Telecommunications in Burma

All communications in Burma are controlled by the government.

Telecommunication networks

Installation of telephones and the cost of calling are prohibitively expensive for most people. To call overseas for two minutes would cost more than most earn in a month.

Telephones - main lines in use: 503,900 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 214,200 (2006)

Telephone system:
general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government
domestic: system barely capable of providing basic service; cellular phone system is grossly underdeveloped with a subscribership base of less than 1 per 100 persons
international: country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE 3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2007)

Homepage : www.mpt.net.mm/

Media

Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 3 (2007)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (2008)

Press

1. Kyehmon (Burmese: ကြေးမုံ) - state-run daily
2. The New Light of Myanmar (Burmese: Myanma A-lin) - English and Burmese language organ of SPDC
3. The Myanmar Times (Burmese: Myanma Taing) - private-run English-language weekly

Television

1. MTV or MTV1 - state-run, operated by Myanmar TV - broadcasts in Burmese language.
2. MTV2 - state-run, sister channel of MTV - broadcast in Burmese language and some local languages
3. MTV International - state-run international TV service
4. MTV3 - state-run, another sister channel of MTV - doesn't broadcast in Burmese but in Thai, Khmer, Vietnamese and English. (pay TV)
5. MTV4 - state-run 24 hours sport channel. (pay TV)
6. MRTV - state-run, operated by Myanmar Radio TV - broadcasts in Burmese, Arakanese, Shan, Karen, Kachin, Kayah, Chin, Mon and English
7. MRTV-3 - state-run second international TV service
8. MRTV-4 - pay TV service (only available in Yangon)
9. TV Myawady - army-run network
10. Democratic Voice of Burma - Burmese students in exile launched it since two years ago

Radio

1. Radio Myanmar - state-run, operated by Myanmar TV and Radio Department
2. Yangon City FM - entertainment-based, operated by Yangon City Development Committee
3. Democratic Voice of Burma - opposition station based in Norway, broadcasts via shortwave

News agency

1. Myanmar News Agency (MNA) - state-run

Internet

Main article: Internet in Burma

The government does not allow access to the entire Internet; many adult, anti-government, free email, and web sites are blocked. The costs to install Internet access and ongoing usage charges are prohibitively expensive for most people.

Myanmar Teleport^[1] (formerly Bagan Cybertech), Information Technology Central Services (ITCS),^[2] and the state-owned Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT)^[3] are the Internet service providers in Myanmar.^[4][5] Internet cafés are common in the larger cities of the country.

According to MPT's official statistics as of July 2010, the country had over 400,000 Internet users (0.8% of the population) with the vast majority of the users located in the two largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay.^[6]

See also

• Burma
• Censorship in Burma

References

1. ^ "Company at a glance", Yatanarpon Teleport Co., Ltd.
2. ^ "New consortium to shake up IT sector", Ye Kaung Myint Maung, Myanmar Times, vol.19, no.370 (11–17 June 2007)
3. ^ "Internet Services Tariff", Information Technology department, Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs, accessed 10 June 2011
4. ^ "Myanmar Internet Provider", Guide for Myanmar, 2007
5. ^ "Internet service hampered as Myanmar Teleport server breaks down", Mizzima News Agency, 10 February 2009
6. ^ Wai-Yan Phyo Oo and Saw Pyayzon (2010-07-30). "State of Internet Usage in Myanmar" (in Burmese). Bi-Weekly Eleven (Yangon) 3 (18): 1–2. 

External links

• Myanmar Post and Telecoms - the government ISP