Norway’s Telenor is calling on the government of Myanmar to create a telecoms law that will ensure long-term predictability for its planned mobile network.
Petter Furberg, the recently appointed CEO designate for Telenor Myanmar, told TelecomFinance…
Norway’s Telenor is calling on the government of Myanmar to create a telecoms law that will ensure long-term predictability for its planned mobile network.
Petter Furberg, the recently appointed CEO designate for Telenor Myanmar, told TelecomFinance that it will raise the issue as part of upcoming contract talks that will follow its mobile licence win last month.
“As a mobile operator it is important to have a legal framework that provides long-term predictability and promotes a level playing field,” he said in an interview.
The company has committed to deploying a mobile network that can cover 83% of Myanmar’s geography with voice and 78% with data services in five years.
However, the country’s parliament is not expected to finalise a telecoms law until at least the end of summer, raising concerns over how the country’s new mobile networks will be regulated.
One Asia-based analyst said having local expertise on the ground will be vital as Telenor and Ooredoo – the other winner in Myanmar’s first competitive mobile licence auction – prepare to enter the emerging market.
Furberg said Telenor planned to work closely with many local partners as distributors, vendors and suppliers, but declined to go into details.
It has been reported that the group is in talks with Indian towerco Viom, which could set up towers and manage networks on behalf of Telenor Myanmar.
The full exclusive interview with Telenor Myanmar’s incoming CEO will be published in the next print edition of TelecomFinance, out 25 July 2013.
