Vietnam's small mobile carriers have sought a postponement of theimplementation of a policy allowing mobile phone users to change networkproviders without having to change their phone numbers.
InSeptember last year, the Ministry of Information and Communications(MIC) approved the policy for implementation beginning January 1, 2017,after delaying it for more than two years. The MIC previously planned toimplement the policy in mid-2014 but later changed its mind, saying itwould need more time to prepare comprehensive policies to allow the newmethod to run smoothly.
But Vietnamobile and Gtel said they werestill not competent enough to implement the policy as scheduled becausethey have been undergoing a business restructuring process and neededmore time to mature.
At the project preparation meeting held lastweek, representatives of Vietnamobile and Gtel said they wanted the MICto postpone implementation of the policy up to end-2018.
Meanwhile,representatives of Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone, which hold 90percent of the country's mobile phone service market share, said theywere prepared to implement the policy as scheduled.
Phung VanCuong, Vice General Director of Viettel Telecom, said the companyalready has experience in implementing the policy, as the mobile phonenetwork it invested in recently in Peru was already implementing it.
Cuong urged the ministry to implement the policy as planned to meet the increasing demand of Vietnamese mobile phone users.
Accordingto MIC, once applied, the MIC's telecommunications department willassume central management of all mobile phone numbers, a departure fromthe old practice of allowing each network provider to partially managesome of the numbers. This new policy has already been applied in 70countries worldwide.
The new policy will give subscribers morefreedom to select their network providers while raising the level offairness in the competition among telecommunications companies.
Inaddition, it will allow telecommunications authorities to measure thedevelopment of the mobile phone market, especially in terms ofe-commerce.
Founded in 2009, Vietnamobile is a joint venture ofHanoi Telecom and the Hong Kong-based Hutchison TelecommunicationsInternational.
Founded in 2012, Gtel, a state-owned joint-stockcompany under the Ministry of Public Security, is the successor of thedefunct Beeline Vietnam.
Vietnamobile is estimated to have an eight-percent market share and Gtel, two percent.
Whilethe Vietnamese telecommunications market has grown rapidly, Viettel,Mobifone and Vinaphone still maintain a monopoly, with a total annualturnover of 5.5 billion USD last year.
Vietnam has around 20million 3G subscribers among more than 130 million mobile phone users,rising from 19 million in 2006 to 25 million in 2007, 74 million in2008, 98 million in 2009 and 120 million in 2012.-VNA
InSeptember last year, the Ministry of Information and Communications(MIC) approved the policy for implementation beginning January 1, 2017,after delaying it for more than two years. The MIC previously planned toimplement the policy in mid-2014 but later changed its mind, saying itwould need more time to prepare comprehensive policies to allow the newmethod to run smoothly.
But Vietnamobile and Gtel said they werestill not competent enough to implement the policy as scheduled becausethey have been undergoing a business restructuring process and neededmore time to mature.
At the project preparation meeting held lastweek, representatives of Vietnamobile and Gtel said they wanted the MICto postpone implementation of the policy up to end-2018.
Meanwhile,representatives of Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone, which hold 90percent of the country's mobile phone service market share, said theywere prepared to implement the policy as scheduled.
Phung VanCuong, Vice General Director of Viettel Telecom, said the companyalready has experience in implementing the policy, as the mobile phonenetwork it invested in recently in Peru was already implementing it.
Cuong urged the ministry to implement the policy as planned to meet the increasing demand of Vietnamese mobile phone users.
Accordingto MIC, once applied, the MIC's telecommunications department willassume central management of all mobile phone numbers, a departure fromthe old practice of allowing each network provider to partially managesome of the numbers. This new policy has already been applied in 70countries worldwide.
The new policy will give subscribers morefreedom to select their network providers while raising the level offairness in the competition among telecommunications companies.
Inaddition, it will allow telecommunications authorities to measure thedevelopment of the mobile phone market, especially in terms ofe-commerce.
Founded in 2009, Vietnamobile is a joint venture ofHanoi Telecom and the Hong Kong-based Hutchison TelecommunicationsInternational.
Founded in 2012, Gtel, a state-owned joint-stockcompany under the Ministry of Public Security, is the successor of thedefunct Beeline Vietnam.
Vietnamobile is estimated to have an eight-percent market share and Gtel, two percent.
Whilethe Vietnamese telecommunications market has grown rapidly, Viettel,Mobifone and Vinaphone still maintain a monopoly, with a total annualturnover of 5.5 billion USD last year.
Vietnam has around 20million 3G subscribers among more than 130 million mobile phone users,rising from 19 million in 2006 to 25 million in 2007, 74 million in2008, 98 million in 2009 and 120 million in 2012.-VNA
