Nowadays, the Internet and telephone become so popular and almost indispensable in the daily life. Especially when traveling, it is very important for tourist to contact, catch information, destinations, way back in one country. In addition, Myanmar is a developing country and the Myanmar net is still limited. So if you want to use telephone and Internet in Myanmar, you should take some notes below.
History of Myanmar net development
The first Internet connection in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) was established in 2000.
Since September 2011, the level of Internet censorship in Burmese history has decreased dramatically. Prior to September 2011, the military government worked actively to restrict and control Internet access through censorship based on software, infrastructure and technical limitations, laws and regulations with fines. Big and long prison sentences for the offenders.
Internet usage in myanmar
In 2015, the internet users significantly increased to 12.6% with the introduction of the faster mobile 3G internet by transnational telecommunication companies, Telenor Myanmar and Ooredoo Myanmar, and later joined by national Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT).
While the internet situation in Myanmar has constantly been evolving since its introduction in 2010 and reduction of censorship in 2011, laws such as the 2013 Telecommunications Law continue to restrict citizens from total freedom online. However, internet penetration continues to increase nationwide despite the restrictions.
Situation of network in Myanmar
1. Service providers, Internet cafés:
5BB Broadband, Yatanarpon Teleport, WeLink Myanmar, Myanmar Speednet, Myanmar Net, satellite internet provider Skynet, the state-owned Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT), Kinetic Myanmar Technology and AGB Communication are the Internet service providers in Mandalay and Yangon.
In the past, Internet cafes were the general access center for domestic internet users and most used different software to bypass government proxy servers. Until the democratization in 2011, with the advent of the cheap mobile internet and the improvement of telecommunications infrastructure after liberalization, Internet cafes have become less popular. However, they are still widely available to acces Internet in Myanmar, especially in Yangon and Mandalay and are used when people write a blog and some other activities.
The Cafe Internet in Myanmar
2. Internet in other towns and rural areas
The internet access for home use in other towns except Yangon and Mandalay is the only ADSL, provided by MPT. But the internet fees are so expensive.
– By 2017, MPT ADSL will cost 325,000 Myanmar Kyat (estimated at US $ 240).
– For the initial ADSL Setup fee, the MPT offers a price of 50,000 Myanmar Kyat (estimated at $ 37) without CPE.
– The monthly charge for 512kbit / s (lowest bandwidth) is 17,000 Myanmar Kyat (estimated at US $ 13) and the 2.5 Mb / s (highest bandwidth) fee is 80,000 Myanmar Kyat (60 US dollars) calculation).
– The annual fee is 50,000 Myanmar Kyat (estimated at 37 USD)
– Internet FTTH is not available in the towns.
3. Mobile Phone Usage
Nowadays, the price of SIM cards in Myanmar is decreasing thanks to the growth of using Internet in Myanmar and telecom operators. Specifically, the price of 1 sim card goes from “~ 245,000 kyats (reported as $ 250) in 2013 to ~ 1,542 kyats (reportedly $ 1.5) in 2014. Although the cost remains high for Burma, Burmese are still willing to pay for mobile phones, with more than 18.1 million active SIM cards
Notes for foreign tourists
● It is only in Yangon to have fiber-optic internet while in Pagan or other places there are high-speed ADSL billboards like Vietnam in 2000.
● Some hotels offer Myanmar ‘s internet but with quite high prices, please check with the hotel reception. If you stay in Yangon, you can rent a computer at the hotel for 1000kat per hour of use with good quality
● There is not much internet cafe in Myanmar, only in the heart of the city for quite high prices. In addition, the government of Myanmar restricts and regulates the use of the internet as well as telephone. You will not have access to some popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Skype or Yahoo Msg. Gmail & Google talk can use but frequently bug
Notes for foreign tourists on use of Myanmar net and telephone
● Internet access via mobile devices to the wifi hotspot in hotels in Myanmar is almost impossible or very slow. You should be aware of this when you intend to use it.
● To purchase a SIM card, foreigners need to have photocopies of their passport photo page and Myanmar visa page, as well as one passport photo. SIM cards are 3G mobile data enabled and standard SIM and micro SIM cards are available.
● Note that mobile network access is often patchy or non-existent in rural areas, but usually works well in towns.
● International calls cost more than $ 5 / minute and can only be done reliably from the hotel; Note that only a few calls allow international calls and you may still be charged for a call even though it is not connected.
● Public phones: You can not find a public telephone booth in the city. All calls to foreign countries are controlled by the government and allowed to be called. Guests should check the price with the hotel before calling.
Hope these information about Myanmar net and telephone will be useful for you when learning about this country, especially for foreign tourists.