Myanmar: The Final Frontier For The Mobile Internet

MYANMAR THE FINAL FRONTIER FOR

THE MOBILE INTERNET

Photo: KXStudio

Myanmar… but where is it?

Myanmar, pop. 53 million

59 years of military dictatorship and being cut off from the outside world turned a former economic

success into the backwater of Asia.

In 2011 Myanmar opened up to the world again. Media and internet censorship was largely

removed and mobile ownership started to climb.

Taking advantage of the growing mobile ownership On Device Research surveyed 577 mobile internet

users in Myanmar for the first time ever.

* Cuba and North Korea are the only remaining countries where research via mobile is not possible.

The Final Frontier?*

Photo: Christopher Michel

Myanmar in numbers, 2014

g 53 million! 33% : 67%!

10%!1%!w!

Population Urban vs rural population

Internet penetration Mobile penetration

O NA!

Mobile internet penetration

Source: Asian Development Bank, 2012, UN Data, 2012, Internet World Stats, 2012

Newcomers are flocking online Plummeting device prices, cheaper SIM cards and data packages double the mobile internet population in the last 12 months Q. When did you first use a phone to go online?

28%

22%

30%

20%

1-5 months ago 6-12 months ago Over a year ago More than 2 years ago

50% combined

Source: On Device Research, June 2014 n=577 mobile internet users in Myanmar

A mobile-only nation Nearly half of the respondents use internet only on their mobile. Improving networks, decreasing device and data prices mean that majority of population will leapfrog PCs. Q. How often do use internet on a PC or laptop?

29%

9% 9% 4%

49%

Daily Weekly Few times a month Less than once a month

I do not use internet on a PC or laptop

Mobile-only internet users


Internet beats other media Nearly three quarters use internet on their mobile daily!

72%

15% 12%

2%

61%

18% 18%

3%

50%

19% 25%

6%

27%

17%

36%

20%

Daily Once a week/several times a week

Several times a month or less frequently

Never

Mobile Internet

Television

Newspaper

Radio


Mobile-only nation Nearly half use internet only on their mobile. Will Myanmar almost completely leapfrog the PC? Q. How often do use internet on a PC or laptop?

Mobile internet is changing lives Q. In which ways has internet on your phone changed your life?

18%

23%

27%

27%

40%

42%

Easier to meet people from around the world

Improved access to entertainment

Better access to information online

Faster and easier communication

Easier to follow the news

Easier to keep in touch with friends and family

Source: On Device Research, June 2014. Photo: Brian Holsclaw n=577 mobile internet users in Myanmar

w Myanmar – who’s online on their phone?

Young men dominate Echoing other emerging markets - mobile internet users are mainly young men, only 29% are women

fffffffkkk!16-24 38%

25-34 36%

35-44 16%

45+ 10%

16-‐24 25-‐34 35-‐44 45+

Average for South-East Asia: 63% men, 37% women


Huawei’s utter dominance One brand dominating the handset market in such a way is unheard of in South-East Asia or elsewhere…

71% 14% + dozens of other brands with 1% market share or less among the mobile internet users


Android nation We knew there wouldn’t be many iPhone owners in Myanmar but lack of feature phone users was a complete surprise

0.5%

1%

3.5%

95%

Symbian, Blackberry, Windows

iPhone + iPad

Other (feature phones)

Android

India 21% Vietnam 24%

Indonesia 26% Malaysia 40% Thailand 44%

Starting from a clean sheet in 2011, lack of legacy handsets and plummeting Android prices have all contributed to this anomaly.


63% 58%

32%

18% 15%

12% 6% 5%

9%

Huawei Samsung Apple Nokia Sony HTC LG Lenovo Other

Favourite mobile brands Apple might be #3 in popularity but average income means few will be able to afford it Q. What are your favourite mobile brands? Select up to 3.

Significantly more women prefer Samsung (69% vs 53%)


Viber absolutely rules in Myanmar

Monopoly for Viber Usual market leaders like WhatsApp are struggling with traction Q. Which of the following chat apps do you use?

79%

27%

11% 10% 8% 5% 4% 10%

Viber Facebook Messenger

Skype WeChat Other WhatsApp Line I don't use chat apps


Over half use Facebook Twitter, Instagram and other popular Western services remain below the 5% threshold Q. Which of the following social networks do you use?

58%

31%

19% 12%

16%

Facebook Youtube Google+ Other Don't use social networks

Surprisingly local mobile social network MySquar wasn’t popular either


Search is the most popular activity Q. What do you use the internet on your phone for?

14%

17%

19%

21%

21%

33%

41%

Email

Sports news

Listening to music

Social networking

Watching videos

World & local news

Searching


55% live on $155 or less a month Q. What’s your monthly income?

26% 29%

10%

14%

21%

Less than 100,000 kyat

100,000-150,000 kyat per month

151,000-200,000 kyat per month

200,000 or more Prefer not to answer

100,000 kyat = $102


Nearly half have bachelors degree Q. What’s your level of education?

1%

27%

41%

7% 7%

17%

Primary school Secondary / High school

Bachelors degree

Other qualification

None Prefer not to answer


The Myanmar project was incredibly exciting - there

was zero information about mobile internet users

and usage so far. This is exactly why I started On

Device Research in the first place!

Mobile will explode in the next couple of years

making it the fastest and most cost effective way to

reach and understand Burmese people.

Alistair Hill, CEO On Device Research

On Device Research uses the mobile internet to gain access to consumer opinions at any time, place or country.

Want Excel tables with the survey data? Contact [email protected]

ondeviceresearch.com

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Siim Teller [email protected] @teller +44 20 7278 6627