It is mobile first for Internet in Myanmar | Photo: Artem Frolov

Mobile internet users in Myanmar have surpassed 2.6 million, and is growing with 70,000 to 80,000 users monthly, according to Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT).

MPT plans to increase the mobile usage from 10% this year to 40% in 2015, followed by 60% in 2016 and 80% in 2017. According to MPT’s recent data, of the 2.6 million mobile internet users:

• 1,870,000 are online via the GSM network.
• 100,000 access via WCDMA.
• 350,000 through CDMA 800 MHz.
• 330,000 through Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) CDMA 800 MHz network.
• Of the 350,000 SIM cards sold each month - 20 to 25% use their mobile phone to access the internet.
• The maximum Internet speed is said to be 1 Mbps.

In comparison, the number of people who connect to the Internet through ADSL and fiber internet lines are slightly above 100,000 out of a population estimated at 60 million people.

The Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology seeks to raise the mobile phone penetration in Myanmar to 80 percent during the fiscal year 2015-16, and grow the number of internet users to 50% during the same period. Myanmar’s mobile phone penetration reached 10% in 2012-13 while 2013/2014 saw a penetration of 27%

Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), was for a long time the sole operator of communications services in Myanmar. Now, the ministry has awarded license agreements to two foreign telecom companies, Telenor and Ooredoo allowing services to be run by both local and foreign telecom companies.

According to U Thaung Tin, deputy minister for Telecommunications and Information Technology, the number of mobile users in Myanmar rose to 9.36 million in June.