254
Burma
results by alleging massive fraud, the government of Burma declared the election to
be a transition to democracy. Those who condemned the election pointed to illegitimate advance voting
19 and the fact that the Burmese constitution automatically
reserves 25 percent of the seats in Parliament for military offi cials.
20
Internet in Burma
A combination of government restrictions, slow connection speeds, and prohibitive
costs has kept Internet access rates relatively low and stagnant in Burma. In 2009,
there were an estimated 111,000 Internet users in Burma, representing a 0.2 percent
penetration rate.
21 In the same year, there were 15,000 fi xed broadband subscriptions,
representing a 0.03 percent fi xed broadband subscription penetration rate.
22
Most users access the Internet in public access centers (PACs), which typically charge
between USD 0.30 and 0.50 per hour.
23 Some PACs are owned by the Union Solidarity
and Development Association (USDA), which operates Internet caf é services in their
local township offi ces. Users and owners of PACs are subject to a number of state regulations.
24 Operators of PACs must record the names, identifi cation numbers, and
addresses of their customers. They are also required to take screenshots of a patron ’ s
computer every fi ve minutes and maintain records of Internet usage to be sent to the
Myanmar Information Communications Technology Development Corporation every
two weeks. Internet caf é owners are required to arrange computer monitors in a way
that makes them publically visible (that is, to restrict privacy) and to ensure that only
state-run e-mail providers are used.
25 Access to political Web sites, as well as cybercrime
(including acts against Burmese culture), are prohibited at Internet caf é s.
Despite regular crackdowns, it is widely reported that most PAC owners ignore
regulations and provide their customers with proxy servers, such as glite.sanyi.net, an
alternative means of accessing blocked Web sites.
26 Informal bribe-paying arrangements between some PAC owners and government employees allows some PACs to
operate illegally — which in turn allows owners to offer proxy tools and other services
that are technically forbidden.
27
Slow connection speeds and steep costs limit access signifi cantly. In 2009, initial
setup costs for broadband were approximately USD 200 for dial-up connection and
USD 2,000 for ADSL.
28 The Internet connection speeds in homes, offi ces, and businesses were, respectively, 128 Kbps, 256 Kbps, and 512 Kbps.
29 Slow upload speeds are
not only an indication of the lack of Internet capacity in Burma — they may also be
of intentional design. For example, even after connectivity was resumed following the
Internet shutdown during the Saffron Revolution, Internet speeds controlled with
proxy-caching servers were slowed to 256 Kbps — a likely attempt by the government
to prevent users from uploading videos and photos or sending large fi les and documents.
30 Although broadband subscribers can choose to pay according to access speeds,
Burma
results by alleging massive fraud, the government of Burma declared the election to
be a transition to democracy. Those who condemned the election pointed to illegitimate advance voting
19 and the fact that the Burmese constitution automatically
reserves 25 percent of the seats in Parliament for military offi cials.
20
Internet in Burma
A combination of government restrictions, slow connection speeds, and prohibitive
costs has kept Internet access rates relatively low and stagnant in Burma. In 2009,
there were an estimated 111,000 Internet users in Burma, representing a 0.2 percent
penetration rate.
21 In the same year, there were 15,000 fi xed broadband subscriptions,
representing a 0.03 percent fi xed broadband subscription penetration rate.
22
Most users access the Internet in public access centers (PACs), which typically charge
between USD 0.30 and 0.50 per hour.
23 Some PACs are owned by the Union Solidarity
and Development Association (USDA), which operates Internet caf é services in their
local township offi ces. Users and owners of PACs are subject to a number of state regulations.
24 Operators of PACs must record the names, identifi cation numbers, and
addresses of their customers. They are also required to take screenshots of a patron ’ s
computer every fi ve minutes and maintain records of Internet usage to be sent to the
Myanmar Information Communications Technology Development Corporation every
two weeks. Internet caf é owners are required to arrange computer monitors in a way
that makes them publically visible (that is, to restrict privacy) and to ensure that only
state-run e-mail providers are used.
25 Access to political Web sites, as well as cybercrime
(including acts against Burmese culture), are prohibited at Internet caf é s.
Despite regular crackdowns, it is widely reported that most PAC owners ignore
regulations and provide their customers with proxy servers, such as glite.sanyi.net, an
alternative means of accessing blocked Web sites.
26 Informal bribe-paying arrangements between some PAC owners and government employees allows some PACs to
operate illegally — which in turn allows owners to offer proxy tools and other services
that are technically forbidden.
27
Slow connection speeds and steep costs limit access signifi cantly. In 2009, initial
setup costs for broadband were approximately USD 200 for dial-up connection and
USD 2,000 for ADSL.
28 The Internet connection speeds in homes, offi ces, and businesses were, respectively, 128 Kbps, 256 Kbps, and 512 Kbps.
29 Slow upload speeds are
not only an indication of the lack of Internet capacity in Burma — they may also be
of intentional design. For example, even after connectivity was resumed following the
Internet shutdown during the Saffron Revolution, Internet speeds controlled with
proxy-caching servers were slowed to 256 Kbps — a likely attempt by the government
to prevent users from uploading videos and photos or sending large fi les and documents.
30 Although broadband subscribers can choose to pay according to access speeds,