3G faces bright future in VN

As many as 8 million third generation (3G) subscribers have been registered since the initial Vietnamese application of the new technology 18 months ago, according to the head of the telecom department at the Ministry of Information and Communications, Nguyen Phong Nha.

Nha added that, during this time, 3G technology had been rolled out into rural and remote areas, helping narrow the gap in rural and urban development, while general 3G coverage had increased from 54.71 to 93.68 per cent of the population thanks to the efforts of service providers.

Deputy Director of VinaPhone Hoang Trung Hai said that after receiving permission from the ministry, his company quickly went ahead with supplying 3G services.

More than 3,100 base transceiver stations (BTS) were installed, providing network coverage to all the 63 provinces and cities, far exceeding the initial target, Hai said.

He added that VinaPhone recently attracted 3.7 million customers who regularly use 3G services.

A representative from VinaPhone said that by the end of this year, the company would have installed an additional 8,500 BTS, an increase of 900 stations compared to its ministerial commitment, significantly developing its trademark in the process.

In related news, mobile network providers, including MobiFone, VinaPhone, Viettel and EVN Telecom-Hanoi Telecom, called on the ministry to permit them to withdraw their combined deposits of VND8.1 trillion (US$393 million) which they paid in commitment to the implementation of 3G technology.

According to the companies concerned, they needed the money back in order to invest in their own networks, having fulfilled their commitment in installing BTS and supplying services, some providers even exceeding their targets.

Responding to the call, Minister Le Doan Hop urged the ministry’s Financial Planning Department to soon repay the capital.

As part of initial the commitment, within three years, four service providers must have invested more than VND33 trillion ($1.6 billion) in the development of 3G technology, supplying more than 30,000 BTS.

The four companies also had to deposit VND8.1 trillion ($393 million) to ensure effective implementation.

The total invested amount included VND3 trillion ($145 million) from VinaPhone and MobiFone each, around VND4.5 trillion ($218 million) from Viettel while the remaining amount was made up by EVN Telecom-Hanoi Telecom. — VNS

Tags: 3G network, Vietnam Telecom, Vietnam telecom maket