NEWS - Burma's Internet Mostly, not

[amyo@xxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: NEWS - Burma's Internet Mostly, not in Burma

Internet Access in Myanmar
Is internet accessible from Myanmar? Any ISP in Myanmar?

Concerning Myanmar's information technology industry, this could be one of
the hottest FAQ today. Yes, it is. Why? Many foreign investors, businessmen,
enterpreneurs, and people of Myanmar origin who still have relatives or
friends in Myanmar, often email us asking this question almost everyday.
Here at this page, we would like to answer them all.

First Email Access in Myanmar
The first test email service in early 1997 was provided by a private company
"datserco.com.mm", an Eagle Group company [http://www.eaglegroup.com.mm],
run by foreigners. Their users' email addresses looks like
"user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
This wasn't known by many, but the launch of this rarely known service
marked the country's history by being the second last country in Asia to
join the internet community. The last one, North Korea still remains to be a
lost nation today.
The second email service was by the government, MPT (Ministry of Post and
Telecommunication) [http://www.mpt.net.mm] The users' email addresses looks
like "user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". However this email service is not an internet
email using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). It uses X.400 protocol
instead.

First WWW Access in Myanmar
The first public WWW access in Myanmar was exhibited by Business Online
[http://www.bol.com.mm], also an Eagle Group company at the computer show
organized by MCC in December 1998.
Free and live internet via satellite was displayed at their booth that a
whole bunch of young guys lined up in queue to feel what it's like.
A list of domains accessible in Myanmar is listed here:
http://www.myanmars.net/search/index2.htm
Internet Service Providers & Fees
Ok. Here is an interesting part. How much will it cost? It's expensive! just
like the cellular phones (because a cell-phone in Myanmar costs you US$4000)
setup fees.

MPT
For Dialup account:
Email box: 150.00 USD/box
Modem rental: 150.00 USD/year
Installation: 300.00 USD/box
For Leased Line account:
Email box: 150.00 USD/box
Modem rental: 150.00 USD/year
Line rental:1000.00 USD/year
(X.25 leased line speed at 9.6kbps)
Line rental:3000.00 USD/year
(X.25 leased line speed at 19.2kbps)
installation: 300.00 USD/box
Note: need to purchase X.25 interface card or router.
Email charges
Oversea: 1.00 USD/1000characters
Local: 0.10 USD/1000characters
contact: http://www.mpt.net.mm

Data Service Company (DatSerCo)
email type: internet email
setup fee: US$200
monthly fee: US$80 with 300kb limit of in+out emails
contact: http://www.datserco.com.mm
contact: http://www.eaglegroup.com.mm

-----Original Message-----
Behalf Of Rangoon Post Co-Editor
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 1999 12:03 AM
To: burmanews@xxxxxxxxx; Burma Net-l @igc.apc.org; burmanet2-@xxxxxxxx
Subject: NEWS - Burma's Internet Mostly, not in Burma


Burma's Internet Mostly, not in Burma

Rangoon Post - 14 December, 1999

  The Burmese military regime has been using its ill-gotten monies for
more than weapons.  Internet web pages to propagandize the few facts
they truly have to work with.

  The original site, www.myanmar.com, was never setup in Burma, but
outside Washington, D.C. by a Burmese-American Thomas Winn who lives in
Laurel, Maryland and works in Baltimore.  The ISP - Internet Service
Provider is located close to his house.  Not too long ago, Okkar, a
so-stated Catholic that works as an agent of the military in their MPT
(Ministry of Post and Telecommunications) office took over as
Myanmar.com's webmaster after they established a functional internet
into Burma.
   Now, the company that claims setting up the 1st internet in Burma, is
Digiserve.com (www.digiserve.com).  The headquarters are near London in
High Wycombe. There are other offices in Singapore, San Francisco, and
(northern) Virginia near Washington, D.C.  Mike Blanche and Sean Hurley
of Digiserve setup a seperate company called the Eagle Group that does
the main internet operations in Burma with an office in Rangoon and
another in Bangkok. Mike Blanche claims he is doing a good thing and
absolutely refuses to talk about it.
   The Japanese side of Myanmar.com is operated by a Burmese and
Japanese person in Osaka, Japan called Shafu-sozu.  The Japanese man,
Ryuichi Masuda is only interested in further exploits and business about
Burma, not about the truth. Their ISP Annies Craft Inc. was originally
located in Tokyo.
   Another military site is setup through Crisscross.com and Twics.com
both are located in Tokyo. Their MOFA - Minitry of Foreign Affairs site
is setup here and posting for the New  or (News) Light of Myanmar are
also on this site.
The Embassy in Tokyo created this new site
"www.myanmar-information.net", through a site VWH1.NET  Verio, Inc. in
Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
   A seperate entity, myanmars.net is a very full and informational site
setting up business listing and conatacts, etc. in Burma... except that
it again not in Burma.  The webmaster currently resides in Yugoslavia.

   Until the military can exhort enough money to improve the connections
into Burma,  their internet which is restricted primarily to the
military officials and a few foreign companies, their internet, will
never fully exist in the country.