U9 Myanmar
U9 Myanmar is a Myanmar telecommunications operator formerly known as Ooredoo Myanmar.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
U9 Myanmar is a telecommunications operator serving Myanmar under the U9 brand. It was established as Ooredoo Myanmar after Ooredoo, the international telecommunications group, won one of two successful bids in June 2013 for a Myanmar telecom licence. At the time, Myanmar was regarded as one of Asia's last major greenfield telecommunications markets, with a large population that had historically experienced limited access to mobile services. Formal licensing followed in January 2014, and Ooredoo committed to a major investment programme intended to build network infrastructure and extend coverage to approximately three-quarters of the population within five years. The company operated as Ooredoo Myanmar during the rapid expansion of Myanmar's mobile market. Its business has centred on mobile connectivity, voice and messaging services, mobile data, internet access, digital customer services and telecommunications offerings for businesses. The brand competed with other major Myanmar operators, including Telenor Myanmar, Mytel and the state-linked Myanma Posts and Telecommunications. As smartphone adoption and mobile internet usage increased, data connectivity became an increasingly important part of the operator's consumer proposition alongside traditional voice services. The political and regulatory environment changed substantially after the Myanmar coup d'état in 2021. Foreign companies faced increasing pressure from military authorities, and several international businesses reconsidered or ended their Myanmar operations. Ooredoo announced on 7 September 2022 that it had agreed to sell Ooredoo Myanmar to Singapore-registered Nine Communications Pte. Ltd., a vehicle associated with zLink Family Office and Nyan Win. The proposed transaction was reported at a value of US$576 million and required regulatory approval. The sale took place amid concern from rights organisations about the treatment and security of customer information in Myanmar's altered political environment. Following the change in ownership, the company continued operating in Myanmar and later adopted the U9 name. The rebrand was officially announced on 20 September 2025, ending the use of the Ooredoo Myanmar consumer identity. Public reporting has subsequently raised questions about the ultimate controlling interests behind the business, with some reports linking control to Jonathan Kyaw Thaung of KT Group, while other accounts have emphasised that the ownership structure has not been fully transparent. These reports should be distinguished from the documented sale to Nine Communications, which remains the identifiable transaction vehicle in the available reference material. U9's current identity is therefore that of a domestically focused Myanmar telecommunications operator with international-brand origins and a complex post-2022 ownership history. Its principal strategic challenges include maintaining network investment, serving customers during political and regulatory instability, protecting subscriber data, and competing in a market where telecommunications companies are subject to unusually intensive state scrutiny.
History
U9 Myanmar originated as Ooredoo Myanmar, the Myanmar telecommunications operation of Ooredoo. In June 2013, Ooredoo was selected as one of two winners from around 90 applicants seeking licences to enter Myanmar's newly liberalising telecommunications market. The opening of the market was significant because Myanmar had long had relatively limited mobile penetration and was viewed as one of Asia's remaining large greenfield opportunities. Formal licences were granted in January 2014. Ooredoo committed to substantial investment in Myanmar's telecommunications infrastructure and stated an ambition to reach roughly 75 percent of the population within five years. The company built its business around mobile network access, voice and messaging, mobile internet and data services, and related consumer and enterprise telecommunications products. It entered a competitive market that also included Telenor Myanmar, Mytel and Myanma Posts and Telecommunications. As mobile ownership and smartphone use expanded, mobile data became a central element of competition. The company's operating environment deteriorated after the Myanmar coup d'état in 2021. Military authorities placed increased pressure on telecommunications providers, and foreign companies reassessed their presence in the country. Telenor Myanmar, another major foreign-backed operator, ultimately exited, illustrating the political and commercial pressures affecting the sector. On 7 September 2022, Ooredoo announced an agreement to sell Ooredoo Myanmar to Nine Communications Pte. Ltd., a Singapore vehicle associated with zLink Family Office and Nyan Win. The reported transaction value was US$576 million, subject to regulatory approval. The transaction attracted criticism from digital-rights and human-rights organisations. Access Now, among others, expressed concern that the transfer could place the personal information of approximately nine million subscribers in the hands of Myanmar's military authorities. The controversy reflected wider concerns over surveillance, data protection and the obligations of telecommunications operators under military rule. Leadership also changed during this period. Rajeev Sethi was appointed chief executive officer in 2019. Htar Thant Zin, previously the company's chief of sales and distribution, became acting chief executive officer on 1 November 2022 shortly before the sale. After the transaction, Caroline Yin Yin Htay was identified as the company's chief executive officer. The business continued under new ownership and ultimately abandoned the Ooredoo Myanmar name. On 20 September 2025, it officially rebranded as U9 Myanmar, or U9. The rebrand separated the local operator's identity from the Ooredoo brand while preserving its role as a Myanmar telecommunications company. Reporting in September 2025 associated the new controlling owner with Jonathan Kyaw Thaung of KT Group. Other reporting, including an October 2022 account, stated that the ultimate ownership behind Nyan Win was difficult to establish and that the principal owners had kept their identities concealed. Accordingly, the identifiable acquisition vehicle and the reported ultimate controlling interests should not be treated as equivalent without further confirmation. Today, U9 Myanmar is an active operator focused on the Myanmar market. Its history reflects the rapid expansion of mobile communications in the country, the retreat of some foreign investors after 2021, and the significant legal, political and privacy issues facing telecommunications companies operating under Myanmar's post-coup authorities.
- 2025
Rebranded as U9 Myanmar
[1]The company officially changed its operating brand from Ooredoo Myanmar to U9 on 20 September 2025.
- 2022
Agreement to sell Ooredoo Myanmar announced
[1]Ooredoo agreed to sell the Myanmar operation to Nine Communications for a reported US$576 million, subject to regulatory approval.
- 2022
Acting chief executive appointed
[1]Htar Thant Zin became acting chief executive officer on 1 November 2022.
- 2019
Rajeev Sethi appointed chief executive
[1]Rajeev Sethi became chief executive officer of Ooredoo Myanmar.
- 2014
Formal telecommunications licence granted
[1]Myanmar formally granted Ooredoo the licence needed to launch and develop telecommunications operations.
- 2013
Ooredoo selected as a Myanmar telecom licence winner
[1]Ooredoo was chosen as one of two successful applicants from approximately 90 bidders seeking to enter Myanmar's telecommunications market.
Products and positioning
A nationwide Myanmar mobile operator providing consumer and business connectivity, with its current U9 identity following the rebranding of Ooredoo Myanmar.
Mobile telecommunications
U9 mobile network services
The company's core offering is mobile network access for customers in Myanmar. It supports basic wireless connectivity and provides the infrastructure through which subscribers use voice, messaging and internet services.
Mobile data
U9 mobile data and internet
U9 provides mobile data connectivity and internet access for smartphone and other mobile-device users. Data services became increasingly important as Myanmar's telecommunications market expanded beyond traditional voice and SMS usage.
Prepaid and postpaid telecommunications
U9 consumer connectivity plans
The operator serves individual subscribers through consumer mobile plans and related connectivity packages. Specific current plan names, prices and technical specifications are not established in the supplied reference material.
Business telecommunications
U9 enterprise telecommunications
U9 also operates as a telecommunications provider for business customers, although the available reference material does not specify the current enterprise portfolio or product names.
Controversies
2025
Questions over ultimate ownership
Reports associated the company's controlling ownership with Jonathan Kyaw Thaung of KT Group, while other reporting described the ownership structure behind the acquisition vehicle as opaque and the identities of principal owners as undisclosed.
2022
Customer-data concerns surrounding the sale
Rights groups, including Access Now, criticised the proposed sale of Ooredoo Myanmar because personal information belonging to approximately nine million customers could come under the control or influence of Myanmar's military authorities. The issue concerned privacy, surveillance risk and the handling of telecommunications subscriber data during military rule.
Brand decisions
2025
Rebranding from Ooredoo Myanmar to U9StrategyBackground
Following the change in ownership, the operator no longer operated under the Ooredoo Myanmar identity.
Action taken
The company officially adopted the U9 Myanmar name and U9 brand on 20 September 2025.
Aftermath
The rebrand created a distinct local identity while the company continued operating as a Myanmar telecommunications provider.
2022
Sale of Ooredoo Myanmar to Nine CommunicationsM&ABackground
After the 2021 coup and the growing pressure on foreign companies operating in Myanmar, Ooredoo pursued the sale of its Myanmar telecommunications business.
Action taken
Ooredoo signed an agreement on 7 September 2022 to transfer Ooredoo Myanmar to Singapore-based Nine Communications Pte. Ltd., subject to regulatory approval.
Aftermath
The transaction was followed by criticism over customer-data risks and eventually by the operator's rebranding as U9 Myanmar in 2025.
Reported transaction value. US$576 million (Agreement announced 7 September 2022)
Recent events
Sources2 sources
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