Telkom Indonesia throws hat into Myanmar ring

The Jakarta Globe reports that Indonesia’s largest telecoms operator by subscribers and revenues, PT Telkomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom), has joined the growing list of companies and groups interested in seeking investment opportunities in the Myanmar telecoms market. Telkom strategic portfolio director Indra Utoyo is quoted as saying that the company is taking part in a tender to purchase a mobile operator’s licence in Myanmar, following the local government’s January announcement seeking expressions of interest (EoI) for licences. Speaking in a conference in the capital Jakarta, Indra confirmed the official position noting: ‘We see Myanmar as having great potential, as the mobile penetration rate currently only stands at 5%’. However, the official stopped short of providing an assessment of the likelihood of Telkom securing a concession, pointing out that the Myanmar has set a high standard for applications. The Indonesian firm’s EoI joins a growing list of applicants for various types of licences, that also includes SingTel, Telenor, Axiata, ST Telemedia, Bharti Airtel and Thai firms Advanced Info Service (AIS) and True Corp.