Ooredoo will significantly contribute to the leapfrog
of Myanmar’s telecom sector and the long-term
development of the economy
At a press conference in Myanmar yesterday the Myanmar government announced further details about the two successful applicants in the Nationwide Telecommunications Licence Award Process and in conjunction with the two operators released further information around their specific role in building and developing the country’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Speaking about the selection process the government said: “Both successful applicants were chosen in an objective and transparent process, in line with international best practices.”
The government added: “The Union Government is pleased to have selected two very strong and experienced international operators, which will quickly develop telecommunications networks across the country. The two successful applicants have both committed to a very strong coverage of all regions and states, a dense distribution network in both urban and rural areas and a wide range of (value added) services, at low prices. Therefore, the selection of these two successful applicants will significantly contribute to the growth of the Myanmar economy and benefit Myanmar citizens across all states and regions.”
Ooredoo has committed to nationwide geographic coverage of 84% (both voice and data) after 5 years. It has committed to a voice tariff during peak hours of up to MMK 45 per minute (for calls to another operator) and up to MMK 35 (for calls among Ooredoo customers). It will offer SIM cards at MMK 1,500 or below and will also have an offer with a SIM card for free. Ooredoo has committed to create a large distribution network encompassing 240,000 points of sales where SIM cards can be bought and more than 720,000 points of sales where top-up can be purchased after 5 years.
Ooredoo will offer a wide range of value added services. For example, its mobile money service will give customers the opportunity to send money to their family and friends. Local content including local video content and mobile applications will be made available to customers. A range of mHealth services will be provided including health-based advisory, monitoring services, access to doctors and the ability to submit the user’s health data to a database for automatic monitoring of key health indicators. Another service will function as an information service and portal for agriculture market prices, weather forecasts, and equipment rental services.
Ooredoo has also pledged to invest heavily in the Myanmar economy and strongly contribute to the development of the country. It will invest around USD 60 million into corporate social responsibility initiatives over the next 10 years. For example, Ooredoo will build 10,000 tele-centres across the country that will provide free public Internet connectivity to Myanmar people in both urban and rural areas. Additionally, Ooredoo has guaranteed at least one free Internet access-point for all public primary and secondary schools, universities and libraries. Moreover, it will provide coverage to all 900 hospitals and clinics around Myanmar, with each receiving at least one free Internet access-point. Ooredoo also intends to set up 15 mobile health clinics by the end of 2016, which will provide healthcare assistance to rural communities through routine and scheduled visits to designated locations, and which will focus on women, children and citizens who cannot afford any healthcare. 99.9% of Ooredoo’s employees in Myanmar will be Myanmar citizens after 5 years.
About Ooredoo
Ooredoo is an international telecommunications company with headquarters in Qatar and with over 92 million subscribers worldwide. It operates networks in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Ooredoo possesses strong experience in South East Asia, with operations in Indonesia, Singapore, Laos and the Philippines.
Ooredoo, formerly known as Qtel Group, delivers mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses across markets in the Middle East, North Africa and South-East Asia. As a community-focused company, Ooredoo is guided by its vision of enriching people’s lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential. Ooredoo has a presence in markets such as Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, the Maldives and Indonesia. The company reported revenues of $9.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2012 and had a consolidated global customer base of more than 92.9 million people as of 31 December 2012. Ooredoo’s shares are listed on the Qatar Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
www.ooredoo.com
