|title=Belgian Firm's Withdrawal from Mytel Operator Sees Minimal Impact|website=The Irrawaddy|access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref> Commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing stated at the opening ceremony of Mytel on 11 February 2018 that it will cover 93 percent of the 2G networks and 60 percent of the 4G networks of Myanmar after installing towers and stations across the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/business/technology/24576-mytel-to-target-rual-areas-and-compete-on-price.html|title=Mytel to target rural areas and compete on price|website=Mmtimes.com|access-date=15 June 2018}}</ref>