Myanmar is a country full of opportunity, and Echelon attendees will have an opportunity to learn from an expert
In 2012, one of the biggest stories in the Myanmar telecommunications industry was the announcement that the price of SIM cards would be reduced from US$500 to US$250. If that still sounds absurdly expensive, well, it is. The industry was highly regulated and phones became a luxury of the rich.
In 2014, the country allowed foreign operators to offer phone plans to citizens which is now dominated by Telenor and Ooredoo. A quick poke around the Telenor website shows plans that cost around US$5 for 2GB of data — a far cry from US$250 “discount” in 2012.
The result is that Myanmar is coming online via their phones. According to Hootesuite, in January 2018 the country had 18 million active internet users, accounting for 34 per cent of the population. 16 million of those people were mobile-first users.
Jes Kaliebe Petersen is one person who understands the on-the-ground realities of navigating the Burmese internet industry.
The CEO of Phandeeyar, Peterson is the man in charge of the Yangon-based community tech hub. With both an accelerator programme and a social enterprise track, Peterson gets a hands-on experience of working with young companies.
This means he has an understanding of how Burmese entrepreneurs are building companies to solve problems — and the hurdles they still need to overcome.
At Echelon Asia Summit 2018, Peterson will be speaking in a keynote address titled, “Myanmar: How a country that used to sell SIM cards for US$500 became mobile-first”.
It will provide an excellent moment for attendees to better understand the Myanmar startup ecosystem. Many people in Southeast Asia understand that the country provides an opportunity to ‘get in on the ground floor’, but what does that look like?
Is there an incumbent startup in your vertical? Will there be cultural barriers to entering the country? What about for investors? Is the community strong?
In a country that is full of opportunity, it still is crucial to understand the specifics.
So why not learn from an expert? Jes Kaliebe Petersen will provide this opportunity at Echelon Asia Summit 2018.
Excited to hear from the best and brightest of the regional startup scene? Register here!
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