1. Understanding the Myanmar telecom environment with emphasis on users
Presented by Phyu Phyu Thi
Research Team: Helani Galpaya, Ayesha Zainudeen, Suthaharan Perumpalam, Gayani Hurulle, Htaike Htaike Aung,
Phyu Phyu Thi, Yatanar Htun,Myo Min Aung
Course on Regulatory Design and Practice
Nay Pyi Taw, September 2017
This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Canada and the Department for International Development UK..

2. Nationally representative surveys carried out in 2015 and 2016
February- March 2015
8400 respondents
+/-2.5% margin of error
2016 survey
June-August 2016
7204 respondents
+/-3% margin of error
Survey locations
Source: Survey Solutions

3. 83% of households had a mobile phone by July 2016
Average number owned by a household
SIM card
2.9
Phone (device)
2.3
Q: How many functioning pieces does the household own?
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: All households

4. Daily use of phone increased from 29% (Feb-Mar 2015) to 45% (Jun-Aug 2016). Individuals that had never used a phone decreased from 31% to 9%
Q: When did you last use a phone to take or receive a call?
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: All respondents

5. Mobile-phone ownership increased from 39% to 61%
Note: Mobile ownership refers to having both at least one active SIM and mobile device
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: population
Q: Which of the following describes your status of mobile phone ownership?

6. Frequency of calling/receiving increased everywhere, esp
Frequency of calling/receiving increased everywhere, esp. in rural areas
Rural individuals that had never used a phone dropped from 37% to 9.6%
Urban individuals aged twice as likely as rural to have used a phone within the last hour, rural individuals twice as likely to have never used a phone
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: All respondents
Q: When did you last use a phone to take or receive a call?

7. Mobile ownership in rural areas doubled
Increased by 21%
Increased by 101%
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: population
Q: Which of the following describes your status of mobile phone ownership?

8. MMK 105,198 was spent on average to buy a mobile handset; compared to 94,500 in 2015
Note: Exchange rate at the time of fieldwork used to convert MMK to USD
Q : How much did you spend to buy your primary mobile handset (without cost of SIM card)? Base: All mobile handset owners

9. 78% of mobile owners own smartphones. In 2015 it was 66%
Mobile handset type (% of mobile owners)
48% of population owns a smartphone
Q: How many number of functioning smartphones (‘touch phones’)/ keypad handsets do you own
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: Mobile phone owners

10. 49% of handset owners use data services; many in rural areas also use mobile data services
Note: Refers to those who said they use various data services daily/weekly/occasionally
Q: Please tell me how often you use your mobile phone for any of the following purposes?
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: Mobile handset owners

11. Though network calls & text messages still dominate, there is high data use by mobile owners
Note: Refers to those who answered daily/weekly/occasionally
Q: Please tell me how often you use your mobile phone for any of the following purposes?
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: Mobile handset owners

12. Mobiles used to communicate for business purposes
“A lot of my customers call me before they come to the shop to inquire if I’m there. I can also inform them to collect their products when it is repaired. About 60% of my phone contacts are my customers ” Htay, Electrician, 33, Nay Pyi Taw
“If I have a phone, [clients] can call me anytime. Before it was difficult for me to communicate with them without a phone” Hlaing, Photographer, 22, Mandalay
We’ve seen instances where individuals use phones for business purposes. Htay, for example, said 60% of phone contacts were business contacts.
Source: LIRNEasia study on urban microentrepreneurs in Myanmar, 2013

13. Urban men most likely to use a phone for livelihood purposes in 2016: more than 2x urban women; more than 3x rural women
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: Those who have ever used a phone before
Q: For what purpose was this (last) call?

14. Though more women own phones now, gender gap remains: Women are 28% less likely to own a phone than men
2015
2016
Gender gap
28%
Gender gap in ownership = (Male mobile owners- Female mobile owners) x 100
Male mobile owners
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: population
Q: Which of the following describes your status of mobile phone ownership?

15. Primary reason for not owning a mobile phone (% of non-owners)
Affordability key barrier; followed by the notion that they don’t need one
Primary reason for not owning a mobile phone (% of non-owners)
Q: Why don't you have a mobile phone connection?
Base: Those who have never owned a phone  or an active SIM card

16. Affordability key barrier to phone ownership among women; followed by the notion that they don’t need one
“Women also have to take care of the family. Instead of spending their money on phone charges, they have to use it for food.”
Female non-owner, 36, SEC D-E, Yangon
“If we could buy [a] phone, it would be for my husband. The next one will be my brother’s. This is because they are working. Only after that will I get my own phone”
Female non owner, 47, SEC D-E, Yangon
Source: GSMA & LIRNEasia (2015) Mobile phones, internet and gender in Myanmar

17. Low digital skills. Many manage with someone’s help
Q: Can you please tell me, which of the following activities you have ever done on your mobile or on the Internet/online, and for each one, whether you have done it by your self, or with someone else’s help.
Source: LIRNEasia 2016 nationally representative survey. Base: Mobile handset owners

18. Digital literacy is lower amongst females
Q: Can you please tell me, which of the following activities you have ever done on your mobile or on the Internet/online, and for each one, whether you have done it by your self, or with someone else’s help.
Base: Mobile handset owners