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Mobile services, bright point in crisis
2008 was a hard year for businesses but there were some industries unaffected by the economic crisis, including the mobile information industry.
The three largest mobile networks, MobiFone, Viettel and VinaPhone, still saw great growths of subscribers in later months of 2008, totalling more than 500,000 new subscribers per day.
Consumers still spent a lot of money on mobile services despite economic difficulties.
MobiFone recently announced that its turnover for 2008 is estimated at over VND17 trillion, profit of nearly VND6 trillion, and tax payment nearly VND3.5 trillion.
The profit/turnover rate of over 30% of MobiFone is really a great achievement. Viettel and VinaPhone are about to declare their 2008 reports and it is expected that these firms will also have impressive figures.
Notably, mobile networks gained good business accomplishments in a fiercely competitive market, there was no monopoly as in times past.
2008 is regarded as the hardest year of competition for mobile networks in Vietnam. HT Mobile had to stop operating after one year to change its technology from CDMA to GSM.
All telecom companies had to use promotion campaigns to attract new subscribers. Their promotional activities were so numerous that the Ministry of Information and Communications declared it would issue regulations to control these activities.
In the age of inflation, when the prices of most goods went up, only mobile services saw charges fall.
This year was also a year for developing service quality. In previous years, only MobiFone’s voice quality reached the criteria for fixed phone service but in 2008, other networks also met the criteria.
Will 2009 continue to be a good year for the mobile information industry? Let’s see!
TP
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