Vietnamese operator Viettel's joint venture in Myanmar plans to launch 4G-only services in the first quarter of next year.
The joint venture, MyTel, plans to cover 90% of the population by its official launch, deploying nearly 7,200 base stations and 33,000km of fiber, Vietnam News Service reported. This footprint would be double that of its nearest rival.
According to the news agency, in contrast to previous reports MyTel does not plan to deploy 2G or 3G in Myanmar but will instead jump straight to 4G.
MyTel is a joint venture between Vietnamese military-run Viettel and a consortium of local ICT companies. The venture received Myanmar's fourth telecoms license in January, and now has branches across the country and around 2,000 employees.
The deployment has a total investment of around $1.5 billion, with Viettel contributing a 49% stake.
MyTel plans to offer roaming to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia at prices equivalent to local charges, the report states. The company also plans to build on its deployment in Myanmar to pursue expansion to 10 overseas market, it adds without elaborating.