Myanmar grants licenses to 2 foreign companies to operate telecom services

Myanmar government has granted telecommunication service operating licenses to two foreign companies -- Telenor of Norway and Ooredoo of Qatar, state media reported Friday. Presented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the 15-year licenses will be effective from Feb. 5, the report said. Telenor Group, based in Oslo, Norway has mobile operations in 11 countries across Europe and Asia. It was founded in 1855 and builds on more than 155 years of telecom experience. Ooredoo, formerly known as Qatar Telecom (Qtel), is based in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Myanmar government invited public tender from local and international investors for two telecommunications operator service licenses in January 2013 and the two companies won the tender in June. Altogether 91 telecommunication companies at home and abroad including multi-national ones bid for the tender.