Myanmar picks Vietnam's Viettel for 4th telecom licence

Yangon

MYANMAR is granting its fourth telecom licence to a consortium led by a Vietnamese mobile network operator and including a military-run company, as it looks to further open up its young but increasingly competitive telecoms market.

Hanoi-based Viettel will be the third foreign telco to enter the country, tying up with 11 local firms and an outfit owned by Myanmar's defence ministry, according to a government statement on Friday.

The tender selection for the 15-year licence comes just days before an army-backed government is scheduled to cede power to the first civilian administration in decades,…