HTC beats rivals with Burmese fonts

HTC beats rivals with Burmese fonts
Click to enlarge

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has become the latest entrant to the formerly isolated Myanmar market in an apparent bid to beat rivals Samsung and Apple.

HTC launched its smartphones in Myanmar on January 14, which will come with the world’s most advanced Burmese language on-screen keyboard to date.

In 2011, the World Bank listed Myanmar as the country with lowest mobile penetration rate in Asia at just 3 per cent. Myanmar, in fact, is one of the last greenfield telecom opportunities in the world, and ranks among the lowest in phone ownership.

Currently there are only two mobile phone carriers in the country, Myanmar Posts & Telecommunications and Yatanarpon Teleport Co, both of which are controlled by the government.

This will change if the country’s telecommunication regulator plans to draft a law that would create five new telecom operator licenses comes about.

3G SIM cards are available with data, but carry a hefty price tag of $220 to $230 dollars, and users must wait one week to register for the service.

Officials at Myanmar Posts & Telecommunications have announced that by mid-January 2013, 3G SIM cards will be available for the reduced price of $174, yet these prices, and those of simple SIMS valued at $20, still remain out of reach for many Myanmar citizens.



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[caption id="attachment_6426" align="alignleft" width="158"] Click to enlarge[/caption] Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has become the latest entrant to the formerly isolated Myanmar market in an apparent bid to beat rivals Samsung and Apple. HTC launched its smartphones in Myanmar on January 14, which will come with the world’s most advanced Burmese language on-screen keyboard to date. In 2011, the World Bank listed Myanmar as the country with lowest mobile penetration rate in Asia at just 3 per cent. Myanmar, in fact, is one of the last greenfield telecom opportunities in the world, and ranks among the lowest in phone ownership. Currently...

HTC beats rivals with Burmese fonts
Click to enlarge

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has become the latest entrant to the formerly isolated Myanmar market in an apparent bid to beat rivals Samsung and Apple.

HTC launched its smartphones in Myanmar on January 14, which will come with the world’s most advanced Burmese language on-screen keyboard to date.

In 2011, the World Bank listed Myanmar as the country with lowest mobile penetration rate in Asia at just 3 per cent. Myanmar, in fact, is one of the last greenfield telecom opportunities in the world, and ranks among the lowest in phone ownership.

Currently there are only two mobile phone carriers in the country, Myanmar Posts & Telecommunications and Yatanarpon Teleport Co, both of which are controlled by the government.

This will change if the country’s telecommunication regulator plans to draft a law that would create five new telecom operator licenses comes about.

3G SIM cards are available with data, but carry a hefty price tag of $220 to $230 dollars, and users must wait one week to register for the service.

Officials at Myanmar Posts & Telecommunications have announced that by mid-January 2013, 3G SIM cards will be available for the reduced price of $174, yet these prices, and those of simple SIMS valued at $20, still remain out of reach for many Myanmar citizens.



Support ASEAN news

Investvine has been a consistent voice in ASEAN news for more than a decade. From breaking news to exclusive interviews with key ASEAN leaders, we have brought you factual and engaging reports – the stories that matter, free of charge.

Like many news organisations, we are striving to survive in an age of reduced advertising and biased journalism. Our mission is to rise above today’s challenges and chart tomorrow’s world with clear, dependable reporting.

Support us now with a donation of your choosing. Your contribution will help us shine a light on important ASEAN stories, reach more people and lift the manifold voices of this dynamic, influential region.

 

 

1 COMMENT

  1. Would Apple even want to enter this market as the price of their handset is out of the reach of most citizens

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