LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - Britain's Vodafone andChina Mobile said on Friday they had pulled out of thebattle to win a new licence in Myanmar, saying the conditionsset by the country did not suit the two operators.
The Chinese and British groups, the first and second-largestoperators in the world respectively, said in April that they hadjoined forces to bid for a licence in the country formerly knownas Burma, where the government wants to increase the number ofmobile operators from two to four.
They were among 12 applicants to reach the short list.
"Following the publication of the final licence conditionson 20 May, the Vodafone-China Mobile consortium has reached thedecision not to proceed with the process as the opportunity doesnot meet the strict internal investment criteria to which bothVodafone and China Mobile adhere," Vodafone said.
Vodafone (VOD)