Myanmar has projected to add internet service centers to over 100 townships in the country during this year to facilitate communications especially in the sectors of business and education, the local Khit Myanmar reported Thursday.

As of early this year, such centers, also known as the Public Access Centers (PAC), had been opened in 12 townships including those in Yangon, Mandalay, Mawlamyine, Monywa, Taunggyi, Toungoo, Pyay, Pyinmana, Magway, Myeik, Kawthoung and Shwebo, sources with the Myanmar Info-Tech was quoted as saying.

The internet services, which include E-mail and network game, were made available by the state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications and the Myanmar Info-Tech.

The country is striving to have such service centers to cover the whole country's 326 townships in the near future, the sources said.

According to official statistics, the number of internet users in Myanmar has stood at over 70,000 since it was introduced.

Meanwhile, a Myanmar and a Canadian information and communication technology (ICT) companies have reached a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to run an internet service provider (ISP) in Myanmar as part of the country's bid to expand such services, reports said.

The ISP will be established by the Ahaed Co. of Myanmar and the Teleglobe of Canada and the internet-based telephone system will be extensively used after the establishment.

Besides, a Hong Kong company, the SS8 Networks Inc., has also agreed with an ICT company of Myanmar to run security services for ISPs in Myanmar, according to earlier reports.

Meanwhile, Myanmar has launched some e-government systems including e-visa, e-passport, and e-procurement to effect management of government bodies.

Myanmar introduced e-education system in early 2001. Being a signatory to the e-ASEAN Framework Agreement initiated at the regional summit in Singapore in 2000, Myanmar has also formed the e-National task Force to support the IT development.

The country has also signed a series of MoUs with companies from Malaysia, Thailand and an ASEAN organization on ICT development.

Source: Xinhua