Slow growth for 3G infrastructure

The country’s mobile network infrastructure has been sluggish in meeting the boom in third generation (3G) technology services in Viet Nam.

Many consumers have complained about 3G network jamming, low memory capacity, sound and image quality.

“Although my mobile phone is in a covered region, I experience network jamming problems,” said a consumer using the 3G service.

The VMS – MobiFone director, Le Ngoc Minh, said the infrastructure to service 3G technology in Viet Nam is still weak although the maximum data transfer speed of 3G technology is 7.2 Mbps (megabits per second).

A representative of the Posts and Telecommunications Quality Control Department of the Ministry of Information and Communications also said that the country’s current mobile phone network has been built to service a 2G technology network, and even that is outdated.

Hoang Ngoc Vy, general director of the A Telecommunication Company, one of the country’s largest mobile phone retail chains, agreed that the 3G mobile phone market share had seen little increase, as it takes several years more to develop 3G technology service networks in Viet Nam.

However, in the wake of complaints about the quality of 3G services in Viet Nam, the Ministry of Information and Communications is drawing up a plan to inspect 3G service quality.

The ministry will only inspect 3G quality based on service providers’ commitments as made when they applied for licences to provide 3G service.

Nguyen Phong Nha, deputy head of Telecommunication Department said it is expected to implement the inspection in the first quarter of this year.

Currently, MobiFone and VinaPhone officially launched 3G services last year. While in April, EVN Telcom and Viettel will announce their 3G services, followed by Vietnamobile which also will begin their services in June 2010.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has granted licences to operate 3G services to domestic mobile phone operators, including MobiFone, Viettel, VinaPhone, G-tel, EVN Telecom and VietnamMobile.

VietNamNet/VNS

Tags: Vietnam Telecom