Nokia and Ooredoo joined forces to establish a technology centre in Myanmar at the Yangon Technological University (YTU).

The centre will be equipped with end-to-end radio, anyhaul transport and a core network solution compatible with all generations of mobile technology, from 2G to 5G. This will be used by students enrolled in Myanmar’s first post-graduate diploma programme covering telecoms, which started in March.

Students will also be offered internships as technology developers by Nokia and Ooredoo.

Nokia said in a statement the centre will enhance YTU’s curriculum, which was developed together with the University of Oulu in Finland, and enable students to apply their theoretical knowledge in a test-bed environment.

Danabalan Amirthalingam, head of Nokia Myanmar, said: “The Nokia Technology Centre will serve as a catalyst to provide students with the latest and most advanced 5G technology, featuring innovations from Bell Labs.”

Myint Thein, rector of YTU, said the curriculum embeds both theoretical and industry-relevant components based on Nokia’s technology and solutions, adding “we welcome the company’s support in building and equipping the first 5G-ready technology centre in the country”.

Ooredoo Myanmar is the third-placed mobile operator in the country, with a 17 per cent share of mobile connections at end-September, data from GSMA Intelligence showed. Nearly three-quarters of its user base are on 4G plans.