Internet in Myanmar

1
Internet in Myanmar

• by
• Wit Hmone T. Latt
  Myat Su Yin
  
• Internet Education and Research Laboratory
  CSIM Department
  
• AIT, Thailand

2
Overview

• Total land area 676,777 square km
• Borders China, Thailand Lao PDR in the east
• Bangladesh and India in the west
• Capital Yangon (formerly Rangoon)
• Population 53 million
• With Urban Rural ratio of 2080
• Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT)
• state-owned telecom operator

3
Telecom Infrastructure

• Teledensity less than 1
• Fixed line telephone 357,322 (Density 0.67)
• Mobile telephone 63,150 (Density 0.12)
• Telephone exchange 551
• Satellite earth station 1 (standard A)
• International trunks 1649
• Submarine Cable SEA-ME-WE 3 (2.5Gbps), mostly
  unutilized
  
• Fiber optic backbone between 2 major cities
  Yangon and Mandalay
  
• Other cities are in process for connection
• Some remote areas are connected by V-Sat network
  using Thai Com satellite

4
Internet Infrastructure

• Number of ISPs 2
• Internet Subscriber 10,000
• User connectivity Dial-up, ADSL, WLL
• Mostly subscribed by govt. and Military
  officials
  
• Cyber café 20 (17 in Yangon, 3 in Mandalay)
• Internet User 50,000
• Satellite is main international connectivity
• Country domain name .mm

5
Internet Development

• The first Test E-mail Service
• In early 1997 by a private company
  datserco.com.mm, an Eagle group company run by
  foreigners.
  
• user_at_datserco.com.mm
• Rarely known service
• The first Official E-mail Service
• Launched in November 1997 by MPT
• user_at_mtpt400.stems.com
• Not an internet email using SMTP but uses X.400
  protocol
  
• Winner Computer System ? cheaper email services
• The first public WWW access - launched in 1998 by
  Business Online (www.bol.com.mm)
  
• Under the Act of Myanmar Post Telecom
  Ministry..
  
• No private firm can generate post telecom
  business.
  
• Eagle Group and other private email providers
  were law suited.
  

6
Internet Development

• ISPs in Myanmar
• Myanmar Post and Telecoms (MPT)
• The first providing email, web-hosting,
  web-browsing, server co-location, FTP, intranet
  services etc.
  
• Bagan Cybertech (BCT)
• Established in 2000
• Internet Data Centre and Teleport facilities ?
  Jan 2000
  
• Virtual private network services for domestic
  banks, government departments, private companies
  and
  
• a VoIP gateway etc.
• Internet services to the general public via
  dial-up access.
  
• Services to SMEs via Broadband VSAT/ IP star ? 4
  Mbps (expandable to 45 Mbps).
  
• Broadband wireless local loop (WLL) services
  launched in April 2002.

7
Development of ICT Infrastructure

• Highest national body for ICT
• Myanmar ICT Development Council
• The focal point ? the e-National Task Force
  (2000)
  
• Seven working committees under the task force
• Legal Infrastructure Development
• ICT Infrastructure Development
• ICT Education and Human Resource Development
• e-Application
• ICT Standardization
• ICT Products Liberalization
• e-Measurement

8
Development of ICT Infrastructure

• The establishment of the Myanmar ICT (MICT) Park
• A Consortium consisting of more than 50 local ICT
  companies
  
• currently, 30 software companies operating
• working mainly on content creation and
  application softwares
  
• Increase Internet and PC Penetration Rates
• Building Infrastructure for e-Government
  Initiative
  
• Strengthen the connectivity Development
• Establishing the public Internet Access Center
• ICT exhibition is arranged in every year for 2
  weeks

9
e-Government Projects

• Smart Card (June 2002)
• 2000 smart cards for officials of Ministry of
  Defense.
  
• e-Passport (August 2002)
• 5000 passport in its initial phase
• Smart Schools (October 2002)
• Collaborated with the MDC (Malaysia)
• e-Visa (January 2004)
• Visa application and the payment online
• Certification Authority (January 2004)
• To set up the national CA, initially start with
  National Registration Authority (RA).
  
• e-Procurement (January 2004)
• Tender, direct purchase, catalogue will be
  included.
  
• TEDI (Trade Electronic Data Interchange) -Ongoing

10
Development of Legal Infrastructure

• To promote e-commerce activities
• To harmonise the legal system with other
  countries, esp., ASEAN
  
• Cyber laws has been drafted.
• Cover elements such as digital signature, payment
  gateway, certification authority, intellectual
  property rights, cyber security and crime.
  
• The Electronic Transactions Law was enacted on
  30th April 2004.
  
• The Communications Law is underway

11
E-Banking and e-Commerce

• Asia Wealth Bank Ltd. (AWB) and Yoma Bank
  launched e-banking service
  
• Internet or Intranet users can enquire about bank
  balance and interest, view transactions
  
• 24 hrs service
• Recently launches e-Commerce Services is
  e-Shopping
  
• Launched by Yoma Bank
• Yoma Credit Card holders can go for domestic
  on-line shopping sites
  

12
Human Resource Development

• Working with institutions to focus on critical
  skills
  
• 2 Unis 24 Government Computer Colleges ?
  Diploma to Doctoral courses
  
• Private ICT Training Schools ? Diploma Bachelor
  courses
  
• Collaborate with Overseas organizations
• CICC Onsite Training Courses
• Joint ICT Training Programs (conducted by Spore,
  Japan India)
  
• Japan Myanmar e-Learning Center (MICT Park)
• MCSA/JTEC Certificate Program (Japan)
• Scholarship programs
• Implement e-Learning Initiative
• Opening 455 e-learning centers over 900
  Multimedia class rooms and computer labs
  
• Develop ICT Skills in the Public Sector
• e-Government Management Training Program to build
  internal capacity for coordinating and managing
  e-Government projects.

13
Social Effects

• Negative Effects
• Greater use of the Internet was associated with
  declines in young peoples communication with
  family members.
  
• The main use for Internet
• to play games
• to listen music
• to meet new people
• Positive Effects
• Beneficial to the development of ones
  communication and social skills.
  
• On-line identities allow them to overcome the
  shyness they feel in F2F interaction.
  
• The emerging IT sector is aiding economic
  development through a crucial role its plays as a
  tool for training and upgrading human resources
  capacity building.
• Improved public services better education.
• Several Intl. companies are providing
  telemedicine services in major cities.

14
Current Level of ICT Access and Use

• ICT access and use ? still very limited
• About 50,000 users
• Relatively expensive compared to local economy.
• Not widely available, even in major cities.
• Still new and luxury

15
Constraints on the use of ICT

• Lack of Infrastructure
• 9th out of 10 ASEAN countries in terms of
• e-infrastructure, e-society, e-commerce and
  e-government
  
• classified as emerging readiness country
• characterised by the need to build basic ICT
  infrastructure
  
• Lack of financial resources for ICT education
• One of the least developed countries in the
  world
  
• GDP is roughly US 1,027.
• Limited access to and awareness of ICT
• One of the countries most shut off from the
  Internet
  
• Myanmar Wide Web (MWW) instead of WWW.
• Monitoring e-mail traffic and website content.
• Allegedly controls the establishment of e-mail
  accounts and websites.

16
Awards being offered

• Myanmars outstanding performance in the ICT
  development has been duly recognized and
  appreciated.
  
• The ASOCIO Organization Award 2003 to the Myanmar
  Computer Federation at the 19th ASOCIO Summit and
  General Assembly held in Vietnam in 2003.
  
• Myanmars ICT sector is moving forward.
• ICT has developed more quickly and visible than
  other sector.
  
• Has made a good start in many areas such as
  Building Infrastructure, Promoting Awareness and
  Developing Human Resources.

17
Analysis

• Objective information on current state of ICT is
  limited.
  
• The majority of data come from government
  sources, and the reliability of the information
  is difficult to verify.
  
• Sources of information on conditions tend to be
  subjective as well.
  
• Literacy in English, arguably the language of
  Internet, is quite low.
  
• Still a developing country with limited financial
  resources and numerous development challenges.
  
• Currently unable to tap into pools of
  international development assistance to implement
  ICT in full scale.

18
Internet and Social Effects in Myanmar

• Any Questions?

19
Internet and Social Effects in Myanmar

• Thank you.
• Wit Hmone T. Latt, Myat Su Yin