KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 16): Telecommunication network solutions provider OCK Group Bhd, together with its Myanmar partner King Royal Technologies Co Ltd, intends to build up to 3,000 telecommunications towers in Myanmar over a five-year period.

For starters, OCK will invest US$75 million to build 920 telecommunications towers for Telenor Myanmar Ltd, which will be delivered next year under a long-term 'build and lease' business model.

In a statement today, OCK said it and King Royal have signed a master services agreement with Telenor for the proposed project.

"With the Telenor contract, OCK is highly positive in achieving its (3,000 telecommunications towers) target," said its group managing director Sam Ooi.

"As a progressive company, we seek to expand our services regionally, and Myanmar's mobile phone industry has shown tremendous growth in the past year. This calls for more telecommunications towers both to cater for coverage and also for capacity," added Ooi.

Ooi pointed out that the Myanmar investment is part of the group's mission in growing its recurring income. "We will continue to be on the lookout for more opportunities in the regional markets," he added.

Telenor Myanmar chief financial officer Lars Erik Tellmann said the company has built more than 4,000 telecommunications towers across Myanmar to date.

"We see the clear need to expand our supply chain to secure and build sites, as rollout progresses from high density urban areas and large townships to smaller towns, villages and rural areas," he added.

Telenor is one of the companies that were awarded the nationwide telecommunications licence from Myanmar's government. It currently operates the largest 3G network in Myanmar, and aims to bring mobile voice and data connectivity to all cities, towns and villages across the country in the coming years.

Telenor currently serves more than 12 million customers and covers with its network over 60% of the population in Myanmar.

OCK shares closed unchanged at 72.5 sen today, bringing a market capitalisation of RM574.4 million.

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