<article>Using the phone to text or SMS may be passe. Well, not here in Myanmar.</article>

Using the phone to text or SMS may be passe. Well, not here in Myanmar.
It is actually the beginning of the mobile revolution in Myanmar and the country is lapping up the SMS to chat, quiz, connect and stay entertained.
Akirakorn I-Kitisiri, head, Mono Technology Myanmar, part of Thailand’s Mono Group that creates SMS-related entertainment content, says: “In any country around the world, the SMS is fading. Most people use the Internet. However, it is startup time for Myanmar to use the mobile phone.”
Mono Technology provides SMS services to users of telecom operator <a href="http://www.telenor.com" target="_blank">Telenor</a>, which has been operating in the country for a year.
With low internet penetration and high costs, mobile phone users in Myanmar are busy staying connected while being offline, thanks to the SMS tool.
Myanmar mobile phone users are opting for subscriptions to SMS-based content services like horoscopes, sports and news updates.
He said, nearly 15 per cent of Telenor’s 10-million user base, has subscribed to content through SMS. Most of the subscribers are from Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw.
While SMS may be a happening trend in Myanmar, going forward, with better internet connectivity and lower package rates, the long-term prospects of SMS-based business will fade just like in other markets.
Mono Group says it will eventually launch applications that match the consumer market in Myanmar. “I believe that Thailand and Myanmar are similar. If the Internet is cheap coming with an unlimited package, we will be ready to launch the applications. We have a lot,” said Kitisiri.
This can take more than a couple of years for Myanmar to fully adapt to use the internet or the telecom operators to provide an unlimited internet package.
Mono Technology Myanmar is also planning to work with another telecom operator, MPT for future partnership.
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With low internet penetration and high costs, mobile phone users in Myanmar are busy staying connected while being offline, thanks to Mono Technology's SMS tool.



Myanmar: Mobile SMS still works for Thailand’s Mono Group

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Myanmar: Mobile SMS still works for Thailand’s Mono Group

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