VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) fined the country's three largest mobile carriers VND118.5 million yesterday, Jan 23, for violating regulations on managing prepaid subscribers.

Customers sign up for services of mobile services provider Viettel.

The punishment followed a joint investigation between MIC and the Ministry of Public Security on the use of prepaid subscriptions in HCM City.

According to the investigation, Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone did not strictly follow MIC's rules, such as requiring new subscribers to provide personal information when registering for services.

Additionally, a number of dealers authorised by the three companies do not meet the ministry's basic requirements, which include a price list posted in plain view and photocopy and scanner machines to process paperwork.

Many personnel in these dealers were also unskilled and lacked professional training, the Ministry said.

According to the Ministry, Viettel will pay the largest fine (VND70 million), while Vinaphone will forfeit VND25 million and MobiFone will shell out VND23.5 million.

In October, MIC asked police to check whether data on five million prepaid mobile-phone subscribers in HCM City was accurate. The move aimed to rein in the number of subscribers, as many individuals currently purchase more than one phone so that they can take advantage of special rates.

Previous inspections in Ha Noi and Da Nang found that up to 25 per cent of the registrations were incorrect.

Many subscribers also buy new SIM cards when special deals are available and switch them from phone to phone to take advantage of each offer.

According to MIC, about 10 million new mobile phone SIMs are activated each year, but only 1-2 million are legally registered.

The information ministry has told the networks to cancel the contracts of customers who fail to re-register their subscriptions with the correct personal information.

In a separate development, MIC said that it was drafting a regulation that would impose a VND20 – VND30 million fine on those sending advertisement text messages or emails without prior permission from the recipient.

Meanwhile, sending text messages and emails with identical content within 24 hours would incur a VND10 million – VND20 million fine and those sending messages and emails without allowing recipients to decline further correspondence from the sender would be docked VND5 million.

Source: VNS