~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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[Year 1999]
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Vietnam eyes international roaming for telecoms

HANOI - Vietnam aims in the last quarter of this year to launch an international roaming service for subscribers to one of its two national mobile telecommunications networks, an official said on Thursday.

The official from Vinaphone, a unit of the state-owned Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT), said the firm's 90,000 subscribers would initially be able to use their existing accounts to make and receive calls in member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Fee structures for the new roaming service had not yet been formulated, the official added.
Vinaphone's larger competitor, Mobifone, has around 170,000 subscribers and is also owned by VNPT, but operates under a business cooperation contract and shares revenue with Comvik International Vietnam AB, which has Swedish interests.
Local media has reported that Mobifone would also launch international roaming if VNPT granted permission.

Reuters - August 05, 1999.