Position Paper on Digital Divide

Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Nowadays, the development of Information Communication Technology (ICT) is widely yet

unevenly spread across nations, resulting in the issue of Digital Divide between nations. Closing the
Digital Divide is crucial in allowing countries to improve communication to other countries, as well
as to encourage development within the nation. Today, the Information Communication Technology
(ICT) is a vastly important key factor in increasing Myanmar’s accessibility of international trading
opportunities, as to achieve Goal 6 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): develop a global
partnership for development.

The major problem that we is facing, is the lack of funds for creating better infrastructure and
construction of telecommunication to make use of ICTs. Also, there are natural disaster happens in
our country which make the situation worse within our own land, for example, extra funding to
repair, maintenance, etc.

Until now, Myanmar (or Burma) remains as one of the thirty countries with less than 1
percent Internet access. According to OpenNet Initiative, the reported number of Internet users in
2005 ranged from 78,000 to nearly 300,000, approximately 0.56 percent of Myanmar’s population.
As of 2008, there are only 2.4 out of 100 inhabitants are telephone subscribers.

Development in technology is needed. As natural disaster often happens in our country,

computer technology can provide us access to updated weather or geography situation which to
avoid or prevent disasters.

With immediate funding from UN for our nation to develop technology we have to improve
infrastructure within our homeland and expand the usage of telecommunications like cell phones
and computers.

Furthermore, our country is keen to negotiate with foreign telecommunication companies to

invest in Myanmar. Having the idea of PPP (Public-Private Partnership), our government would like
to create partnerships with the private companies in the provision of telecommunication services
and infrastructure for Myanmar. PPP can benefit the private companies and Myanmar can benefit
from the funding and support that enables a spread of telecommunication technology and
infrastructure within our country. With this plan, we hope to develop telecommunication in
Myanmar from now on to far future, beneficial to both sides at the same time.

Our nation also wishes to increase our accessibility of international trading opportunities. As
a long-term goal, our nation is in favor of trading our crops and rubber, our most successful
production in agriculture, with other countries for in return for the development of our
infrastructure in overcoming digital divide. Myanmar hereby looks forward in seeing progress in
closing digital divide to encourage development within nations.