Myanmar’s Union Parliament has approved a bill to promote the country’s telecommunications sector. The telecommunications law calls for the development of the country through the adoption of more advanced telecommunications technology and increased participation by the private sector in developing the telecommunications sector. Under the approved telecommunications bill, foreign telecom companies are allowed to operate in the country with licence duration periods ranging from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years. The telecommunications bill was submitted to Parliament for approval in November 2012. In June 2013, Norway’s Telenor and Qatar’s Ooredoo became the first foreign companies to be granted mobile operating licences in Myanmar. The Myanmar government is implementing a plan to increase the telephone density in the country to 22.8 per cent in 2013–14, 50 per cent in 2014–15, and between 75 and 80 per cent in 2015–16.
