Digicel’s Myanmar connundrum

Digicel inched closer to its listing in New York this week by updating its SEC filings, although it is still likely to be November before Denis O'Brien's Caribbean telco is a fully fledged member of the flotation club.

The updated filing made it even clearer Digicel intends to use the proceeds to fund its fibre broadband rollout in the Caribbean. Was O’Brien tempted to announce a detour with some of the funds and have another crack at the mobile market in Burma (Myanmar)?

Digicel has indicated in its SEC filings that it is listening to offers for the vestiges of its Burma tower business. It wants out of the country.

But it emerged over the last week that Burma, where Digicel narrowly lost out on a potentially lucrative new licence two years ago, is planning to issue a fourth new mobile licence because demand from customers is so high. O’Brien must be kicking himself, although the word on the street is that Digicel is unlikely to do an about-turn and go back in for another bite.