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MPT rolls out 450MHz phone network
(Volume 26, No. 512)
A customer examines the fine print of one of MPT’s 450Mhz prepaid phone cards in Yangon. Pic: Aye Zaw Myo
MYANMA Post and Telecommunications has launched a local mobile phone system for thousands of mobile phone in nine states and divisions during this month, the prepaid top-up cards sole distributor, Elite Tech said last week.
A spokesperson for the company said the state-owned telecommunications provider is working to grant the phones to residents of Kachin, Chin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan (South) States and Sagaing, Magway, Bago (East) and Ayeyarwady Divisions during this month at a rental cost of K500,000.
The spokesperson would not divulge how many phones would be made available, but confirmed that the phones are enabled for use within their assigned states and divisions as local mobile phones.
The service is designed for users of Code Division Multiple Access 450 megahertz phones. Previously, CDMA 450MHz phones have been offered to the public at an initial rental cost of K1.5 million and prepaid billing of K50,000 but these phones can be used in the whole country.
“Local mobile phones have been available in Sagaing and Ayeyarwady Divisions for the past week,” he said, adding that people can receive the phones by applying directly to their states and divisions’ MPT offices.
These phones are intended for use with prepaid top-up cards on sale for K10,000, K30,000, FEC20 or FEC50. Users can top up their calling charges by typing the codes inside the top-up cards to their phones. The cards’ life is three months and it will expire if they are not used during the set period.
The calling charges will be deducted from the card value at set rates of K50 per minute for any outgoing call, FEC0.90 per minute for any overseas call and K25 per SMS message, but incoming calls and messages will be free.
MPT statistics, released last June, indicated that the state-owned enterprise has established 119,300 CDMA 450MHz phone lines and 78 stations throughout the country, with another 19,400 lines and 13 stations on the way.
Official MPT statistics published in state-owned media last December show that Myanmar has installed 451,673 landline phones and 480,061 lines of mobile phones, while 345 auto exchange offices have been established.
It also figured that MPT has installed 45,620 landline phones, 91,540 lines of mobile phones, 46 exchange offices and 14 microwave links during 2009-2010 fiscal year.
During 2010-2011 fiscal year, the MPT aims to install 40,000 landline phones, 130,000 mobile phone lines and 70 auto exchange offices, with a capacity of 36,914 lines, state-owned media reported in early January.
