Tower firm Edotco is lining up a $200 million investment in Myanmar over the next 5 years.
Edotco, which is the regional tower branch of Axiata, is also planning to construct 5,000 towers in Myanmar within the next three years. In October last year, the firm spent $221 million on a 75% stake in Myanmar Tower Company, the local infrastructure unit of Digicel. Edotco’s Asian operations cover Bangladesh, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It owns over 16,000 towers across these markets.
Edotco CEO Suresh Sidhu said: “We are dedicated to establishing a high quality telecommunications network in Myanmar. This will be achieved through the introduction of sustainable and value-added services, such as alternative energy solutions, dual-purpose structures and our proprietary echo remote monitoring and management system.”
Myanmar is expected to be a major growth market for tower infrastructure in Southeast Asia, with international players Ooredoo and Telenor deploying their networks across the country after winning licences at the end of 2013. The number of towers in Myanmar is projected to grow to 30,000 by 2024, compared to 8,000 currently.
With the obligation to extend coverage to 90% of the country over the next 5 years, Telenor Myanmar is stepping up its network deployment, having recently added Malaysian firm OCK Group and its local partner King Royal Technologies to its fold of tower suppliers, which already include Apollo Towers, Eco-Friendly Towers and Irrawaddy Green Towers. Telenor has stated that it will need to increase its 3,700 towers to 9,000 if it is to offer nationwide coverage.
