The current five-day information and communication technology (ICT) week exhibition, being held in Myanmar's northern city of Pyin Oo Lwin, has attracted a large number of visitors
since its inauguration on last Saturday.
In the 8th ICT week exhibition - 2009, being launched at the Yadanabon Teleport from Dec. 26 to 30, modern technology and IT products of IT
companies from Yangon and Mandalay as well as from some six international companies are introduced.
Attached with the ICT week activities are also Miss Yadanapon contest, Dota game contest, ICT Gadget show and ICT stage show.
Last month, similar exhibition was held in Yangon, participated by a total of 70 companies which showcased their up-date computer products and accessories including 3D-monitor, security-related solution, digital video recorder, IP camera, wireless-G internet camera, communication accessories, computer- related electronic devices, software and documents related to
computer technology Myanmar has been striving for the development of ICT. In December 2007,
Myanmar's first largest ICT park, also known as the Yadanabon Cyber City, was introduced in Pyin Oo Lwin. The then launching of the cyber city was
coupled with such ICT week exhibition activities, joined by over 100 local and foreign ICT companies.
As part of the project in the development of the cyber city, Myanmar authorities have allotted 372 acres (150 hectares) of land in the soft-base
factory area of the Yadanabon cyber city for 35 more local and foreign IT companies to develop their business undertakings.
To encourage and help employees settle in the cyber city, Myanmar is also implementing new private housing projects there, offering land lease grant for 30 years for the establishment which is not allowed for re-sale or transferred within 10 years.
Under the projects, school, market, fire station, police station, clinic, sports ground and park are to be built.
Private entrepreneurs, who win the land lease grant, are set to start construction within three months and complete in a year after being allotted with the land plot, according to the city development committee which also prescribed that the allotted land plot will be confiscated in case the construction work could not start in a duration period of up to a year.
The cyber city, which covers an overall area of 10,000 acres (4, 050 hectares), located in the hilly Pyin Oo Lwin near a highway, 67 kilometers
east of the second largest city of Mandalay in the north, and 20 percent of the cyber city area produce software and hardware.
The internet of the cyber city not only links with the whole country but also connect neighboring China, Thailand and India.
Meanwhile, Myanmar is also striving to introduce a wireless internet system of WiFi by early next year. Arranged by the local IT company of Exotic Wing, the system will be in service starting with the coverage of 16 main townships in the former capital city of Yangon, the company sources said.
By then, laptops with the WiFi system can enter the world from any corner of the city, experts said.
Besides, Myanmar has also planned full coverage of public access centers (PAC) in every township in the country by next March to facilitate communication links.
There are so far 240 PAC in Myanmar, according to the Myanmar Info-Tech.
The telecommunications authorities also revealed that the number of internet users in Myanmar has also reached nearly 300, 000, up from merely dozens in four years ago.
Myanmar has been implementing an ICT development master plan under the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) and detailed programs to link international networks are also being carried out in accordance with the master plan drafted by the Myanmar Computer Federation.
Being a signatory to the e-ASEAN Framework Agreement initiated at 2000 Singapore summit, Myanmar has formed the e-National Task Force to support the IT development.
Besides, the country has also signed a series of memorandums of understanding since 2003 with such companies as from Malaysia, Thailand,
China and South Korea on ICT development.
On the occasion, Myanmar official media called on youths in the country, who take interest in IT, to apply advanced IT technology
extensively in their striving for the national economic development.