Ooredoo, Telenor in network-sharing talks for Myanmar
Qatar’s telecom company Ooredoo is in talks with Norway’s Telenor to share transmitter towers in Myanmar, seeking cost savings as they build networks in one of the world’s least developed telecom markets.
Myanmar awarded the country’s first foreign-held mobile licences to the two companies in June 2013 after receiving interest from more than 90 companies and consortiums. At the time, Ooredoo said it planned to spend $15 billion over the 15-year licence period.
“It’s a green-field launch and we’re going to build the network in partnership with Telenor,” Jeremy Sell, Ooredoo’s chief strategy officer, told a press conference in Dubai on October 2.
“This has never been done before – we’re rolling out two green-field networks and anything made of steel or concrete we want to share. There are no towers that are so strategic you can’t share them.”
Sell said this would enable Ooredoo, majority-owned by Qatar’s government, to make “considerable” savings.
Two state-backed firms – Yatanarpon Teleport (YTP) and Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT) – already hold mobile licences. YTP functions primarily as an internet service provider, while MPT – a department of the Communications Ministry – acts as both a regulator and operator.
But these have made little headway in developing the communications sector. Mobile penetration was just 11 per cent in 2012 – only Eritrea, Somalia and North Korea had fewer subscriptions per capita – while 1 per cent of the country’s estimated 60 million people use the Internet, according to the International Telecommunication Union.
Sell said discussions with Telenor were continuing, adding Ooredoo would likely also work with the two local operators o0r even outsource the infrastructure.
Qatar's telecom company Ooredoo is in talks with Norway's Telenor to share transmitter towers in Myanmar, seeking cost savings as they build networks in one of the world's least developed telecom markets. Myanmar awarded the country's first foreign-held mobile licences to the two companies in June 2013 after receiving interest from more than 90 companies and consortiums. At the time, Ooredoo said it planned to spend $15 billion over the 15-year licence period. "It's a green-field launch and we're going to build the network in partnership with Telenor," Jeremy Sell, Ooredoo's chief strategy officer, told a press conference in Dubai...
Qatar’s telecom company Ooredoo is in talks with Norway’s Telenor to share transmitter towers in Myanmar, seeking cost savings as they build networks in one of the world’s least developed telecom markets.
Myanmar awarded the country’s first foreign-held mobile licences to the two companies in June 2013 after receiving interest from more than 90 companies and consortiums. At the time, Ooredoo said it planned to spend $15 billion over the 15-year licence period.
“It’s a green-field launch and we’re going to build the network in partnership with Telenor,” Jeremy Sell, Ooredoo’s chief strategy officer, told a press conference in Dubai on October 2.
“This has never been done before – we’re rolling out two green-field networks and anything made of steel or concrete we want to share. There are no towers that are so strategic you can’t share them.”
Sell said this would enable Ooredoo, majority-owned by Qatar’s government, to make “considerable” savings.
Two state-backed firms – Yatanarpon Teleport (YTP) and Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT) – already hold mobile licences. YTP functions primarily as an internet service provider, while MPT – a department of the Communications Ministry – acts as both a regulator and operator.
But these have made little headway in developing the communications sector. Mobile penetration was just 11 per cent in 2012 – only Eritrea, Somalia and North Korea had fewer subscriptions per capita – while 1 per cent of the country’s estimated 60 million people use the Internet, according to the International Telecommunication Union.
Sell said discussions with Telenor were continuing, adding Ooredoo would likely also work with the two local operators o0r even outsource the infrastructure.
