Digital Blockade in Burma

We’re on our second day of the seminar/workshop and some of the representatives of the 11 countries that attended this event were given the opportunity to present their current situation. We had Soe Aung of Burma and Mamood Ahmed Khan of Pakistan taking the floor and explaining the issues concerning their respective countries.

One of the shocking facts I learned from Burma’s represetative was the prohibitive cost of connectivity and communication.

USD$500 – the cost to setup a dial-up account.
USD$3,000 – the ost to have broadband/DSL setup in your home
USD$5,000 – the cost of having your own personal mobile phone

Likewise, you need to apply for a license just to own a fax machine or a modem. If you are caught with one without a license, you could go to jail for 7 to 10 years! Yes, the government practically controls these channels of communication which is why gatherings such as these are important to the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats.

Makes you really appreciate the slow and erratic Smart Bro for $20 a month right?

More coverage here:

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

5 Comments

spark says:

18 years ago

Unfortunately, Myanmar is still under a repressive authoritarian regime. Control of information is an absolute must to control the people. Its really sad what the Burmese have had to deal with in the past 3 or 4 decades.
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Abe Olandres says:

18 years ago

Burma is the term for peace-loving people. Myanmar is the term for those who support the military junta.
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Eugene says:

18 years ago

Just curious, do you prefer calling the country Burma or Myanmar?
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The Ca t says:

18 years ago

yes, abe when we get to other countries and places, that’s the time we appreciate Philippines.

So whenever, i read commentaries or whines about the philippines, I can’t help but think that the person has not yet left the country.

Or if ever they did, it must have been for leisure only and they saw what the country woud like the tourists to see.
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J. Angelo Racoma says:

18 years ago

Hmm. Lots of laptops! I don’t see anyone using a Mac, though! :P
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