Sky Net Comes to Mon State

MOULMEIN—– Burma’s Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) Company has introduced the Sky Net phone program, which includes Internet, phone, and fax service.A MPT official, who sells the Sky Net phone program in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State, said one Sky Net package will sell for 800,000 kyat.

 “There is also TV line. But, you have to deposit 108,000 kyat per year. For the phone, you have to pay 50 kyat per minute. If you deposit 10,000 kyat, you will get 300 minutes for one month,” she said.

She also explained that “if you join Internet line 123 you have to pay 35,000 kyat per month. For Internet line 256, the customer has to pay 45,000 kyat and for line 512 it is 55,000 kyat per month.”

Internet speed for 1MB requires a 95,000 kyat fee and a 145,000 kyat monthly fee for 2MB.

Customers are forced to apply to the Burmese authorities in order to get permission for using the Internet.

“Because they will use the Internet, everyone has to apply first,” the MPT saleswoman said.

Many residents in Moulmein are interested in the Sky Net phone, which they hope will get high speed Internet.

An Internet trainer for students at Mawlamine [Moulmein] University said, “IP Star [satellite broadband service] sometimes was not able to open G-talk because of the extremely slow connection.”

“Therefore, I hope this Sky Net will be better,” he said.

“We plan to open an Internet shop if this [Sky Net] is really good. But, we are checking how fast it is [first],” said the Hthin Oung Internet shop supervisor in Thanphyuzyart Township.

Burma introduced a cellular phone system in 1993, followed by the CDMA system in 1997, the GSM system in 2002 and CDM-450 MHz in 2008.

MPT remains the only mobile phone service provider in Burma. According to available statistics, Burma had 375,800 GSM subscribers at the end of 2008, up from 211,812 in 2007.

CDMA-based network subscribers numbered 205,500 in 2008.

Central Marketing Company, a division of Htoo Trading Company, is owned by wealthy businessman Tay Za. He introduced a one-use prepaid GSM mobile phone service and CDMA-450 MHz mobile phone SIM cards jointly with state-owned MPT early this year. Tay Za is close to Senior General Than Shwe and his family.

Source :  http://www.bnionline.net/news/imna/10099-sky-net-comes-to-mon-state.html