Myanmar’s notoriously under develope communications infrastructure is to get a boost following the signing of a contract between three Japanese companies—Sumitomo Corporation, NTT Communications and NEC Corporation— and the Ministry of Communications last week. In a statement released on Tuesday, Sumitomo and NEC announced that they would be supporting Myanmar’s “emergency communications network improvement plan” by building a high speed optical cable to link the country’s biggest cities.

The cables will enhance the cities’ internet connectivity, as well as provide more than 1.5 million fixed-telephone lines when they are completed at the end of 2013.

The project has been made possible by a grant of 1.71 billion yen (US$16.6 million) provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency to assist in Myanmar’s communications’ network development last December. Japan has made no secret of its bid to be the champion of Myanmar’s development on the international scene.