Publicity stunt or humanitarian gesture?
It may be both.
Telenor Myanmar is adding 500 kyats (less than 50 cents, but enough for a few phone calls and text messages and a little web surfing) to subscribers in three Rakhine state townships in an effort to give flood victims the chance to communicate in the event of an emergency.
“We added it so users from Rakhine state can have emergency contact with their families and friends,” an unnamed public relations officer told 7Day.
The townships are Min Pyar, Kyauk Taw and Mrauk Oo, all of which have been pummeled with heavy rains and flooding that started in early July.
“We are planning to keep helping in flooded area depending on needs,” the public relations officer was quoted as saying.
Telenor Myanmar rolled out their network in Rakhine in May. The Norway-based telco has about 16 million subscribers, second only to state-backed Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications.
