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Telecom firms eye export zones
Telecommunications companies are competing with each other to expand services to industrial and export processing zones, office and residential buildings, according to several telecommunications companies.
The growing migration of enterprises to industrial and export processing zones is driving telecommunications companies there.
According to the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), the average monthly phone bill for fixed services is 700,000 VND (42 USD) in an industrial zone, compared with only 550,000 VND (33 USD) in an office building or 360,000 VND (22 USD) in a residential building.
Thus, telecommunications companies are ramping up services in industrial zones with the hopes of higher turnovers and faster returns on their investment.
In the rush of telecommunications and information technology companies into the new markets, companies have devised various strategies to lure customers, with many discounting some of their more expensive services, according to a VNPT representative.
Many telecommunication companies have discounted their rates 10-12 percent for buildings and tourist areas with high rates of telecommunications activity, with an addition 10-30 percent off for expensive services.
Faced with dwindling customers, VNPT is responding to their competitors by signing contracts with large companies that have a high demand for telecommunications services, especially in the banking and construction sectors, including the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam, (BIDV), the Mekong Housing Bank (MHB), Vinaconex Corp (VCG), Becamex IDC Corp and Vicom Joint Stock Company.
Other companies are following suit, with Vietnam Military Telecommunications Corp (Viettel) entering agreements with BIDV and the Ministry of Education and Training and CMC Corp signing with Geleximco Group and Bao Viet Group.
Under a regulation drafted by the Ministry of Information and Communication on repurchasing telecommunications services, businesses and agencies would be allowed to retail services from larger telecommunications companies with established network infrastructures.
Doing so would create greater competition among telecommunications companies, and would even out the divergent prices of various services. It is hoped that this competition will stimulate further development within the industry.
VNA
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