Download Chinese telecom companies are enthusiastic about Myanmar's efforts to boost its underdeveloped telecom market, said a high-level manager at the Myanmar branch of a top Chinese telecom company. "The inflow of top telecom operators from all over the world creates a brilliant opportunity to upgrade the country's telecom sector," said Ren Geng, managing director of Huawei Technologies in Yangon. Huawei is now the world's second-largest provider of telecommunication gear and mobile phones. It has established an excellent cooperation model with the world's major operators and it can replicate the successful model in Myanmar, he said. After spending a decade cultivating the Myanmar market, Huawei opened its first flagship showroom in downtown Yangon in early May. It attracted huge attention from local consumers and media. Huawei's handsets are the most popular brand in Myanmar, garnering a market share of more than 60 percent. The mission for the company's Myanmar branch this year is to open 40 to 60 flagship showrooms around the country, which will provide smart phones and other high-tech products, Ren said. Though it has a population of more than 60 million, the number of telecom customers in Myanmar is comparatively low at about 3.5 to 4 million, which is why the Myanmar market is so lucrative to international companies, experts said. "Basically the only way to go with telecoms in Myanmar is up. This is one of the last remaining untapped markets," said a Bangkok-based telecom analyst in a Financial Times story. |