Vietnam phases out telecom monopoly
The 25th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Telecommunications and Information Working Group
(APEC-TEL) meeting was held in Hanoi last week with the participation of 300 representatives from 21
regional countries.
The event, also a precursor to the 5th meeting of APEC telecom and IT ministers in Shanghai in May,
highlighted the necessity to reinforce cooperation between governments and businesses in training and
policy formulation. Discussion focused on telecom development, mutual recognition of telecom equipment,
mobile communications, e-commerce and technology convergence.
Speaking at the meeting, Mai Liem Truc,
director general of the Directorate General for
Post and Telecommunications (DGPT), said
Vietnam was phasing out monopoly in the
telecom sector and would allow more
participation of foreign investors in telecom
services. "We have basically removed the
monopoly on Internet and international telecom
services to encourage fair competition," Truc
said. In the long run, the Government will
license joint ventures in post and telecom as
part of its commitments to international
organizations.
The DGPT has just licensed Saigon Postel to
operate fixed telephone services. It will soon
allow the Maritime Electronic Communications
Company (Vishipel) to operate domestic and
international telephone services using VoIP
technology. There are four companies
operating the same service, including Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corp. (code 171), Saigon
Postel (177), Military Electronics (Vietel, 178) and Electricity Telecommunications (ETC, 179). Vietel has
plans to operate the fixed telephone service.
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, there are 14 foreign-invested projects in the telecom
sector with a total registered capital of US$1.99 billion, including six business cooperation projects and
eight joint ventures. 12 projects totaling US$1.76 billion are operational. One project, the CDMA mobile
phone with an investment of US$230 million, is being developed. Another will be developed in the future.
Financial Times Information Limited - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire - March 31, 2002.
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