U9 Myanmar
U9 Myanmar, or simply U9, is a telecommunications company in Myanmar.
History
In June 2013, Ooredoo was chosen as one of the two successful applicants among 90 bidders to be awarded a license to launch telecom operations in Myanmar, considered one of the Asia’s last remaining greenfield telecom markets. Formal licenses were granted in January 2014, and Ooredoo pledged an investment of $15 billion to develop Myanmar’s telecoms sector, with plans to cover 75% of the population in five years.Following the 2021 [Myanmar coup d'état|2021 Myanmar coup d'etat], many foreign companies exited the Burmese market, including competitor Norwegian-owned Telenor Myanmar, due to increasing pressure from military authorities. On 7 September 2022, Ooredoo signed an agreement to sell Ooredoo Myanmar to Singapore vehicle Nine Communications Pte. Ltd, at a value of $576 million USD, subject to Burmese regulatory approvals. Nine Communications is the subsidiary of zLink Family Office and Nyan Win.
In September 2025, at least three media outlets reported that the new controlling owner behind the company was Jonathan Kyaw Thaung. Similarly, an article published on 23 October 2022 by the independent outlet People’s Spring News stated that “the group behind Nyan Win is not Zaw Win Shein or the Ayeyar Hinthar Group, but a more powerful and financially resourceful entity. The main owners have kept their identities concealed, making the ownership structure increasingly opaque.
The announcement of Ooredoo's sale prompted sharp criticism from rights groups, including Access Now, for putting the personal data of 9 million customers in the hands of the Burmese military. The company officially rebranded as U9 on 20 September 2025.