Myanmar builds more cross-border fiber optic links to improv
Myanmar is building more cross- border fiber optic links with more neighboring countries in addition to China, Thailand and India to improve domestic internet communication links.
According to the telecommunications authorities, the newly introduced fiber optic links will be with Vietnam, Bangladesh and Laos.
Myanmar has built fiber optic links with neighboring countries of China, Thailand and India in the past few years having six cross-border fiber optic links with China and six others with Thailand currently.
In March 2008, fiber link between Myanmar and China involving China Telecom and Yunnan Telecom was set up in Myanmar's border town of Muse which plays part of the regional information superhighway network (ISN) project of the six-country Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)-Economic Cooperation.
The Myanmar-China fiber optic link was built across China's Kunming and Myanmar's Muse with its link further extended to reach the commercial city of Yangon.
Under the same ISN project, the Myanmar-Thai fiber optic link extends as Yangon-Hmawby-Bago-Kyaikhto-Tahton-Pha an-Kawkareik- Thingan Nyinaung-Myawaddy on the Myanmar side and Maesot-Bangkok stands on the Thai side.
The Myanmar-Thai fiber optic link, which is of 10 gigabyte and set up in cooperation with its Thai counterpart, brings the country's total gigabyte to 20 after that with China.
In February 2009, the first cross-border optical fiber link between Myanmar and India was set up in Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay. The 7-million-US-dollar high-speed broadband link for voice and data transmission connects Mandalay and India's border town of Moreh in Manipur which are separated by a distance of 500 kilometers.
The 640-kilometer-long Myanmar-India optical fiber link, which connects Indian's northeastern border town of Moreh and Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay, passes through 6 cities of Tamu, Kampatwa, Kyi Gone, Shwebo, Monywa and Sagaing.
More similar links are being reportedly built with Vietnam connecting from Tachilek in Myanmar's eastern Shan state, according to the telecommunications authorities.
There has been 12 information super highway network (ISN) fiber optic links being built across the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) to boost information links under a memorandum of understanding signed by GMS members in Laos in 2004.
The ISN project covers building of a commercialized information and communication platform in order to launch basic business of chatting, data, connection of internet as well as distant education, medical treatment, e-government and e-commerce which will sharply raise the capacity of the internet to promote the socio-economic development of the subregion.
Meanwhile, for its speedy development of information and communication technology (ICT), Myanmar has worked out several telecommunication infrastructure projects.
More than 10,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables have been laid nationwide and 335 digital microwave stations and 75 IP microwave stations built. In the regions with difficulty in the installation of fiber and microwave systems, VSAT, IPSTAR and I- Direct systems have been built.
As for international communication, SEA-ME-WE-3 South East Asia- Middle East-Western Europe 3 system linking 34 countries , underwater cable system and satellite communication system and cross-border transmission link system have been built.
Plans are also underway to be able to link with SEA-ME-WE-4, Asia, Europe under water cable. It will be linked to SEA-ME-WE-4 via Bangladesh which is the nearest country. After completion of the project, it can communicate with other countries included in SEA-ME-WE-4 cyber link via fiber cable.
With the extended communication links with China, India, Thailand and Vietnam, the ICT sector of the nation is expected to develop remarkably.
Through these infrastructure, Myanmar people are using fax by phone and IP services with ADSL, WiFi, WiMAX wireless broadband systems.
The newly opened Yatanarpon web portal and triple play soft switch in Pyin Oo Lwin in October this year will also fulfill the requirements for speedy development IP services.
The Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Service, one of the high standard communication technologies, is expected to be launched in Yangon and Mandalay by the end of this year.
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