Telenor Myanmar

{{short description|Defunct telecommunications company of Myanmar}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Telenor Myanmar

| logo = Telenor Logo.svg

| native_name = တယ်လီနော မြန်မာ

| type =

| industry = Telecommunications

| fate = Sold and rebranded following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état

| predecessor =

| successor = ATOM Myanmar

| founded = {{start date|2014}}

| founder =

| defunct = 2022

| hq_location_city = Yangon

| hq_location_country = Myanmar

| area_served =

| products =

| owner =

| num_employees = 730

| num_employees_year =

| website = {{url|www.telenor.com.mm}}

}}

Telenor Myanmar (Burmese: တယ်လီနော မြန်မာ) was a telecommunications brand in Myanmar (Burma) between 2014 and 2022. It was established as a subsidiary of the Norwegian Telenor Group,{{cite web|url=https://www.telenor.com.mm/pages/telenor-myanmar/147 |title=Telenor Myanmar | Telenor Myanmar |publisher=Telenor.com.mm |date= |access-date=2016-05-03}} and was sold off to the Lebanese M1 Group in the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.[https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/telenor-sells-myanmar-operations-m1-group-105-mln-2021-07-08/ Telenor wanted to quit Myanmar with $105 mln sale to Lebanon's M1 Group], Victoria Klesty, July 8, 2021, reuters After a lengthy regulatory process, Myanmar authorities approved the transaction on 18 March 2022. The company rebranded to ATOM on 8 June 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-09 |title=Telenor Myanmar is renamed "ATOM Myanmar" following the takeover of the Norwegian telecom giant by M1 Group |url=https://www.thechindwin.com/telenor-myanmar-is-renamed-atom-myanmar-following-the-takeover-of-the-norwegian-telecom-giant-by-m1-group/ |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=THE CHINDWIN |language=en-US}}

History

In February 2013, Telenor participated in the bidding for newly available Myanmar mobile licenses.{{cite news|title=All eyes on the Myanmar leapfrog|url=http://www.telenor.com/media/articles/2014/all-eyes-on-the-myanmar-leapfrog/|access-date=2013-04-05}} On 27 June 2013, it was announced that Telenor had been awarded one of two 15-year contracts for telecom development in Myanmar.{{cite news|title=Burma awards lucrative mobile phone contracts|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23078620|access-date=27 June 2013|newspaper=BBC News}}

Telenor received its license from the Government of Myanmar to officially start mobile network operations on 5 February 2014. Its mobile network was trialed on 7 April 2014, and mobile services began operations in the cities of Mandalay on 27 September 2014. Telenor's network subsequently launched in Naypyidaw on 4 October 2014, and full coverage of Myanmar achieved on 26 October 2014. Telenor provides mobile voice and internet services using 2G and 3G GSM technology. Its network is LTE ready and plans to cover 90% of the Myanmar population within 5 years of operations

In June 2014, Telenor Myanmar helped the Burmese Wikipedia community to hold their first joint workshop to recruit new volunteers.{{cite web|url=http://www.telenor.com/media/articles/2014/bringing-wikipedia-to-myanmar/|title=Telenor Group - Bringing Wikipedia to Myanmar|work=Telenor Group|date=July 2014}} The Burmese Wikipedia Forum was held at Dagon University with the help of Telenor Myanmar in July 2014, attracting over 2,000 people, including students.{{cite web|url=http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6784:telenor-hosts-wikipedia-forum-at-dagon-university&catid=44:national&Itemid=384|title=Telenor hosts Wikipedia forum at Dagon University|author=Win Htut|work=Eleven Myanmar}}

In November 2014, Telenor and Yoma Bank announced their cooperation to provide mobile banking to Myanmar.

{{cite web| url=http://www.developingtelecoms.com/tech/end-user-services/mobile-financial-services/5589-telenor-readying-mobile-money-with-yoma-in-myanmar.html| title=Telenor readying mobile money with Yoma in Myanmar| author=James Barton

| date=25 November 2014| website=| publisher=Developing Telecoms| access-date=2 October 2015| quote=}}

The aim of their cooperation is to provide access to financial services to people who do not have bank accounts.

{{cite web| url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/12338-stay-tuned-for-mobile-banking-services-from-yoma-and-telenor-say-ceos.html| title='Stay tuned' for mobile banking services from Yoma and Telenor, say CEOs|author1=Jeremy Mullins |author2=Aye Thida Kyaw | date=24 November 2014| publisher=Myanmar Times| access-date=2 October 2015}} As of June 2019, it had more than 19 million subscribers.

=Forced shutdowns=

The junta-controlled Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) made at least 200 requests to Telenor over the past 12 months for information, including records of calls, call locations and the last known location of a number, a source with inside knowledge of the situation told Myanmar Now.

The company complied with all of these requests, as well as with instructions to shut down specified mobile numbers, the source said. For several months, ending in September 2019, Telenor Myanmar was ordered to shut off service to Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung and Myebon.{{cite news |first1=Thu Thu |last1=Aung |first2=Sam Aung |last2=Moon |first3=Rozanna |last3=Latiff |editor-first=Simon |editor-last=Cameron-Moore |editor2-first=Michael |editor2-last=Perry |publisher=Reuters |title=Myanmar reimposes internet shutdown in conflict-torn Rakhine, Chin states: telco operator |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rakhine/myanmar-reimposes-internet-shutdown-in-conflict-torn-rakhine-chin-states-telco-operator-idUSKBN1ZZ0LC}} In February 2020, the Ministry of Transport and Communications ordered Telenor to shut off service to five townships in Rakhine State and Chin State.

Similar requests for information and forced shutdowns have been made to all other mobile operators and internet service providers in Myanmar, but none of the other companies have ever publicly admitted to this.

= 2021 coup =

In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, Telenor faced increasing pressure from the State Administration Council, the military junta, to activate intercept equipment to surveil and monitor its 18 million customers.{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-09-15 |title=Junta's Demand to Spy on Customers Prompts Telenor to Leave Myanmar |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/juntas-demand-to-spy-on-customers-prompts-telenor-to-leave-myanmar.html |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=The Irrawaddy |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Myanmar FDI drops to 8-year low, reflecting post-takeover unrest |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Crisis/Myanmar-FDI-drops-to-8-year-low-reflecting-post-takeover-unrest |access-date=2021-11-02 |website=Nikkei Asia |language=en-GB}} In May 2021, Telenor was forced to write off USD$780 million{{Cite web |date=2021-07-14|title=Norwegian Telenor exits Myanmar after the military coup|url=https://www.globaldefensecorp.com/2021/07/15/norwegian-telenor-exits-myanmar-after-the-military-coup/|access-date=2021-07-15|website=Global Defense Corp|language=en-US}} investment in Myanmar. On 8 July 2021, Telenor announced it would sell Telenor Myanmar for {{US$|105 million}} to M1 Group, an investment company based in Lebanon, founded by Taha and Najib Mikati.{{Cite web|date=2021-07-08|title=Telenor Group sells Telenor Myanmar to M1 Group|url=https://www.telenor.com/media/press-release/telenor-group-sells-telenor-myanmar-to-m1-group%E2%80%AF |access-date=2021-07-15|website=Telenor Group}} The sale was approved by Burmese regulatory authorities and ultimately by the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) on 18 March 2022. The first tranche of the transaction was completed on 25 March 2022 and operational control handed over to the new owner.

In February 2022, reports emerged that Shwe Byain Phyu (SBP) would own 80% of Telenor Myanmar with Lebanese M1 Group owning the remaining shares.{{Cite news |date=2022-02-11 |title=EXCLUSIVE-Myanmar firm poised to control Telenor unit after military backs bid-sources |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/myanmar-telenor-idCNL1N2UJ1GM |access-date=2022-03-07}} Shwe Byain Phyu and M1 Group have formed a joint venture, Investcom, to take over Telenor operations in Myanmar.{{Cite web |title=Telenor sale gets green light from Myanmar junta's telecoms regulator |url=https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/telenor-sale-gets-green-light-from-myanmar-juntas-telecoms-regulator |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Myanmar NOW |language=en}} The sale prompted significant scrutiny from Burmese civil society over data privacy concerns, given SBP's links to the Burmese military. Legal experts and activists have urged Telenor to protect customer metadata, by putting the sale on hold or by deleting the data before the transaction is completed. On 10 February, Duwa Lashi La, the acting president of the National Unity Government called on the acting prime minister of Norway to intervene and prevent the sale.{{Cite web |title=NUG acting president calls on Norway's prime minister to prevent sale of Telenor to junta-linked company |url=https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/nug-acting-president-calls-on-norways-prime-minister-to-prevent-sale-of-telenor-to-junta-linked |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Myanmar NOW |date=10 February 2022 |language=en}}

The sale of Telenor Myanmar to M1 Group was approved by Myanmar authorities on 18 March, transferred to new ownership on 25 March, and subsequently rebranded to ATOM on 8 June 2022.