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[Mindy]

Myanmar to add 10,000 more mobile phone lines

www.chinaview.cn 2004-04-27 11:04:03

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-04/27/content_1442409.htm

YANGON, April 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Myanmar will add 10,000 more mobile phone lines under a latest infrastructural project to improve the country's telecommunications industry, the Myanmar Times reported in this week's issue.

Quoting the state-run Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT),the report said the project will also cover Mogok and Mongshu in southern Shan state and Pharkant in northern Kachin state.

Meanwhile, a new digital advanced mobile phone system network, which is under installation and will be completed by June, will also allow access between Yangon and Mandalay, the two major cities of Myanmar, the report added.

As part of its bid to develop the mobile phone industry, Myanmar is planning to increase such phone density, anticipating to reach a saturation point within two years.

While the government-run MPT still remains as the only mobile phone service provider in Myanmar, experts urged liberalization ofthe industry by allowing some more private operators into the phone market to better the development of the sector, according tothe report.

Meanwhile, a Chinese company is reportedly prepared to fund Myanmar's mobile phone infrastructural projects as it did to Laos.



According to official statistics, out of Myanmar's mobile phonesystems, there were 8,500 lines of cellular system, 2,700 Digital European Cordless Telecommunication (DECT) system, 18,250 fixed lines and 11,800 mobile lines of CDMA system and 21,900 lines of GSM system totalling 63,150 as of the end of 2003.

The cellular system was introduced in 1993, while the DECT and CDMA systems were launched in 1997 and the GSM system in 2002. Enditem