Myanmar's Union Parliament on Tuesday approved a bill to promote the country's telecommunication sector, according to parliament sources.

The telecommunications law calls for the development of the country with telecommunications technology and more participation by private sectors in developing the telecommunications sector.

In the approved telecommunications bill, foreign telecom companies are allowed to operate in the country with license duration periods from five years in minimum to 20 years in maximum.

The telecommunications bill was submitted to Parliament for approval last November.

On June 27 this year, Norway's Telenor and Qatar's Ooredoo became the first foreign companies to be granted mobile operating licenses in Myanmar.

Myanmar's government invited public tender from local and international investors for two telecommunications operator service licenses in January in the year.

A total of 91 telecommunication companies at home and abroad including multi-national ones bid for the tender and 11 were short-listed to be selected for the final two.

At present, the state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and Yatanarpon Teleport Co. Ltd are undertaking as operators for the country's communication services.

The ministry has reportedly planned to extend up to 10 million phone lines in 2013-14 fiscal year.

Myanmar's government plans to increase the percentage of mobile phone users to 80 percent by 2015.

Currently, only 7.08 percent of the Myanmar's 60 million population have access to mobile phones.

The government is implementing a plan to increase the telephone density to 22.8 percent in the fiscal year 2013-14, 50 percent in 2014-15, and between 75 and 80 percent in 2015-16.