SingTel ‘almost certain’ to win a licence in Myanmar

SingTel of Singapore and the international wireless operator Digicel are thought to be the two frontrunners in the race to acquire potentially lucrative telecoms licences in Myanmar. A report from TMT Finance cites local banking sources as saying that SingTel would ‘almost certainly’ be awarded one of two new available concessions to offer mobile, fixed line and data services. Digicel, meanwhile, is thought to be close to securing a tie-up with the incumbent operator Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), while Telenor of Norway and NTT DoCoMo of Japan are also among the international operators vying to win a place in the market. Although there has been interest from telcos in China, the government in Myanmar is believed to be steering clear of awarding a licence to a company from the neighbouring country on political grounds.