VietNamNet Bridge – Increasing the number of 3G subscribers and developing 3G-based services that connect smart mobile devices will be the most important tasks for telcos in 2015.

Regarding 3G coverage, there will be no big changes in the positions of the service providers in the market.

Viettel had reportedly had 29,000 3G BTS (base transceiver stations) nationwide. MobiFone and VinaPhone had had 14,000 and 13,000, respectively.

With a total number of BTS higher than that of MobiFone and VinaPhone together, Viettel will stand firmly in the first position in the market in 3G coverage.

This would give Viettel a great advantage when attracting customers, because the 3G coverage is an important factor everyone would consider when choosing service providers.

On the 3G access speed, analysts said there is no independent agency which comes forward and gives assessment about the issue. Therefore, customers would choose service providers based on their feelings.

Together with providing 3G services to common customers, all the three large mobile networks now are upgrading the access speed to 42 Mbps in large cities and provinces.

Viettel in late 2014 completed the service providing on a trial basis in 13 large cities and provinces.

Meanwhile, VinaPhone and MobiFone reported that they had finished the trial in three big cities.

Viettel also announced that it has completed upgrading the whole system to allow all customers to access the internet through 3G at higher speed.

The military telco said that it has successfully applied two new technologies which improve 3G service quality significantly.

The two technologies, Multi Carrier Control and Enhanced DL/UL Discontinuous Transmission, could allow users to save the battery use time by 20 percent. They would also help increase the download speed.

Regarding service charges, analysts noted that the 3G service packages offered by mobile network operators are nearly the same, with no big differences. The competitive edge will be seen more clearly only when telcos launch sale promotion campaigns, offer special preferences and join forces with their partners to lower service fees.

Analysts noted that the 3G competition has entered a new stage, when telcos need to diversify services to satisfy customers who have become more demanding.

In the past, mobile network operators mostly targeted smartphone users when issuing 3G simcards. However, they would have a larger market in 2015.

Viettel, at a recent important event held in Hanoi, announced that it is considering providing 3G solutions to the Electricity of Vietnam.

Once the project is completed, Viettel would have the opportunity to provide over 20 million 3G SIMs for household electric meters nationwide.

Nguyen Dang Nguyen, deputy general director of MobiFone, one of the three largest mobile networks in Vietnam, said the network had seen a 50 percent increase in  3G traffic since the end of 2013, and the number of 3G subscribers had increased rapidly.

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