Young women check the functions and accessories of handsets at Lu Gyi Min showroom in Yangon last month.

THE market for Global System for Mobile (GSM) telephones is flourishing, with figures released by Myanma Post and Telecom-munications showing the number of users jumped by 60 percent since the middle of last year.

MPT says there were more than 150,000 GSM phones in use at the end of January, up from 90,000 in the middle of last year.

GSM phones were introduced by MPT in 2002 and despite being more expensive, quickly became more popular than CDMA and cell phones because they offered better reception over a greater area.

The reception and range of GSM phones has continued to improve as more relay towers are built throughout the country.

When GSM phones were introduced, users who had received permission to own one were required to pay a K500,000 fee to MPT to access the system.

Priority for ownership was initially given to public servants, those in business and employees of non-government organisations, but has since broadened to include just about anyone. Demand for GSM access resulted in MPT introducing a lucky draw in mid-2006, with the winners being granted permits subject to satisfying some precondi-tions.

“Those who want GSM access must submit an application form to MPT listing the details of their national registration card, including their address, and a letter from their employer,” an MPT official said.

“MPT selects the candi-dates at a monthly draw,” he said.

The market price of other mobile phones is cheaper, with a CDMA costing about K2 million and a cellular phone about K1.8 million.

Up until last month, MPT had installed 66 GSM relay towers throughout the country, with another five due to go into operation.

About 70 percent of the relay towers are in and around Yangon, with the rest in 21 major commercial centres throughout the country.

Any GSM phone within 10km of a relay tower should be able to receive coverage.

“Now that GSM towers are set up throughout the country, anyone can communicate via GSM from anywhere, even in border regions like Muse, which is close to China, or at Kyaingtong, close to Thailand,” an MPT official said.
Subscribers have welcomed the improvements in reception which have followed the increase in the number of relay towers.

Ko Tin Htut Aung, who lives in downtown Pabedan township, said reception there and in surrounding townships improved noticeably a few months ago after MPT installed a relay tower at Theingyi market.

“There’s been no poor connections,” said Ko Tin Htut Aung, who runs the Araindamar GSM phone parts and accessories shop at Yuzana Plaza, which also has a relay tower.

Ko Tun Lin Aung, from Time City phone shop in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township, said the relay tower had led to better connections in the plaza’s shops and even in its basement.

Both Ko Tin Htut Aung and Ko Tun Lin Aung prefer to use their GSM phones to make calls rather than send SMS (Short Message Service) messages.
“I prefer to talk on the phone rather than using SMS, because for business matters I think calling is more effective; I only SMS to make appointments to meet friends,” Ko Tin Htut Aung said.

Ko Tun Lin Aung said he relies on SMS only when the phone lines are congested.

“The charge for the SMS service is much cheaper than calling but I use SMS only when the lines are busy,” he said.

Mobile phone prices range from about K60,000 for basic models, to more than K300,000 for models with MP3 players and video cameras. Nokia has a strong presence in the market and its 6030 model is one of the top sellers. Other top selling brands include Sony and Samsung.

The growth of the market has coincided with rising demand for mobile phone accessories, especially among younger users.

Retailers said young buyers prefer plastic handset covers, which come in a range of fashionable colours and cost from about K500 to K3500. Among young women, the best selling accessories include covers decorated with coloured stones.

To fully integrate the GSM network, MPT has been working closely with a number of international tele-communications companies. The companies, which include ZTE, ASB, Shanghai Bell and Siemens, have provided technical assistance to set up the network.