Singtel

Singtel: Wants to focus on wireless services in Myanmar as it vies for the right to operate in one of the world's last untapped mobile markets. SingTel sent in its expression of interest for a phone licence in the nation last month and is awaiting further details on the bidding process and terms of the permit. Singtel is seeking a foothold in a nation where only 9% of the country's 64m people have handsets. The nation's fixed-line penetration rate is about 1%, the govt said last mth. The nation wants to boost telecommunications coverage to as much as 80% of the country by 2016. For mobile operators, developing a network in Myanmar would require "almost building from scratch" with base stations and other infrastructure. OCBC note that the growth is going to be quite exponential, looking at how Asians use mobile phones. Noteworthy that SingTel owns stakes in the biggest mobile-phone companies in Asian emerging markets including Thailand, Indonesia, and India.