Myanmar delays 4G spectrum auction until 2017
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Myanmar delays 4G spectrum auction until 2017

Myanmar has pushed back a planned auction of 1800MHz spectrum bands until 2017, according to officials.

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The Ministry of Transport and Communications had initially planned to sell of the spectrum before the end of the year but a report from the Myanmar Times claims the auction will take place in March.

Deputy director of the Ministry’s Posts and Telecoms division U Myo Swe said the spectrum will be distributed equally among state-owned MPT, Ooredoo and Telenor.

No reason was given for the delay, although the country recently held another auction, flogging the 2600MHz band to local operators in October.

Telenor began offering 4G services in July and will look at launching in larger cities following the auction, the report claims.

MPT rolled out the next generation of connectivity in Yangon and select other locations in October.

A fourth national operator is expected to launch next year as part of a collaboration between Viettel and a consortium of businesses, including a firm owned by the Myanmar military. However, the report says it is unclear if this consortium will participate in March’s auction.



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