New Mobile Network Launched in Laos

­The joint venture between Vietnam's Viettel and local partner, Lao Asia Telecom have launched their new mobile network in Laos. The network is being marketed under the brandname of Unitel.

Viettel, which is owned by the Vietnamese army owns 49% of the joint venture, with the rest held by the Lao based partner. Viettel has invested US$79 million in the new network so far.

The Unitel service is Viettel's second overseas investment, following the launch of Metfone in Cambodia.

General Director of Unitel Le Huu Hien told the Vietnamese official news agency, Saigon GP Daily that the new network has the largest infrastructure of the five mobile service providers in Laos, with nearly 900 base transmission stations, 8,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable, and covering the entire country.

The country currently has four mobile networks, and according to the Mobile World subscriber database, the country had just under 2.5 million subscribers at the end of June. This represeted a population penetration level of 36%.

On the web: Saigon GP Daily - Mobile World

Posted to the site on 19th October 2009