MYANMA Posts and Telecommunications has installed 400 new public telephone lines in Yangon during the past 12 months, bringing the total number in the capital to 2400.

There are about 800 public phone booths in Yangon, each of which is serviced by two to four lines.

“We immediately install new phones wherever the need arises,” said Major Myint Thein, the manager of the department’s Public Phone Booth Project.

He said that public telephone booths can now be found on nearly every block in Yangon.

“There is no need to use mobile phones because public booths are everywhere,” he said.

Mandalay has about 700 public phone lines. The country’s total is about 4000.

“Now almost every town in Myanmar has public phone booths,” said Major Myint Thein.

The legal charge for a local call is K15 a minute. Calls to numbers outside local areas cost K25. A service charge of K5 is added to every call.

Most public phone booths are open daily from 6am to 6pm, although about 25 in Yangon offer 24-hour service.