Telenor Myanmar announced it has completed the first test voice call over its live core network - a key milestone in the operator's nationwide mobile rollout.
Voice and video calls were placed by ICT minister U Myat Hein at Telenor Myanmar's data center outside of the former capital city Yangon. It used the company's fledgling 3G network to connect to Telenor Myanmar's headquarters inside of the city.
"The first call made on Telenor's network is a landmark occasion because it underscores the significant progress that Telenor has made in our rollout plan in Myanmar, and it shows that we are ready and on track as we move closer to launch,” Telenor Myanmar CEO Petter Furberg said.
Telenor Myanmar revealed that its core mobile network was built by Huawei, one of the operator's vendor partners.
The company also has network equipment deals in place with providers including Ericsson and WiPro, and has contracted Apollo Towers and Irrawaddy Green Technology to build and manage its telecom towers.
As part of its winning tender for one of two nationwide telecom licenses, Telenor Myanmar pledged to launch commercial mobile services within eight months of signing the license agreement. The two licenses were awarded in February.
Furberg said that while there remains much to be done, the company is confident that it will meet this deadline.
For a glimpse into the challenges involved in deploying a nationwide mobile network in Myanmar, see this two-part feature on rival Ooredoo Myanmar's rollout. Part 1Part 2