Norway's Telenor group ready to invest
Norway-based Telenor Group is prepared to invest in Myanmar's telecommunication sector, Sigve Brekke, executive vice-president and head of Asia operations of the group said at a conference held on Friday.
Telenor Group is one of the biggest Norwegian telecommunications company and has become a mostly an international wireless carrier with operations in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Asia, working predominantly under the Telenor brand.
At the end of 2010, its 203 million subscribers made it one of the largest mobile phone operators in the world.
The group is currently working as mobile operator in Thailand, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are among 12 companies who have been called to submit tenders by Myanmar Posts and Telecommunication (MPT) and the group intends to invest quickly towards modernising the telecom network in Myanmar if they get the licence.
“If we get the licence, we will try to make ourselves the best in Myanmar’s telecommunications sector.
“We can offer mobile Internet and online banking besides a rate of 20 kyats per minute for local phone call. Thailand charges only Bt0.76 per minute. We can make everyone buy phones with affordable prices here,” Brekke said.
The group does not intend to have a partner and will take a 100-per-cent stake.
They will construct their own communication networks, while the manufacturing of SIM cards will take about six months at least. The network infrastructure will take seven months to set up, he added.
The company will provide technical assistance to Myanmar’s universities later, Brekke said.
