Ericsson, Huawei and Wipro are likely to work with Telenor for rolling mobile services in Myanmar.
Norwegian telecom giant Telenor confirmed that the company has signed memorandums of understanding with China’s equipment maker Huawei, Ericsson of Sweden and India’s Wipro to work in Myanmar to develop a mobile phone network.
Formal agreements with these companies will be finalized when Telenor receives its operating licence. The government has said that the licences will be issued by the end of September.
Recently, Myanmar offered telecom license to Telenor and Ooredoo. They received operating licences by a tender selection committee in late June, beating out nine other companies — including India’s Airtel — and consortiums. ( Telenor and Qatar Telecom bag Myanmar mobile license, Airtel misses )
Telenor spokesperson said that the company could not yet comment on what role the three companies will play in its network development plans.
Meanwhile, Telenor Group has appointed Petter Furberg as chief executive officer (CEO) of Telenor Myanmar, effective from when the company receives formal approval from the relevant Myanmar authorities.
Myanmar has become a success story for Huawei Technologies. State-owned Myanmar Posts and Telecommunication (MPT) and Yatanarpon Teleport (YTP) have chosen Huawei as their main supplier.
Ooredoo, earlier known as Qatar Telecom, is yet to announce the name of its supplier. It is currently in talks with Ericsson and Huawei.
On 13 August, Telenor Myanmar launched an employee recruitment program to support its rapid roll-out of a state-of-the-art telecommunications network and affordable mobile communication services.
Telenor’s India venture — Uninor — is also scripting a successful business strategy despite regulatory challenges.
Telenor Myanmar seeks to replicate the success that Telenor Group has had in other markets in Asia in developing strong local talent as the foundation for its world-class operations. It will also leverage its expertise to meet its business start-up objectives in a program that will bring modern telecommunications to Myanmar.
Telenor will also launch the Telenor Myanmar Academy, a center dedicated to the professional and management skills training of Telenor Myanmar employees. The courses will provide both functional and leadership training to equip employees with the knowledge and skills required to perform in their roles and support achievement of their career goals.
Baburajan K
editor@telecomlead.com
