Telecoms & IT

Myanmar is at the beginning of a telecoms boom, and consumers will soon have access to a plethora of new services that can fully alter the way business, social activities, education, and every aspect of society is run. Myanma SIM cards at one time retailed for $3000 each, severely limiting access, but as of 2014 citizens can connect their phones for just $1.50. The entrance of new players to the sector is expected to create demand for a number of ICT services companies, drawing upon the skills of web designers, network professionals and programmers. However, education and human resources are a major challenge and local talent is hard to find. As the sector develops, access to information will enable the country’s citizens to thrive in areas that have been blocked for decades.

This chapter contains a roundtable with Takashi Nagashima, Managing Director, KSGM; Ross Cormack, CEO, Ooredoo Myanmar; Peter Furberg, CEO, Telenor Myanmar; and U Shane Thu Aung, CEO, Yatanarpon Teleport/Royal Yatanarpon; and an interview with U Thein Oo, Chairman, Myanmar ICT Development Corporation (MIDC).