Viettel, Vietnam’s largest mobile network operator, will collaborate with Myanmar’s state-backed Yantanarpon Teleport, holder of the country’s fourth mobile phone license. The joint-ven- ture is currently awaiting approval for aninvestment of at least US$ 800 million to develop Yantanarpon’s telecoms infrastruc- ture in the country, officials from both com- panies have confirmed.
Last month Viettel Global, the invest- ment arm of Vietnam’s military-run Viet- tel Group, announced plans to contribute $800 million to developing telecoms with an unnamed partner in Myanmar, and told Reuters on Friday it will likely announce the decision of its shareholders on Dec. 15.
Viettel failed to secure a licence in 2013 when Myanmar conducted a high-profile li- cense race, which was won by Qatar’s Oore- doo and Telenor from Norway. Yatanarpon, currently offers pre-paid mobile services and Internet packages as well as satellite communication in Myanmar, has under- gone restructuring to become a public com-pany.
Viettel Global said the additional funds would be raised by its foreign partner and a joint venture, to be established by both firms, the Vietnamese company said in the plan published in November, according to the Reuters.
MPT, the first Myanmar’s telecom network, has also expanded its SIM distribution net- work by cooperating with two Japanese firms, KDDI and Sumitomo. The two com- panies said that they would invest$2 billion in the MPT.
Yatanarpon teleport is a key player for ICT sector development in Myanmar, estab- lished in 2006 undertaken by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications. It currently offers pre-paid mobile services and Internet packages as well as satellite communication in Myanmar, has undergone a restructuring to become a public company.
