Burma's Internet Delays Continue Ahead of 88 Uprising Anniversary

A map of the subsea Internet cable SEA-ME-WE-3 and its landing points around the world. Burma is No. 21. (Photo: Creative Commons)

RANGOON — After weeks of recurrent Internet breakdowns, Burma’s state-run telecommunications said on Monday morning that the latest slowdown would likely be fixed by the evening, but could take up to two days to repair, as the country prepares to celebrate the 25th anniversary of a major pro-democracy uprising.

Myo Swe, chief engineer of the Information and Technology Department at the state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), apologized several times for two new problems disrupting the country’s connectivity. He said an underground fiber-optic cable near the Irrawaddy Delta city of Pyapon has been compromised. The fiber cable is damaged in one location, he said, while the power supply is down in another.

The 25th anniversary of the Aug. 8, 1988, uprising is only three days away, with a Silver Jubilee celebration in Rangoon set to begin on Tuesday and run through Thursday. The timing of the Internet delays has left some in the country wondering whether the government is attempting to block communication ahead of the celebration.

When asked to comment on the allegation, the MPT’s Myo Swe laughed and said the Internet issues were not related to the anniversary celebration, adding that government officials had urged him to fix the problem as soon as possible.  He said he hoped Internet speeds would be back to normal by Monday night but added that the problem might not be completely fixed for a day or two.

The engineer also apologized to businesses in the country for the frequent Internet delays but said there were no plans at the moment to increase robustness.

The high-end Traders Hotel in Rangoon, which has a reputation locally for its fast Internet speed and seemingly unbreakable WiFi, maintained its connectivity on Monday morning, albeit slightly slowed, but some other businesses in the city were not so lucky. The hotel’s manager of information and technology declined to comment on why the hotel’s Internet connection was so robust compared to other nearby businesses.