YANGON, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities has introduced the first ever world's up-to-date audio-visual mobile phone of 3-G WCDMA-system in the country's six townships in a bid to upgrade its telecommunication links, sources with the Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) said on Thursday.

    A total of 5,000 such audio-visual mobile phones will be distributed as the initial stage to Yangon area only due to limited network service area, the sources said.

    The introduction of the 3-G WCDMA system marked Myanmar's entry into a new phase of its mobile phone system, users said.

    According to the latest official progress-indicating figures, the number of GSM mobile phones in Myanmar hit 375,800 in 2008, up from 211,812 in 2007.

    Other phones such as CDMA stood 205,500 in number as of the year, while auto-phones went to 153,344, the figures show.

    GSM phones have been extensively used in Myanmar since it was introduced in 2002 after cellular ones in 1993 and the DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication) and CDMA in 1997.

    The GSM (global system for mobile) phones in Myanmar can auto-roam over two dozen townships far up to the border areas and mainly cover all other major cities in addition to Yangon and Mandalay.