Telenor Myanmar has begun offering mobile services in Yangon following a two-week delay to its target date.
The operator claims to have provided one million SIM cards in the city of 2.5 million people following just one day of service.
The Yangon launch was delayed for various reasons, including the difficulty of deploying during the rainy season and the lengthy approval processes for cell towers.
Telenor has been offering services in the second-largest city of Mandalay since 27th September, then launched in Nay Pyi Taw roughly a week later. Telenor Myanmar CEO Petter Furberg claimed that the operator had already released 1 million SIM cards in these two cities before the 1 million issued in Yangon.
He stated: “Our next step is to start expanding our network into the rural areas to reach the mass market of this vast greenfield.” The operator is obliged to provide coverage across 90% of Myanmar within the next five years.
SIMs are available for MMK1,500 ($1.50) and airtime top-up cards can be purchased at the same points of sale. Pay as you go internet is also available, offering limited free access to Facebook and Wikipedia.
