Tower Times Quarterly Newsletter of -

October 2015 | Volume I - Issue I

FOREWORD IN THIS ISSUE

Your magazine – Tower Times is here. The
first edition is about our postion as the
premier passive infrastructure company in MESSAGE IGT SUPPORTS
Myanmar. The intention of this newsletter FROM THE FLOOD RELIEF
is to build bonds, break silos and imbibe a CEO IN MYNAMAR
winning team spirit.
PG II PG III
The need to create synergies is even more
relevant in light of what IGT stands for
and in our position as the leading tower
company in the country. We hope that you CO-LOCATION
PHOTO OF
enjoy reading this issue of Tower Times IS THE FUTURE
THE MONTH
and contribute towards the forthcoming IN MYANMAR
issues. PG VIII
PG IV
Editorial Team
 MESSAGE
POLICY, FROM
PULSE & THE
INDUSTRY CEO
OUR MEANINGFUL IMPACT
exceeding quality requirements that is close to my heart. For over
and customer expectations, doing 20 years I have worked in the
it by adhering to strict principles Oil and Gas Industry, and I hope
of environment, health and safety to bring that level of laser sharp
performance, and contributing focus on delivery, but always
to the communities where we bound by the world-class Environ-
operate. I would like to put into ment, Health and Safety perfor-
perspective the importance of our mance. It is my personal as well
mandate for Myanmar. as professional commitment to
ensure highest standards of safety,
Each tower we erect is bringing health, security and welfare for all
AYAD CHAMMAS , CEO
the world to the country’s varied our employees, contractors and
Dear Colleagues, Ming-Lar-Bar, and diverse population. The fabric visitors wokring with us. It should
of Myanmar’s society is undergo- be part of our creed that at work
It gives me great pleasure to reach ing a radical change through wide and outside we as a company
out to Irrawaddy Green Towers availability of Information and and individuals demonstrate our
(IGT) Family through the first Communication Technologies, all commitment in letter and in spirit
edition of our in house newsletter made possible by the towers that to the core values imbibed in our
“Tower Times”. we erect. Our impact is therefore EHS policy. It is a moral obligation
profound, and we as a compa- for all employees of IGT, to bring
IGT in the one-and-a-half years ny must acknowledge that and to the attention of your line or
since its establishment has grown proactively engage communities senior managers any infraction of
to be the premier passive infra- that are impacted by our work. our EHS practice.
structure company in Myanmar. We have a strong Community and
Out off our contracted 2900 Corporate Responsibility engage- I thank you all for taking time to
towers, we have completed the ment program. Through this we read this newsletter that will bring
erection of 1500. Our delivery support multiple programs in My- the company closer together. I
of 150 to 180 towers per month anmar. Most recently our “IGT for take this opportunity to announce
is unsurpassed in the market, Myanmar” campaign contributed the launch of our website www.
earning us a place hitherto unri- a substantial amount of money igt.com.mm and our presence in
valled in amongst our peers. This and resources towards the reha- social media on LinkedIn, Twitter
has been achieved through the bilitation of communities affected (@IrrawaddyTowers), and Face-
dedication and commitment of a by the devastating floods. We book. You may browse the links on
highly skilled team comprising of support education in schools and, the homepage of our website.
300 employees of which 250 are we are spearheading an innova-
Myanmarese nationals. tive scheme for adoption of ICT I look forward to this exciting chal-
amongst student monks in asso- lenge and will make your journey
But, we must not rest on our ciation with monasteries across with Irrawaddy Green Towers
laurels, and fall victim to compla- Myanmar. worthwhile.
cency. IGT has a clear cut mandate
for timely deliver on our contracts, Before I conclude, I would like to Best Regards,
focusing relentlessly on cost, draw your attention to an issue Ayad Chammas
II
 CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY @ IGT

IGT TEAM WITH HER EXELLENCY DAW MYAT MYAT OHN KHIN, MINISTER OF SOCIAL
WELFARE, RELIEF AND RESETTLEMENT DEPARTMENT AT NAY PYI TAW

IGT STEPS UP FLOOD RELIEF IGT FACT SHEET

EFFORT WITH “IGT FOR MYANMAR” THE LEADING TOWER

U
COMPANY IN MYANMAR
nder the guidance of IGT debris,mud, collapsed bridges and
Board Members and the Ex- roads. IGT team supporting the HEADQUARTERED IN
ecutive Management Team, and in affected regions of Chin, Rakhine, YANGON WITH 8 OFFICES
line with our CSR strategy, IGT has Sagaing, Bago, Magway & Rakhine ACROSS MYANMAR.
initiated a special project named state with our donations.
INSTALLED 1500 TOWERS
“IGT for Myanmar”. Under the ACROSS THE COUNTRY
program IGT is comitted to pro- IGT has donated a total of MMK
vide the best possible support as 30 million to provide immediate TENANCY RATIO OF 1.27X
the country recovers from devas- support which includes critical
tating floods. items for daily needs such as 300 EMPLOYEES
proteins, canned foods, rice, dry
70% OF EMPLOYEES ARE
Up to 40 per cent of the flood fish, water and torches. More MYANMARESE NATIONALS
affected areas remain difficult than 6000 people in the affected
donations made through our
to access, as they are cut off by regions have benefited from the
efforts.

Her Excellency Union Minister

Daw Myat Myat Ohn Khin
recognized our efforts during the
official press conference held in
Nay Pyi Taw. During the event, IGT
highlighted our continued focus
approach towards community
engagement program and our
FLOOD AFFECTED AT A RELIEF CENTRE
recent efforts on the same.
III
 THE TOWERXCHANGE
INTERVIEW
PASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE SHARING IS THE FUTURE
S haring of towers has begun in Myanmar. IGT anticipates having co-locations in
around 700 of the 2,000 towers in our portfolio by end of 2015, with a tenancy
ratio of around 1.3, says Arun Kapur talking to TowerXchange.

“A culture of infrastructure has

yet to fully take root in Myan-
mar. MNOs built a lot of parallel
infrastructure in the country,
but demand for infill sites to
improve capacity and QoS, plus
the economics of rural cover-
age, may see tenancy ratios
climb to 1.3x by the end of 2015.
Pressure is growing on lease
rates and capex per site in My-
anmar. The situation could be
eased when Myanmar’s fourth
operator is finally licensed.”

The Asian tower industry started We’re connected via an umbilical

by Kieron Osmotherly in India, where the first set of tow- chord, so if the MNO squeezes the
TowerXchange
ers was built in 2005 delivered a towerco beyond a certain point
Achieving those kind of tenan- 25% IRR from a single tenant, with they make it more difficult for us
cy ratios may be difficult on the lease rates close to US$ 2,000. to raise capital, which harms them
phase one towers, where Ooredoo By 2012 lease rates were down as much as us. We need a realis-
and Telenor built almost in parallel to US$ 500 in India, but it took tic, sustainable cost structure in
with a high degree of overlap. towercos seven years to innovate Myanmar.
But because IGT’s allocation was and create the necessary capex
part of phase two, the company and opex efficiencies. In Myanmar Any towerco will fall by the way-
has less overlap, and have attract- those same improvements must side if they fail to recognise and
ed huge interest from Ooredoo be made quickly.” embrace the drive toward efficien-
in co-locating, particularly on the cy by optimising staffing costs, site
rooftop sites they need for 3G. “Achieving such efficiencies calls design, O&M and technology de-
for a strong partnership approach ployment, or who fails to leverage
Commenting on the capital outlay between MNOs and towercos,” RMS to monitor uptime and SLAs.
per site. “All of Myanmar’s tower- continued Kapur. “MNOs can’t Like it or not, Myanmar will mimic
cos will have to experiment with treat towercos like any other more mature tower markets,
new structures to bring capex vendor as we are investing over and that means costs have got to
down and to bring loads down. 60% of the capex on their behalf! come down, he commented.
IV
 ENVIORNMENT
HEALTH AND SAFETY
@ IGT
I
“IGT IS COMMITTED TO
ENSURING HIGHEST
GT has an on-going commit-
ment for the continued practice
of high safety and environmental
To this end IGT is:
• Promoting a positive safety
management culture;
STANDARDS OF SAFETY,
HEALTH, SECURITY AND standards, which provide a safe • Effectively communicating
WELFARE FOR ALL OUR and healthy work environment. the importance of a safe and
EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS It is a moral obligation for all healthy work environment;
AND VISITORS ENGAGED IN employees of IGT, to bring to the • Providing adequate levels of
COMPANY ACTIVITIES. IT IS
attention of your line or senior information, instruction and
PART OF OUR CREED THAT
AT WORK AND OUTSIDE WE managers any infraction of our training;
DEMONSTRATE THE CORE EHS practice. • Providing effective resources
VALUES IMBIBED IN OUR EHS This is incorporated in our belief for health & safety programs;
POLICY IN OUR DAY TO DAY that the health, safety and welfare • Encouraging employee in-
ENGAGMENT WITH OUR
of both our employees and the volvement and empowerment
CLIENTS, CONTRACTORS
AND THE COMMUNITIES environment are an integral part to achieve safety, health and
THAT ARE IMPACTED BY of our business. environmental leadership;
OUR WORK”. • Integrating employee well-be-
To know more about EHS @ IGT visit: ing considerations into busi-
AYAD CHAMMAS, CEO. www.igt.com.mm/ehs/
ness processes.

INTEGRITY AND IGT

E ach instance of suspected un-

ethical practice including fraud
will be thoroughly investigated as
a matter of priority. Fraud is mor-
ally unacceptable and compromis-
es our business. Employees are OUR VISION
encouraged to disclose any such TO BE RECOGNISED AS THE LEADING AND PREFERRED TELELCOM
acts which may have come to their INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTION PROVIDER IN MYANMAR
notice that constitutes a breach of
our Code of Conduct. OUR VALUES
IGT EMPLOYEES ARE
IGT has zero tolerance for acts of SAFE
fraud and financial impropriety. RESULT ORIENTED & DELIVERY FOCUSED
Any act whether by an individ- ETHICAL & FAIR
ual or by group of individuals in SENSITIVE TO COMMUNITY & ENVIORNMENT
direct employment or otherwise, RESPONSIVE & CUSTOMER FOCUSED
if found compromising the stand- INNOVATE & COST CONSCIOUS
ards of integrity and jeopardizing
our core values, attracts immedi-
ate action that may even lead to
termination of their services with
IGT.
V
 POLICY PULSE &
INDUSTRY
CHANGING TELECOM LANDSCAPE AND REGULATORY
For future growth
OPPORTUNITIES and stability in tel-
by Rakesh Sangwan ecom sector, the
Corporate Affairs Head
MCIT, the PTD and
W ith the adoption
of Myanmar’s new
Telecommunications Law in 2013,
other relevant au-
thorities are spend-
and the two incumbent operator ing considerable
licenses awarded, the countrys
telecommunications industry is effort to ensure
evolving at a rapid pace. In order progress continues
to give full effect to the new law, apace.
Myanmar is about to adopt new
implementing rules. Recent Developments in the new Telecommunications Law

The Telecoms Law (2013) provides for four categories of licenses available to
The new regulatory framework companies to provide telecommunications service in Myanmar. These licenses are:
largely meets international
standards and is expected 1) Network Facilities Service (Individual) License, which permits the licensee to
to provide considerable engage in all types of telecoms activities and would arguably apply to fixed or
opportunities for growth and mobile telecoms operators.
foreign investment in a liberalized 2) Network Facilities Service (Class) License, which permits the licensee to engage
Myanmar telecoms sector. The in a more limited number of telecoms activities, including tower leasing and self-
Draft Telecoms Rules were provision of telecoms services, and would probably apply to tower companies and
formally issued at the end of 2014 any business users of voice-over-the-internet services.
and already being implemented
3) Network Service License, which permits the licensee to provide telecoms
to a limited degree by the services and would apply to telecoms services resellers.
Posts and Telecommunications
Department and the Myanmar 4) Application Service License, which permits the licensee to lease transmission
telecommunications regulatory capacity directly from telecoms providers and resellers
authority, in an effort to speed up
the network roll-out.

M yanmar’s prospective fourth

operator license is expect-
ed to be reserved for a company
Seeking to raise over US$1bn in
international investment, YTP has
been the subject of on-off part-
which is 51% local owned. The nership rumours, starting with
HEARD IT THROUGH most likely recipient of such a Thailand’s True and Malaysia’s Ax-
THE GRAPEVINE license is ISP Yatanarpon Teleport iata, while more recently Reuters
which was granted a limited pri- reported a prospective US$800mn
vate operator license in February partnership with Vietnam’s Viet-
2015. tel.
VI
 THE FIELD REPORT

THE TOWER
THAT
TREKKED A
MOUNTAIN
by Delivery Team
Irrawaddy Green Towers

E recting Towers in uppper

Myanmar is a challenge. There
is something always new that
TOWER ID
SH0338 (SHT20619)
al staging area was set at the foot
of the mountain near the main
road. All the materials needed
LOCATION
becomes a show stopper. The Harr Kyar Di Pa (2) Village, for erecting the tower had to be
tower which IGT erected in Harr Ite Lone Group transferred to smaller trucks, each
Kyar Di Pa Village in July 2015 was Mine Pyat, Shan East. fitted out with traction chains on
especially challeging to the deliv- Plot Size: 15m x 15m it tires to provide the extra grip on
ery team, and probably our most Tower Type: 70m ATM 160Kph the muddy roads leading to the
toughest erection to date. Non-Hub Tower site.
SKOM: 8 June 2015
The proposed site for the tower Mobilization: 9 June 2015 The Monsoon delayed the delivery
was is located at the top of the Excavation: 28 June 2015 of tower materials, power equip-
Rebar: 2 July 2015
mountain on Forestry Land with Foundation Casting: 20 July 2015 ment and construction materials
accessibility issues that were Tower Erection: 31 July 2015 due to continuous rain. Our chal-
daunting. The nearest accessible RFI: 31 July 2015 lenges were compouded by the
road is 8 Kilometers away and the CONTRACTOR inability of our contractors to send
access road to the site was a dirt Mine Pyat Nagar their personnel due to the site dif-
road having steap gradients. Being ficulties and its location. We over-
right in the middle of the mon- team had to repair around 2 kilo- came the manpower challenge
soon season, the road turned to meter stretch of the road to make and engaged a local contractor
mud and was especially slippery. it passable for the small trucks from Shan East state to complete
To access the site, the delivery and construction vehicles. Materi- the construction on time.
VII
 PHOTO OF THE
MONTH
WE ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS OF THE MONTHLY
PHOTO COMPETITION
AUGUST JULY
2015 2015
WINNER WINNER

TAKE A
PHOTO
AND
WIN
CASH
Participate in
Tower Times
monthly photo
competition
and win BIG.

Take photos
of our towers
and stand a
PHOTO BY PHOTO BY chance to win
ABELRADO LAUS SATYANARAYANASWAMY SRIRANGAM cash prices.
PHOTO BY SAI AUNG KYAW
MAY 2015 WINNER

FEBRUARY 2015 WINNER

“Tower Times” is the
Selection criteria for photo of the month is de- quarterly newsletter of
pedent on the following factors. The photo must Irrawaddy Green Towers
Limited (C) 2015-2016,
contain any of the following elements : All Rights Reserved.
Editor: Rakesh Sangwan.
Editorial Assistant: Hsu Thein.
Myanmar local environment Publisher: Irrawaddy Green
Site difficulty and remotenes Towers Limited. Yangon,
Site structural impression Myanmar.
PHOTO BY RAGHUNADAN RAINA

VIII