VinaPhone and MobiFone, two of the three largest mobile network operators, have launched new service packages with the same prices and have tripled capacity.
M70 service package of MobiFone, for example, has the maximum capacity of 1.6 GB. Meanwhile, its old MIU package, which has the same price, only allowed maximum capacity of 600 MB.
Meanwhile, VinaPhone’s BIG70 is also priced at VND70,000 a month like MAX, but has capacity of 1.6 GB instead of 600 MB.
The mobile network operators have also launched special packages for regular users. They have to pay VND200,000 a month only to use MobiFone’s M200 package with the capacity of 5.5 GB, and pay VND300,000 a month to use VinaPhone’s BIG 300 with the capacity of 10 GB.
A telecom expert in HCM City noted that the move by mobile network operators to raise capacity would help attract more 3G subscribers as the number of subscribers has been growing slowly.
The move will stimulate demand in the 3G market in preparation for 4G thst the mobile network operators plan to provide soon.
“This should have been done a long time ago,” he complained. “Meanwhile, telcos only extended the capacity in dribs and drabs, which made users turn their back to 3G”.
MobiFone, VinaPhone and Viettel all have stated they have successfully tested 4G. Viettel’s 4G can have the average speed of 40-80 Mb per second, which is 7 times higher than 3G’s average speed. In some places, the speed can be up to 230 Mb per second, which is very close to the ideal speed for 4G LTE-A.
As for VinaPhone, the speed could be at 600 Mb per second at maximum. MobiFone’s 4G has the maximum download/upload at 225 Mb per second and 75 Mb per second.
The mobile network operators have also announced that they are ready to launch 4G simcards to the market.
The operators said once 4G is deployed, users can take full advantage of the high speed to use high-quality services, such as Mobile TV, Live Streaming (Mobile Broadcast), Cloud Video Conferencing and Daas (desktop as a service). These services all need very high speed and capacity.
Vietnamese telcos all seem to be anxious to deploy 4G as soon as possible, repeatedly urging the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) to start licensing 4G services.
The representative of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) at the meeting in mid-May with MIC asked for l permission to deploy 4G on 700 MHz wave band.
