Mobile phones in Myanmar increase to over 200,000 in 2007

Song Shutao

YANGON, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The number of GSM mobile phones in Myanmar increased to 211,812 in 2007, up from 141,564 in 2006, a newly-published local bi-weekly reported Thursday.

Other phones such as CDMA stood at 30,390 in number as of the year, while D-AMPS phones 23,710, DECT radio phones 2,571 and auto-phones 87,636 the "Biweekly Eleven" said, quoting the state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT).

With telephone exchange stations rising up to 891, the number of telephone lines were extended to 747,565 in 2007, up from 685,160 in 2006, it said, adding that rural telephone exchange stations remained as 241, up from 218 correspondingly.

Meanwhile, the telephone density of Myanmar also went up annually reaching 13.1 per 1,000 population in 2007, up from 10.47in 2006 and 7.27 in 2005.

GSM phones have been extensively used in Myanmar since it was introduced in 2002 after cellular ones in 1993 and the DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication) and CDMA in 1997.

According to the MPT, GSM (global system for mobile) phones in Myanmar can auto-roam over two dozen townships far up to the border areas and mainly cover all other major cities in addition to Yangon and Mandalay.

Meanwhile, Myanmar will introduce world's up-date audio-visual mobile phone for use in the country for the first time to upgrade its telecommunication links, according to an earlier local report.

A total of 30,000 3-G WCDMA mobile phones will be initially installed for users in Yangon soon as the first batch and 15 radio stations are being promptly built for signal links, the report said.

The upgraded system will be based on the existing GSM network, it said, adding that the introduction of 3-G WCDMA system represents Myanmar's entry into a new phase of its mobile phone system.