A new 3G network has been launched in Vietnam by the military-owned Viettel. At the moment, it covers 63 localities nationwide with about 8,000 base stations. The plan is to have 20,000 towers upgraded to 3G by the end of the year, and eventually reach 86% of the population with the 3G coverage. The end goal — as far as 3G coverage is concerned — is to offer services to all citizens of Vietnam by August 2012.
In terms of the network hardware suppliers, Viettel hired Nokia Siemens Networks, ZTE and Huawei.
According to estimates from the Mobile World, the operator ended the third quarter of last year with 26.5 million customers, representing a market share of 26.6%.
And in case you wonder, the two other 3G capable networks are Vinaphone and Mobiphone.
Vietnam is a growing market for mobile services and we’ll certainly be watching what’s happening there (and in other parts of the world). Stay tuned…
[Via: CellularNews]