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Demand for GPRS services on the rise
Domestic demand for GPRS used in mobile phones is rapidly rising, despite the economic downturn.
GPRS is preferred, according to industry insiders, because with this type of network users can have mobile internet on their mobile phones, allowing them to check email, websites and download the software and services, thus bringing added value to the mobile phone.
Phone providers said that GPRS services on mobile phones accounted for a significant portion of their total revenue, whereas before the revenue was generated primarily from call services.
A MobiFone representative said the number of GPRS service users in his network doubled since last year, reaching roughly 3 million subscribers.
The same trend was seen in Viettel, said Nguyen Viet Dung, Viettel Telecom deputy director.
Dung forecast the GPRS services would further surge after mobile phone networks provide 3G service next year. With 3G , the speed to access data will be equal to that of ADSL.
Pham Ngoc Tu, deputy head of Vinaphone’s business division, said in his network, there were about 2 million subscribers regularly using GPRS services.
In order to take advantage of the demand for GPRS service, mobile phone providers have so far offered unlimited charge packages in a move to attract more customers.
Recently, MobiFone introduced a package of unlimited storage for all pre-paid subscribers named GPRS Unlimited. With this package, customers have to pay a fee of VND137,500 per month.
Vinaphone has also launched GPRS3 package with a charge nearly similar to that of MobiFone. Vinaphone expected that this package would be the driving force to enable its customers to use GPRS services in the future.
"If compared with the package offered by Vina-phone and MobiFone, the package GPRS unlimited D300 of Viettel is more expensive, as it costs VND300,000 per month due to its higher speed," Viettel’s Dung said.
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