Mytel

Mytel is a major telecommunications company in Myanmar (Burma), as one of four national carriers. Mytel is operated as a joint venture between the Burmese military and Viettel, which is owned by Vietnam's Ministry of National Defence.[1] Mytel has been criticized and scrutinized for serving as a major source of revenue for the Burmese military.[2]

Mytel
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded2017 (2017)
Headquarters
Yangon
,
Myanmar
Key people
Khin Maung Soe, CEO
ParentViettel (49%)
Myanmar Economic Corporation (23%)
Myanmar National Telecom Holding Public Co Ltd (23%)
Websitemytel.com.mm

History

Mytel was granted a telecommunications license on 12 January 2017.[3] The company is operated as a joint venture, 49% owned by Viettel, which is controlled by the Vietnamese military, 28% owned by Star High Public Company, which is owned by the Burmese military's Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), and the remaining 23% owned by Myanmar National Telecom Holding Public Co Ltd, a consortium of local companies.[3] Mytel uses telecoms infrastructure owned by MECtel, a separate operator controlled by MEC.[3] The first call made on the network was between Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief, Min Aung Hlaing, and Vietnam's Minister of Defence, Ngo Xuan Lich.[3]

Controversies

Mytel has been criticized for undermining the competitiveness of Myanmar's telecoms market and the military's reassertion of dominance over telecommunications, through its large-scale investments.[1] In June 2017, the government promulgated the Pricing and Tariff Regulatory Framework, including floor pricing rules for mobile fees, which was positioned to give Mytel a market advantage against lower-cost competitors like Ooredoo.[4] Mytel was granted an exemption from floor pricing rules and was allowed to discount its rates after its launch, unlike other competitors.[1] Through its aggressive price-cutting strategy, Mytel was able to capture a market share of 4% (2.4 million subscribers) only two months after its launch.[5] By contrast, Mytel's competitors agreed to abide by sound price competition practices.[5]

Mytel has received mixed reactions from Burmese consumers due to its military links. After its launch, a movement of Burmese netizens launched a viral campaign to boycott the military-backed carrier, over its decision to offer phone numbers that start with the digits 969, which are symbolic of Myanmar's anti-Muslim nationalist movement.[6][7][8]

In 2018, reports emerged that Mytel had run fiber optic cables through privately owned plantations in Kayin State's Payathonzu without providing prior notice.[6] Mytel has upgraded the Myanmar military's infrastructure, including the army's network of fibre-optic cables.[9]

In May 2019, a subcontractor of Mytel, Hsan Myo Aung Company, staged a protest in Pathein, over unpaid wages to 20 employees, valued at approximately 40 million kyats.[10] In October 2019, Mytel's telecoms cells installed at Shwedagon Pagoda were removed, following a dispute over unpaid rent.[11]

In February 2020, Mytel was linked to a $1.2 million disinformation campaign on social media.[12][13] Facebook banned a Mytel-linked network of two dozen pages and accounts after uncovering that these pages had "started out on a very patriotic and nationalist tone" before shifting to content promoting the Mytel brand, or content criticizing Mytel rivals, Ooredoo Myanmar, MPT and Telenor Myanmar.[14]

In December 2020, Justice for Myanmar released a major investigation detailing a “web of cronyism and corruption” surrounding Mytel.[15][16] The report also noted the Burmese military's ability to harvest personal data from Mytel users for mass surveillance purposes.[17] The report prompted additional scrutiny into $60 million in loans provided by British banks HSBC and Standard Chartered to Viettel in connection with Mytel.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Myanmar". Freedom House. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  2. Strangio, Sebastian. "Report Details Military Links of Major Myanmar Telco Firm". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  3. "Fourth telco MyTel to start selling SIM cards in March". The Myanmar Times. 2018-02-14. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  4. "Myanmar". Freedom House. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  5. "Vietnam carrier stuns rivals in Myanmar with half-price blitz". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  6. "Army-linked telco Mytel uproots villagers' plantations to lay fiber optic cables | Coconuts Yangon". Coconuts. 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  7. "Launch of Army-Backed Mytel Draws Wary Welcome". The Irrawaddy. 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  8. "Rumors swirl of MyTel's Buddhist extremist links". Coconuts Yangon. 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  9. "British banks under pressure over £45m loans to firm with links to Myanmar military". the Guardian. 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  10. "Mytel Employees Protest Unpaid Wages". The Irrawaddy. 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  11. "Myanmar's Mytel Removes Shwedagon Cells Amid Unpaid Rent Claims". The Irrawaddy. 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  12. "Facebook removes network of fake accounts promoting military-backed telecom with $1.2m misinformation campaign". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  13. "Mytel linked to disinformation campaign | Myanmar Financial Services Monitor". finance.frontiermyanmar.com. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  14. Murphy, Hannah; Reed, John (2020-02-12). "Facebook accuses telecoms groups of disinformation tactics". Financial Times. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  15. "'Destroy your SIM card' - activists call for boycott of Mytel for 'aiding and abetting' the military". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  16. "Myanmar and Vietnam militaries launch MyTel mobile carrier". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  17. "We are calling for the Myanmar public to boycott Mytel, says Myanmar activist group". KrASIA. 2020-12-23. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
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