Advancing Telecommunications of Myanmar
# Advancing Telecommunications of Myanmar

Advancing Telecommunications of Myanmar, marketed as ATOM Myanmar (Burmese: အက်တမ် မြန်မာ), is a telecommunications company in Myanmar (Burma). After the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, Telenor divested its Telenor Myanmar operations, selling it to the joint venture owned by Lebanese M1 Group and Shwe Byain Phyu. The company officially rebranded as ATOM on 8 June 2022. As of September 2022, ATOM Myanmar's CEO is Muhammad Ziaullah Siddiqui.

## History

In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, Telenor cited "increasing pressure to activate intercept equipment that is subject to Norwegian and European sanctions for use by the authorities in Myanmar" for its decision to divest. In May 2021, Telenor was forced to write off USD$780 million investment in Myanmar. On 8 July 2021, Telenor announced it would sell Telenor Myanmar for US$105 million to M1 Group, an investment company based in Lebanon, founded by Taha Mikati and Najib Mikati. In February 2022, reports emerged that Shwe Byain Phyu, a local conglomerate linked with the Burmese military, would own 80% of Telenor Myanmar, with Lebanese M1 Group owning the remaining shares.

The sale prompted significant scrutiny from Burmese civil society over data privacy concerns, given SBP's links to the Burmese military. Legal experts and activists urged Telenor to protect customer metadata, by putting the sale on hold or by deleting the data before the transaction is completed. On 10 February, Duwa Lashi La, the acting president of the National Unity Government called on the acting president of Norway to intervene and prevent the sale. Activist groups like Justice for Myanmar called on the Norwegian government to stop the sale, because of Shwe Byain Phyu's close ties to the Burmese military.

The sale was approved by the Myanmar Investment Commission on 18 March 2022. Shwe Byain Phyu and M1 Group have formed a joint venture, Investcom, to take over Telenor operations in Myanmar. Ownership was transferred on 25 March, and Telenor Myanmar was rebranded to ATOM on 8 June 2022.

