Vietnam to Offer 3G and WiMAX Services This Year

According to Vietnam's Ministry of Posts and Telematics (MPT), telecommunication firms will be licenced to provide 3G and Wimax services in 2007. Currently six mobile service providers are competing to obtain the licence to offer 3G and Wimax services from MPT because just only four licences will be granted.

S-Fone has already implemented the first services using EV-DO technology for CDMA-based mobile phone network. MobiFone plans to develop the 3G technology in parallel with 2G and 2.5G networks. Viettel will develop 3G towards WCDMA.

Meanwhile, EVN Telecom will develop a 3G network of 450 MHz and HT Mobile with CDMA 2000 1X EV-DO, including broadband transmission lines allowing video phone service from PC to PC.

VinaPhone will offer services based on EDGE technology later this year in three big cities - Hanoi, HCM City and Da Nang - which allows mobile phone subscriber transmit data at very high speed.

Of four companies permitted to experimentally implement Wimax, the Vietnam Data-communication Company (VDC) is providing Wimax service in Lao Cai Province.

VTC is testing Wimax in Hanoi and HCM City. FPT Telecom will provide both Mobile Wimax and Fix Wimax while Viettel will test Mobile Wimax."

Posted to the site on 12th March 2007