Taiwanese telco Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has joined a consortium along with France’s Orange Group, Japanese firm Marubeni and smartphone manufacturer HTC which is interested in becoming a strategic investor in Myanmar’s state-owned operator Myanmar Posts and Telecommunication (MPT). The government of Myanmar is looking for an overseas partner to help MPT compete in the country’s newly liberalised telecoms market. Telenor of Norway and Ooredoo of Qatar were awarded full-service fixed, mobile and internet concessions in July this year which will allow them to compete against MPT and the country’s only other established operator, Yatanarpon Teleport (YTP).
A venture involving Orange and Marubeni was one of the twelve short-listed bidders in the July auction; although their bid was not successful, they were named as the reserve winner and will be handed a licence should Telenor or Ooredoo fail to meet their rollout obligations.