Norwegian-backed cellco Telenor Myanmar has inaugurated mobile services in Yangon, having temporarily delayed the launch in the capital to complete network optimisation following its commercial launch in the nation’s second-largest city Mandalay in late-September. Mobile World Live writes that the provider has already distributed a million SIMs, dispelling concerns that the provider would be able to provide sufficient SIMs to meet demand. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, due to problems in its distribution chain, when Telenor launched in Mandalay around a third of retailers were left without SIMs to sell. Local sources had also claimed that Telenor was limiting the number of SIMs available to shops, at 200-400 per store. Telenor Myanmar’s CEO Petter Furberg confirmed that the cellco has already sold a million SIMs in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, although this does not reflect ‘active’ subscriber figures, as many SIMs were initially bought to be re-sold on the black market. Furberg went on, adding: ‘Our next step is to start expanding our network into the rural areas to reach the mass market of this vast greenfield.’
