MARKET REPORT

VIETNAM
TELECOMMUNICATIONS

September, 2020

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 OUTLINE CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
A. INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
B. VIETNAM TELECOMMUNICATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------ 7
I. Overview --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
1. Telecoms market ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
2. Market structure -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
a. Fixed-line telephone services ------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
b. Mobile phone services --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
c. 3G services ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
d. Broadband Internet services ------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
3. Telecommunications equipment and services --------------------------------------------- 15
4. SWOT Analysis--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
II. Telecoms Infrastructure ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31
III. Competitive Landscape ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42
1. Competition analysis ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 42
a. Relevant market----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44
b. Identification of the SMP enterprise----------------------------------------------------------- 45
c. Unfair competitive practices -------------------------------------------------------------------- 46
d. Management of SMP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 48
2. Wired and wireless communication players ------------------------------------------------ 48
a. Foreign’s owned wired & wireless communication equipment -------------------------- 48
b. Recognition and status of Korean communication equipment companies ------------- 63
3. Competition problems in Vietnam telecoms sector --------------------------------------- 65
IV. Policies and Regulations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 70
1. Telecoms Policy & Regulation System -------------------------------------------------------- 70
2. The Law on Telecommunications -------------------------------------------------------------- 70
a. Telecom regulator -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 71
b. Interconnection ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 72
c. Pricing----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 73
d. Cross ownership ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75
e. Competition issues ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75
3. Vietnam Telecom: Policies, Regulations and Plans ---------------------------------------- 77
C. CONCLUSION --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 79
REFERENCE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 80
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Abbreviations
VNPT Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation
Viettel Military Electronics Telecommunications Corporation
Vinaphone Vietnam Telecom Services Company

Mobifone Vietnam Mobile Telecom Services Corporation

IoT internet-of-things
VINASAT Vietnam national satellite
VNIX Vietnam National Internet Exchange
AEC Asia Economic Cooperation
EU European Union
IPO Internet public offer
VCCI Vietnam Chamber of Commerce & Industry
BARZ BARz International
Vietnamobile Vietnamobile Telecommunications JSC
GMobile Gtel Mobile JSC
OTT Over-The-Top Content
IXP Internet Exchange Point
ISPs Internet Service Providers
FPT Financing and Promoting Technology Company
SPT Information Technology Institute
MIC Ministry of Information & Communications
GVN The Government of Vietnam
ICT Information and Communications Technology
IT Information Technology
WTO World Trade Organisation
ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
VDSL Very High Rate Digital Subscriber Line
WiMax Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol
EVN Electricity Telecommunication Information Company (‘EVN
Telecom’)

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SOEs State-owned enterprises
PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network
GSM Global Systems For Mobile Communications
CDMA Code Division Multiple Access
HCMC Hochiminh City
VTV Vietnam Television
VOV Voice of Vietnam
DTH Direct-to-Home
VMS Vietnam Mobile Telecommunications Services Company
G-Tel Global Telecommunications Corporation
Hanoi Telecom Hanoi Telecommunications Company
Vishipel Vietnam Maritime Communications and Electronics Company
VTC Vietnam Multimedia and Communications Corporation
Piacom Petrolimex Information Technology and Telecommunications
Company
SPT Saigon Posts and Telecommunications Service Corporation
DSL Digital subscriber line
LTE Long Term Evolution
ARPU Average Revenue Per User
MVNO Mobile Virtual Network Operator
NTT DoCoMo NTT DoCoMo Inc (Japanese company)
SingTel Singapore Telecommunications Limited
Telenor TelenorGroup (Norway's largest mobile operator)
MNP Mobile Number Portability
EuroCham European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam
UAE United Arab Emirates

GPS Global Positioning System

IFC International Finance Company
ASEAN Association of South East Asia Nations
TPR Trade Policy Review

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 A. INTRODUCTION
Vietnam telecommunications sector comprises of various companies that
transfer data in voice, words, audio, or video across the globe. The major
companies in the sector are telephone (wired and wireless) operators, cable
companies, satellite companies, and internet service providers. The sector plays
a crucial role in the evolution of mobile communications& the information society.
The telecommunication sectors are a key economic factor in the integration
process. It helps to raise public awareness as well as contributes to ensuring
national security & social order. The telecommunication sector comprises three
basic sub-sectors: telecom services (next largest), telecom equipment (the
largest), and wireless communication. The major segments within these sub-
sectors include wireless communications, processing systems & products,
communications equipment, foreign telecom services, long-distance carriers,
diversified communication services, and domestic telecom services. Some
examples of telecommunication are microwave radio systems, telephone systems,
mobile cellular systems, satellite communication systems, radar & solar systems,
information & intelligent gathering, space discovery using telecommunication
and TV & radio broadcasting systems.

According to the research, the key companies operating in the Vietnam

telecommunication market are VNPT Telecommunications Group, Vietnam
MilitaryTelecoms Company-Viettel telecom, VNPT Vietnam Posts, and
Telecommunications Group-VinaPhone, Vietnam Mobile Telecom
Services Corporation-Mobifone. The key providers will transform their enterprise
systems and digital business-to-customer (B2C) channels into modern & agile
platforms. These will provide personnel in the telecommunication industry with
analytics-driven functioning decision-support capabilities and would deliver
seamless back-end assimilation capabilities through micro-services.

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Based on the element, the Vietnam telecommunication market is segmented into
a sender, transmitter, transmission medium, sender and channel. Based on
communication type, the market is segmented into broadcast communication,
point-to-point communication, and multiplex system. Based on services, the
market is segmented into basic communication services and value-added services.
Basic telecommunication services include facsimile services, circuit-switched
data transmission, voice telephone services, packet-switched data transmission,
telegraph services, telex services, and others. Value-added services include data
processing, electronic data interchange e-mail, voicemail, and online database
storage. Based on the package, the market is segmented into a double play
package, triple-play package, and quad-play package. In addition, based on end-
use, the market is segmented into commercial and residential.

The Vietnam telecommunication market is driven by growth in innovations &

developments; followed by intense market competition, rise in affordability
of services, high investments in new telecommunication technologies, for
instance, wireless communication and satellite, increase in demand for high-
speed internet and growth in innovative services such as e-agriculture& e-
education. However, the high cost of value-added services and stringent
government policies may impact the market. Moreover, the rise in investments by
foreign the investor is a key opportunity for the market. Furthermore,
maintaining security is a major challenge for the market.

Vietnam the telecommunication industry is growing up owing to the rise in

government planning for smart cities, the fourth industrial revolution, start-ups,
and growth in national innovation network program that is enabled by state-of-
the-art 4G & 5G and internet-of-things (IoT). In the upcoming years, it is
predicted that the future of this industry will be bright as a result of a rise in the
number of mobile subscribers during the forecast period.

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 B. VIETNAM TELECOMMUNICATIONS
I. Overview
1. Telecoms market
Telecom networks
̵ National backbone: 1.650 Gb/s (VNPT, Viettel)
̵ International Networks:
• 2.5 Gb/s CSC (China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore)
• 80Gb/s SE-ME-WE-3 (Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, Vietnam,
Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.,)
• 450Gb/s AAG (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam,
Philippines, Hong Kong, US, etc.,)
• 50Gb/s IAG (Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan,
China, Japan, US)
̵ Satellite transmission: VINASAT-1; VINASAT-2
̵ 9 International Gateway Exchanges
̵ Over 6,000 Trunks connected to over 37 countries
̵ Connection bandwidth through VNIX: 85,000 Mb/s
̵ International connections:
• US, Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, etc.,
• Total of capacity: 390,720 Mb/s

Vietnam has made significant reform to investment policies by enacting new

investment laws in 2015 that will facilitate foreign investment into the telecom
markets.

It’s been difficult for foreign investors to penetrate the telecom market because of
government regulations that deemed telecommunications as a strategic industry
that was not open to foreign investment. As a result, companies such as Viettel,
Mobifone and VNPT were given monopoly status and have not been equitized or
open to foreign investors.
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With Vietnam a signatory to AEC (Asia Economic Cooperation) and new EU and
TPP trade agreements in the works, the Vietnamese government has begun the
process of planning for the initial public offer (IPO) of state-owned companies,
including companies in telecommunications.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has proposed that

MobiFone,one of the biggest telecom enterprises in Vietnam with 21% mobile
service marketsharesplanforequitizationin 2016.

Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Director of the legal department of VCCI (Vietnam Chamber of
Commerce & Industry), said that in the next term, Vietnam will develop IPO plans
for all major telecom companies which should be considered as one of the most
attractive industries for foreign investment.

HIGHLY PROFITABLE MARKET

Vietnam’s three leading mobile carriers collectively earned a profit of VND 56.47
trillion (equivalent to USD 2.52 billion) in 2015, with market leader military-run
Viettel accounting for more than 80 percent of the total.

MobiFone, which owns Vinaphone, and its competitor, Viettel, raked in a total of
348.72 trillion VND (USD 15.57 billion) in combined revenue last year. Viettel has
maintained industry dominance with its total revenue of USD 9.94 billion and
profit of USD 2.04 billion. Operators VNPT and MobiFone earned profits of USD
147 million and USD 370 million in 2015.

Looking forward to market opening and international investment, the country’s

mobile network providers have set revenue plans for the next five years that will
maximize their attractiveness to both domestic and international investors.
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ATTRACTION OF VIETNAMESE TELECOM INDUSTRY TO FOREIGN INVESTMENT
Despite its dynamic growth, mobile network infrastructure in Vietnam has to
undergo major technology improvements for Vietnam to be considered a world-
class Telco market. Consumer complaints about Vietnam’s telecom industry
center around several issues including frequent internet disruptions because of
breaks in undersea cables, nation-wide rollout of 4G and 3G services and
consumer perception that prices for basic services are too high.

According to Dau Anh Tuan from the VCCI, the telecommunication industry in
Vietnam needs significant development, the quality of its services is not good and
the network technology needs improvement. This last issue, the backbone
technology may lead to investment from any number of regional technology
players from China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

Similarly, infrastructure problems in India led to the 5BARz International (BARZ)

Inc., an American company, to successfully support Vodafone India by providing
its plug-and-play technology to enhance indoor user experience with mobile
devices in network areas. Mr. Daniel Bland, CEO of 5BARz International said that
the success in India has prompted the company to expand their operations to
Southeast Asia and Vietnam, with its dynamic multi-country opportunities and he
believes that more technology service providers and investors will enter Vietnam
in the years to come.

2. Market structure
The Vietnam telecom industry has come a long way in a short period of time. In
2013, there were a total of 6,725,329 fixed-line subscribers, 7.5 per 100
inhabitants and 123,735,557 2G and 3G mobile phone subscribers, 137.93 per
100 inhabitants. In the same year, the broadband Internet services grew strongly
with 33,191,166 users, representing approximately 30% of the country’s
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population. This shows a remarkable development as the telephone density was
only 3.8 telephones per 100 people in 1995 and 0.2 telephones per 100 people in
1986. Despite these changes, the telecom structure remains dominated by the
State-owned incumbent VNPT. According to the World Bank, VNPT retains more
than 90% of the aggregate market, including operations in all telecom segments:
equipment, engineering, construction and consulting. The competitive landscapes
vary according to specific segments, and competition is considered strongest in
the market for mobile phone telephone services.

a. Fixed-line telephone services

VNPT and Viettel are listed in the group of the companies which hold the
dominant position in the market for inter-region fixed line telephone services.
Meanwhile, the dominant position in the long-distance domestic telephone
services belongs to VNPT alone. According to Vietnam’s 2014 White Book, the
market shares (by number of subscribers) of fixed telephone service providers of
VNPT and Viettel are 76.50% and 21.51% respectively. The reason for a large
market share possessed by VNPT is that in the past, for a long time, VNPT is solely
assigned by the government for building telephone infrastructure as well as
providing telephone services. However, recently VNPT has suffered loss as a lot of
fixed line subscribers have left with the rise of mobile technology. Not only the
number of subscribers, but the average revenue per subscriber has also
decreased significantly. The usage capacity is very small, because the subscribers
only use the service as an alternative to mobile phone services. Currently, VNPT
has only 5 million subscribers left, and it is still unclear how many more
subscribers will leave.

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 Source: Vietnam White Book 2014

b. Mobile phone services

The mobile telephone service market is significantly more competitive in Vietnam.

As of 2013, this market is divided in principle between three major operators,
namely MobiFone, VinaPhone, and Viettel. Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone
accounts for 43.48%, 31.78% and 17.45% of total market share respectively.
Other services providers such as Vietnammobile and GMobile only own modest
market share.

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 Source: Vietnam White Book 2014

Though in general, Viettel is the service provider with the largest market share,
Mobifone and Vinaphones’ networks cover all cities and provinces of the country.
This is due to different competitive strategy of these companies. In the first
period, whereas VinaPhone and MobiFone targeted urban market with high-
income class thanks to their early establishment and long-lasting monopolistic
position, the success of late-comer Viettel has relied on the rural market segment
and poor areas. Therefore, as the mobile market is relatively saturated, the
current trend is that all the other mobile networks try to reach low-income
consumers with many low-cost packages.

The rapidly growing mobile telecommunication market has been mainly a

playground for big mobile service suppliers in recent years and competition has
become increasingly aggressive between them. Vietnam’s telecom market has
been characterised by cut-throat price competition. The biggest service providers
are said to be in a race to lower charges, provide value added services and easy
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purchase of SIM cards. However, competition has shown negative sides as it
results in lower service quality and more difficulties for relevant authorities to
control and monitor the market. In addition, it also results in harms towards
small enterprises as these lack such advantages as network, capital and brand
names. Though the relevant State agencies have issued numerous decisions to
stop unfair competition acts, these big suppliers still find various ways to lower
charges through promotion programmes.

Recent years have also witnessed a trend that companies compete by introducing
new value added services on mobile phones, instead of relying on basic services
(receiving calls, making calls, SMS/MMS). In fact, it has been recognized that
developing value-added services is a must for telecom service providers to
survive, as voice mail and SMS are no longer reeling in high profits. It is an
international trend thanks to significant development of technology and
domination of over-the-top content (OTT).

c. 3G services

With the 2G service market for mobile and laptop users seemingly almost
saturated, mobile service providers are tapping the lucrative growing 3G market.
3G has gradually become a basic service like calls and messages. Many conditions
have been eased for mobile phone subscribers, for example, they do not have to
register to use 3G services or pay a certain amount of money monthly to maintain
services. Currently, Viettel holds the first position in the market for 3G services
with 41.76% of the market share. Meanwhile, those of MobiFone and Vinaphone
are 33.56% and 22.52% respectively. The 3G packages between mobile network
operators are nearly the same, with no big differences. The competitive edge will
be seen more clearly only when companies launch sale promotion campaigns,
offer special preferences and join forces with their partners to lower subscription

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fees. The 3G competition has entered a new stage, when companies need to
diversify services to satisfy customers who have become more demanding.

Source: Vietnam White Book 2014

d. Broadband Internet services

Internet services were officially launched in Vietnam in 1997. Like mobile phones,
initially, Internet was considered advanced services for a certain group of
individual and corporations with high fees, and complex registration procedures.
There were only Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation (VNPT)
providing Internet Exchange Point (IXP), and four other Internet service
providers (ISPs), including VNPT, FPT (Financing and Promoting Technology
Company), SPT and Netnam (Information Technology Institute) which had
permission to provide Internet services. During that time, consumer services
were mainly Internet connection. Vietnam Internet usage first surged in 2002
when the Decree 55/2002/ND-CP about management, providing, exploiting and
using the Internet was adopted, replacing the Decree 21/1997/ND-CP. The
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exclusive right of VNPT over IXP was cancelled and the entrance of many ISPs
into the market has resulted in increasing market dynamics and competition.

Thanks to the decisions of the Ministry of Information & Communications (MIC)

to reduce the costs for Internet access, application services on the Internet have
become more abundant so far with VoIP, wireless Internet, public Internet and
other online services, for example Video, forum, chat, game online, etc. Several
years ago, most Internet clients in Vietnam were foreign enterprises and
organisations but the clientele has become much more diversified now.
Broadband penetration is still low (7% in 2011), but by 2016, more than 16% of
the population is expected to be connected to the Internet via broadband.
Currently, Vietnam ranks 7th in Asia and 18thworldwide in terms of Internet
coverage, according to the 2014 White Book. More than 33 million Vietnamese
used the Internet in 2013, an increase from 30 million in 2012. The country also
ranks 8th among 148 countries in terms of lowest telecommunication and
Internet charges.

There are two groups of Internet service provider. The first are big State-owned
or state-dominated enterprises including VNPT, Viettel and FPT which account
for 96.43% of market share. The second is a variety of small-sized private
enterprises with much smaller market share, including9 ISPs and 6 OSPs.

3. Telecommunications equipment and services

Vietnam’s telecommunications sector is among the world’s fastest growing
telecommunications markets. The Government of Vietnam (GVN) has articulated
its commitment to boosting the development of the Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) industry, particularly in telecommunications
and Internet infrastructure development, software production, Information
Technology (IT) education promotion, and other forms of human capital
development.
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To meet tough competition and increasing market demand, Vietnamese
telecommunications operators understand they need to enhance their
competitiveness by adopting new technologies and by enhancing their human
resource capabilities. They are seeking considerable transfer of technologies and
know-how via foreign involvement in the telecommunications sector, although
the market will open only at a gradual pace in line with Vietnam’s WTO
commitments.

In 1988, just after the “doimoi” (renovation/open door) policies carried out by
the GVN, Vietnam had less than 200,000 phone subscribers with a teledensity of
0.18 lines/100 inhabitants. In 2000, Vietnam grew to approximately 2.6 million
fixed-line subscribers and 640,000 mobile subscribers. In 2006, new phone
subscribers in Vietnam more than doubled the total number of subscribers added
in the 25-year period of 1975-2000, and the number of 18.5 million new
telephone subscribers added in 2007 tripled that of the period of the previous 3
years. According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC),
as of December 2009, Vietnam has approximately 130.4 million telephone
subscribers (mobile and fixed line), with a teledensity of 152.7 lines/100
inhabitants. See figures below for more details.

The major technologies used in Vietnam include cable, satellite, and wireless
cable. Major broadband networks are deployed via ADSL (asymmetric digital
subscriber line), VDSL (very high rate digital subscriber line), and leased lines.
WiFi is deployed in the major cities, and local ISPs are seriously contemplating
WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) as a platform to
popularize the Internet nationwide. In terms of network convergence, voice/data
networks are available nation-wide, while “triple play” networks
(voice/data/video) and broadband services have been growing in the big cities.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services are also expanding.
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Telecommunications companies own the Internet infrastructure and provide
VoIP services. There are also several privately owned VoIP providers, all of which
lease lines from major telecom carriers. Four licenses for 3G (third generation)
wireless technology were issued by MIC in August 2009 to Viettel, Mobifone,
Vinaphone, and an EVN Telecom/Hanoi Telecom joint venture. At present, 3
operators have officially provided their services, namely: Vinaphone, Viettel and
MobiFone. According to industry estimates, Vietnam will have approximately 4.5
million 3G subscribers by 2013. So far, there are 10 local Internet service
providers permitted to run WiMax pilot tests, and MIC is planning to license a
selected number of service providers through a “beauty contest” in 2010

As a new member of the WTO, Vietnam will continue to implement tax cuts as
part of its commitments under the Information Technology Agreement.
Specifically, categories currently in a 5 percent tax bracket will decrease evenly to
0 percent in 2010; those in a 10 percent bracket will decline evenly to 0 percent
in 2012 and those in a 20-30 percent bracket will go down evenly to 0 percent in
2014.

On November 23, 2009, the National Assembly passed the new

Telecommunications Law and the Ratio Frequency Law, which will take effect in
July 2010, and will open up new opportunities for trade and investment in the
telecommunications sector. Notwithstanding, a major outstanding issue is a
requirement for foreign companies to partner with SOEs for facilities-based
services, which the Ministry of Information and Communications has indicated it
will address via a regulatory circular prior to the implementation of the new law.

Excessively rapid growth, including price competition, problems with network

connectivity and indifference to the fixed telephone market could cause some
bumps in the road affecting the development of Vietnam’s telecommunications
industry.
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Selection of a local partner is not only essential to maximize business
development opportunities but also for the provision of certain services, as
required pursuant to Vietnam’s limitations to its WTO telecommunications
market access commitments.

As the hi-tech industry continues to develop in Vietnam, prices will continue to go

down, investment capital will increase and the business environment will become
more competitive. By entering the market via the road of
equitization/privatization, foreign telecommunications companies will best
approach this emerging market in a step-by-step fashion.

Best Prospects/Services
American suppliers should find excellent opportunities in almost every sub-
sector, from equipment for telecommunications infrastructure to value-added
services. Below is an analysis of the major best-prospect sub-sectors of the
telecommunications sector in Vietnam.

Fixed Telephone Networks: As of January 2010, according to Vietnam’s General

Statistics Office, Vietnam has 135.3 million subscribers, of which fixed telephone
and cell phone subscribers make up 19.6 million and 115.7 million respectively.
That is, the number of cell phone subscribers is nearly 6 times higher than fixed
telephone ones. Telephone access is currently available to all communities
nationwide. State owned VNPT is the major landline telephone carrier in this
market with market share of 70.98 percent in 2008. Ministry of Defense owned
Viettel is second with a 34 percent market share. As the traditional PSTN (public
switched telephone network) fixed telephone service is no longer a “cash cow”
subsector, Vietnam’s telcos are instead developing wireless fixed telephone
service solutions.

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Mobile Phone Networks: At present, there are 8 licensed cell phone network
operators in Vietnam. Nearly 90 percent of the mobile phone market share in
Vietnam is currently divided between 3 major network operators: Viettel Mobile,
MobiFone, and Vinaphone. According to figures reported by network operators to
Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), as of January 2009,
with a 86 million population, the total number of mobile phone subscribers in
Vietnam was over 170 million, of which more than 90 percent were pre-paid
subscribers. However, industry specialists estimate that there are only 50 million
actual subscribers (i.e. being operational). MIC has been working on the actual
number of cell phone subscribers with network operators, and the official figures
are expected to be released soon in 2010. According to MIC’s statistics in 2008,
Viettel leads the mobile sector with 38.07 percent market share, and VNPT-a
telecommunications company that runs the two sister cell phone networks of
Vinaphone and MobiFone accounted for a combined share of 51.85 percent.

In terms of the technologies used in Vietnam’s mobile phone networks, eight

licensed mobile network operators run five global systems for mobile
communications (GSM) networks (VinaPhone, MobiFone, Viettel, Vietnamobile,
and Beeline), two run code division multiple access (CDMA) networks (S-Fone,
and EVN Telecom), and one or two potential new entrants, including Indochina
Telecom and VTC Telecom, plan to run their services based on other operators’
existing networks. GSM mobile networks presently account for more than 95
percent of the mobile phone market share.

Internet: The Internet market has also developed rapidly in recent years.
Internet usage has increased in popularity as evidenced by the entry of many
Internet service providers (ISPs) into the market.

As of December 2009, the number of Internet subscribers in Vietnam stood at

22.78 million, with 26.55 percent of the population using the Internet regularly.
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Presently, the country’s total international and domestic connection bandwidth
are 89,619 Mbps and 114,009 Mbps respectively. However, Internet density is
not equally spread throughout the country and is concentrated in the urban
centers, especially Hanoi and HCMC. Broadband market demand has increased so
rapidly that current market supply is not sufficient to meet demand. The
broadband market is shared among 2 major ISP’s: VNPT and Viettel. Below are
the charts reflecting the market share of broadband subscribers in Vietnam.

Satellites: Vietnam's first communications satellite called Vinasat-1 was launched

on April 18, 2008, providing roughly 15 years of service. This $200 million
satellite was manufactured by the United States’ Lockheed Martin and has a
lifespan of 15 years. Vinasat is a geostationary satellite, employing 8 extended C-
band channels and 12 Ku-band channels to provide broadcast and
telecommunications service (video, data, voice) to countries in the Asia-Pacific
region such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, India, Australia, Japan, Korea, part of
China, and other East Asia countries. It has the capacity to provide around 120
digital television channels and tens of thousands of Internet data transmission
and telephone channels. Vinasat-1’s principal ground station is in Northern
Vietnam (Que Duong, Ha Tay), and back-up ground station in Southern Vietnam
(Binh Duong Province). The satellite has a transmission site in Hanoi and
terrestrial networks in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City. Vinasat-1 is
connected with Intelsat, Thaicom and others.

Since the Vinasat-1 launch, it was forecasted that it will be necessary to launch
the second satellite in within 5-7 years. However, only one year later, the Vinasat-
2 project was kicked off as 70 percent of Vinasat-I’s capacity was consumed and it
is estimated to be fully used in 2010. There are two major factors for the early
start of Vinasat-2 project specified as follows: by 2012 Vietnam must have a
satellite on the orbit 131.80 East and the rapid use of Vinasat-1’s capacity.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung thus approved an investment
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project for Vietnam’s second commercial satellite, which is scheduled to be
launched in 2012. VNPT, the investor assigned by GVN, plans to sign the satellite
tender package by the end of March 2010. The Prime Minister has approved in
principle some special policies for this project to ensure its pace. VNPT plans to
use consultants again to select the satellite manufacturer and consultants to
supervise its manufacturing. Vinasat-2 will have a larger capacity, be heavier, and
have a higher frequency band capacity. Vinasat-2 will cover Vietnam, Laos,
Cambodia, Thailand and part of Myanmar. Its minimum lifespan is 15 years.
Vinasat-2 will have from 24-30 transceivers compared to Vinasat-1’s 20.

Vietnam has thought of the next generations of satellites, e.g. Vinasat-3, because
this is a logical and normal evolution in the evolution of the telecom satellite
system for the country. When Vinasat-2 runs for 2-3 years and 70-80 percent of
its capacity is in use, Vietnam will surely consider launching a third satellite.
Projects to follow, however, will depend on actual market demand.

Apart from telecommunications satellites, Vietnam also has plans for another
satellite: a natural resources, environment and disaster monitoring small satellite
(referred to as VNREADSat-1). VNREDSat-1 would be a small-sized earth
observation satellite, 150 kilograms in weight with a five-year life expectancy.
The satellite is scheduled to be operational in 2012 and will be used to help
Vietnam map its natural resources and provide information about the
environment and disasters. The project would cost an estimated $60-100 million
and help free Vietnam from reliance on satellite images provided by other
countries. Any contractor that meets the requisite conditions for technology and
capital will be allowed to participate in Vietnam’s satellite projects.

Broadcasting: Vietnam’s broadcasting industry has developed rapidly in recent

years. At present, Vietnam has one national television station (VTV), one national
radio station (VOV) and four inter-provincial broadcasting stations. Additionally,
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each of the country’s 63 provinces and cities has its own local broadcasting
station. Apart from these broadcasters, other new entrants include cable
television, satellite (DTH/Direct-to-Home) and on-line television providers. In
terms of network convergence, as noted above, voice/data networks are available
nation-wide and “triple play” networks (voice/data/video) and broadband
services have been developing in the large cities. Moreover, 40 percent of the
country’s broadcasting facilities have been digitalized. Market growth in 2009
was estimated to reach approximately 28 percent and is expected to reach 30
percent in the next 2-3 years. Market size in 2009 was estimated to be valued at
$300 million. Vietnam has developed and maintains a large national transmission
network including parallel digital Ku-Band and C-Band satellite carriages and
hundreds of relay stations in order to ensure coverage of Vietnamese territory.

Opportunities
American exporters will find tremendous opportunities in almost every sub-
sector of the ICT, telecommunications and broadcasting industry.

Below are listed major buyers for telecommunications equipment and services:
Telecommunications service providers:
̵ VNPT (Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group)
̵ VMS (Vietnam Mobile Telecommunications Services Company), a
subsidiary of VNPT
̵ EVN Telecom (Electricity of Vietnam’s Telecommunications Company)
̵ Saigon Postel/SPT (Saigon Posts and Telecommunications Service
Corporation)
̵ G-Tel (Global Telecommunications Corporation)
̵ G-Tel Mobile (G-Tel Mobile Company, a subsidiary of G-Tel)
̵ FPT Telecom Company
̵ Hanoi Telecom (Hanoi Telecommunications Company)
̵ Vishipel (Vietnam Maritime Communications and Electronics Company)
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 ̵ Viettel (Military Electronics Telecommunications Corporation)
̵ VTC (Vietnam Multimedia and Communications Corporation)
̵ Indochina Telecommunications Company
̵ Piacom (Petrolimex Information Technology and Telecommunications
Company)
̵ Vietnam Airlines

Internet Services Providers: Below are the Top 5 among 64 licensed ISPs:
̵ VNPT (Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group)
̵ Viettel (Military Electronics Telecommunications Corporation)
̵ FPT (FPT Group)
̵ SPT or Saigon Postel (Saigon Posts and Telecommunications Service
Corporation)
̵ EVN Telecom (Electricity of Vietnam’s Telecommunications Company)

Below are the major buyers for broadcasting equipment and services:
̵ VTV (Vietnam Television)
̵ VOV (Voice of Vietnam)
̵ VTC (Vietnam Multimedia and Communications Corporation or Vietnam
Television Corporation)

4. SWOT Analysis
a. Business environment
Strengths • Vietnam has a large, skilled and low-cost workforce,
which has made thecountry attractive to foreign
investors
• Vietnam's location – its proximity to China and South
East Asia, and its goodsea links – makes it a good base
for foreign companies to export to the rest ofAsia, and

23
 beyond
Weaknesses • Vietnam's infrastructure is still weak. Roads, railways
and ports are inadequateto cope with the country's
economic growth and links with the outside world
• Vietnam remains one of the world's most corrupt
countries. Its score inTransparency International's
2009 Corruption Perceptions Index was 2.7,placing it
in 22nd place in the Asia-Pacific region
Opportunities • Vietnam is increasingly attracting investment from key
Asian economies, suchas Japan, South Korea and
Taiwan. This offers the possibility of the transfer
ofhigh-tech skills and know-how
• Vietnam is pressing ahead with the privatisation of
state-owned enterprises and the liberalisation of the
banking sector. This should offer foreign investors new
entry points
Threats • Ongoing trade disputes with the US, and the general
threat of Americanprotectionism, which will remain a
concern
• Labour unrest remains a lingering threat. A failure by
the authorities to boost skills levels could leave
Vietnam a second-rate economy for an indefinite
period

b. Economic
Strengths • Vietnam has been one of the fastest-growing
economies in Asia in recent years, with GDP growth
averaging 7.6% annually between 2000 and 2009
• The economic boom has lifted many Vietnamese out of

24
 poverty, with the official poverty rate in the country
falling from 58% in 1993 to 20% in 2004
Weaknesses • Vietnam still suffers from substantial trade, current
account and fiscal deficits, leaving the economy
vulnerable as the global economy continues to suffer in
2010. The fiscal picture is clouded by considerable 'off-
the-books' spending
• The heavily-managed and weak dong currency reduces
incentives to improve quality of exports, and also
serves to keep import costs high, thus contributing to
inflationary pressures
Opportunities • WTO membership has given Vietnam access to both
foreign markets andcapital, while making Vietnamese
enterprises stronger through increasedcompetition
• The government will in spite of the current
macroeconomic woes, continue tomove forward with
market reforms, including privatisation of state-owned
enterprises, and liberalising the banking sector
• Urbanisation will continue to be a long-term growth
driver. The UN forecasts the urban population to rise
from 29% of the population to more than 50% by the
early-2040s
Threats • Inflation and deficit concerns have caused some
investors to re-assess their hitherto upbeat view of
Vietnam. If the government focuses too much on
stimulating growth and fails to root out inflationary
pressure, it risks prolonging macroeconomic
instability, which could lead to a potential crisis
• Prolonged macroeconomic instability could prompt the

25
 authorities to put reforms on hold, as they struggle to
stabilise the economy

c. Political
Strengths • The Communist Party government appears committed
to market-orientedreforms, although specific economic
policies will undoubtedly be discussed atthe 2011
National Congress. The one-party system is generally
conducive toshort-term political stability
• Relations with the US are generally improving, and
Washington sees Hanoi as a potential geopolitical ally
in South East Asia
Weaknesses • Corruption among government officials poses a major
threat to the legitimacy of the ruling Communist Party
• There is increasing (albeit still limited) public
dissatisfaction with the leadership's tight control over
political dissent
Opportunities • The government recognises the threat that corruption
poses to its legitimacy,and has acted to clamp down on
graft among party officials
• Vietnam has allowed legislators to become more vocal
in criticising government policies. This is opening up
opportunities for more checks and balances within the
one-party system
Threats • The slowdown in growth in 2009 and 2010 is likely to
weigh on publicacceptance of the one-party system,
and street demonstrations to protesteconomic
conditions could develop into a full-on challenge of
undemocratic rule

26
 • Although strong domestic control will ensure little
change to Vietnam's political scene in the next few
years, over the longer term, the one-party-state will
probably be unsustainable
• Relations with China have deteriorated over the past
year due to Beijing's more assertive stance over
disputed islands in the South China Sea and domestic
criticism of a large Chinese investment into a bauxite
mining project in the central highlands, which could
potentially cause wide scale environmental damage

d. Wireline
Strengths • Fixed-line penetration levels and internet user rates
are high in major urban centressuch as Ho Chi Minh
City, Hanoi, Danang and Haiphong
• Competition exists in fixed-line and internet access
markets; VNPT faces competitionfrom several other
state-owned companies and two privately-owned
operators
• High levels of literacy and other demographic factors
bode well for strong andcontinued demand for wireline
services over the next few years
Weaknesses • Vietnam’s fixed-line and internet access markets are
both dominated by state-controlled operators, VNPT
and Viettel
• Although alternative broadband infrastructures are
currently being explored, broadband growth continues
to be dependent on DSL
• Low fixed-line penetration rates in rural regions limit

27
 the scope for DSL broadband growth
• Although internet user growth is improving, rural
Vietnam still has limited access to internet
infrastructure
• Broadband tariffs remain high, creating a barrier for
low-income subscribers to access
Opportunities • The privatisation of VNPT could help to bring about
increased investment revenues and the arrival of new
skills
• On a national level, broadband penetration rates
remain low – this means that the sector has
considerable growth potential
• VNPT plans to invest US$1bn in 2009, in order to
upgrade its broadband networks and expand its
international internet bandwidth
• Significant opportunities exist to develop alternative
broadband technologies, including WiMAX, LTE and
fibre
• WiMAX and LTE services are currently being trialled
with a view to licensing a number of 4G service
providers in the near future; WiMAX and LTE internet
services have the potential to raise the level of internet
user penetration in rural parts of Vietnam
• Draft Bill of Law on Telecommunication has been put
forward for discussion at the National Assembly
Steering Committee. If passed, the bill will allow
private companies to build network infrastructure for
the first time and will open up the telecoms market to
foreign investors

28
Threats • Fixed-line sector may enter a period of decline, with
potentially negative consequences for ADSL growth
• As the market for mobile data services grows, this
could have potentially negative consequences for the
growth of fixed broadband services
• Slower economic growth in 2009 and 2010 could
undermine wireline investment and expansion plans

e. Mobile
Strengths • An increasingly competitive mobile sector
• Impressive growth in mobile sector during 2009, with
subscribers up by 60%
• WTO membership in 2008 makes Vietnam a more
appealing investment centre – stronger growth in the
mobile market could be the result of this
Weaknesses • Heavily dominant prepaid market sending ARPU levels
downwards
• Lack of key strategic investors in the sector’s main
operators
• Although communications are relatively advanced in
the larger cities, many rural areas have little or no
access to telecommunications services
Opportunities • Entrance of the eighth operator, Indochina Telecom, as
an MNVO and the ninth operator, Vietnam Multimedia
Corporation will raise the level of competition. At the
time of writing, both operators have yet to launch their
services
• Cut in multiple SIMs will allow for new numbers to be
offered to 3G servicesubscribers

29
 • Government will allow non-3G licensees to partner
with the established network operators in order to
provide 3G services
• Government approach to liberalisation of the telecoms
industry could see entrance of strategic investors such
as NTT DoCoMo, SingTel and Telenor
Threats • Nearly a third of Vietnam’s villages lies in mountainous
areas and are without access to telecommunications
services; a delay in network expansion could slow
potential growth in all sectors
• Price war is currently under way between the
country’s three leading cellcos; this will likely put
considerable downward pressure on mobile ARPU
levels
• Number of inactive mobile subscribers is unknown in
what is still a market that lacks transparency and
reliable data

30
 II. Telecoms Infrastructure
Telecom infrastructure market in Vietnam is projected to cross $ 10 billion mark
by 2022, on the back of growing smartphone market, rollout of more services
with enhanced features and offerings, and increasing number of government
initiatives for updating the equipment to cope up with soaring internet usage. In
2015, Vietnam had 122 million mobile subscribers, which was much higher than
its population which stood at 93 million in the indicated year. Continuing decline
in the prices of smartphones and hardware components are likely to have a
positive impact on the country’s telecom infrastructure market in the coming
years.

In terms of equipment (i.e. all physical hardware components used for the
purpose of communication), networking equipment captured a majority share in
Vietnam’s telecom infrastructure market in 2016, and the segment is anticipated
to maintain its dominance throughout 2022, owing to increasing proliferation of
high speed mobile data i.e. 3G and 4G. Northern region of Vietnam governed the
market with the largest share in 2016 due to presence of the country’s capital
“Hanoi”, which is the largest city in the region. Viettel Telecom dominates
Vietnam mobile service telecom infrastructure market, with other major players
operating in the country being MobiFone, Vinaphone, Vietnamobile, and GTel.

“Technological advancements coupled with rising internet penetration are

boosting demand for connected devices across the country, which in turn is
31
boosting the country’s telecom infrastructure market. Moreover, growing
adoption of internet services across various sectors coupled with increasing
government support and rapid urbanization are likely to drive the
market through 2026.”, said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci
Research, a research based global management consulting firm.

Operators in Vietnam bolster infrastructure and introduce new products

and services in telecoms sector.
With the shift towards a more market-orientated economy, Vietnam’s
telecommunications market is seeing further openings for foreign investment,
including the supply of telecoms services and the establishment of infrastructure
networks. The government has, meanwhile, taken some broad steps in boosting
competition in the marketplace by restructuring the state-owned Vietnam Posts
and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and paving the way for the introduction
of 4G services, which is expected to generate a spike in new opportunities for
investors.

Digital Era
In attempting to gain and retain customers, both the mobile and fixed-line
markets are turning increasingly to the adoption of new products and
technologies to satisfy the growing communication and information appetites of
the Vietnamese public. There has also been a shift away from traditional voice
and text services to more digital content, as over-the-top (OTT) services have
been eating away at operators’ profit margins.

This will be key as the country’s three primary mobile operators are facing an
increasingly competitive landscape, as the number of mobile subscribers has
reached 126m compared to a population of around 95m. In addition, there were
some 36m 3G subscribers in early 2016, accounting for close to 30% of the total,
according to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).
32
In the meantime, the fixed-line segment has struggled to maintain customers. The
MIC reported the number of landline subscribers at around 5.9m in 2016 for a
penetration rate of just over 5%. This compares to a peak of 20% in 2009.

Pre-Paid Preference
Continuing its slow but steady progress towards market liberalisation, the long-
awaited implementation of mobile number portability (MNP), a service that
enables customers to retain their mobile telephone number when changing from
one mobile network operator to another, is likely to be carried out in 2017. Its
introduction is expected to reduce the current high churn rates. Similar to
customers in other emerging markets, the vast majority of mobile subscribers in
Vietnam prefer prepaid usage. Of Vietnam’s active subscribers, some 89% were
prepaid in the fourth quarter of 2015, while the remaining were post-paid
subscribers, according to the MIC.

The number of mobile subscribers has been falling over recent years, as
operators have been more aggressive in managing inactive subscribers and the
MIC has restricted the purchase of new SIM cards to avoid customers holding
multiple SIMs to access promotions offered to new users. This has made an
impact, as in May 2013 the number of registered mobile subscribers in Vietnam
stood at almost 143m.

The ministry, meanwhile, sees number portability as a way to boost competition

and quality on the market, as it would require operators to ensure their services
meet standards and provide good customer care. The MIC has said the three
largest mobile operators, which are state-owned, will apply MNP first.

Dominated By Three

33
Vietnam’s telecommunications market has been dominated by three players,
Viettel, which is owned and operated by the Ministry of Defence; Vinaphone a
subsidiary of the VNPT Group; and MobiFone, which was split from VNPT and is
managed by the MIC. The three operators account for 93% of total mobile
connections.

In a further move to liberalise the market, the government is planning to sell a 49%
stake in MobiFone to private investors via an initial public offering (IPO).
MobiFone is the second-largest operator after Viettel with a 30% market share.
MobiFone’s partial privatisation has been a hot topic on the Vietnamese
telecommunications scene, with potential buyers such as Australia’s Telstra,
Norway’s Telenor and Singapore’s Singtel expressing interest. Industry players
say that injecting private equity into MobiFone would allow the operator to draw
on a deeper pool of capital to expand its network and further develop its
infrastructure. MobiFone has already raised its brand value through acquisitions
such as a 95% stake in Audio Visual Global, a television service line, that will both
allow it to deploy a 4G network in the future as well as couple television and
mobile telecommunications. MobiFone also signed a contract with Apple to sell
the tech giant’s products such as the iPhone and iPad on the Vietnamese market.

Meanwhile, military-run Viettel is the industry leader, with market share of 46%.
Viettel has been pursuing an aggressive overseas expansion, and now operates in
nine international markets, including Laos and Cambodia, its two biggest markets.
Its Unitel brand in Laos commands a 47% market share, while in Cambodia its
Metfone brand has 37% of the market with 5.5m subscribers. The firm is angling
to enter 30-35 new countries over the next five years.

The third telecoms operator, VNPT’s Vinaphone, which has a 17% market share,
registered 4.2m new mobile phone subscribers as of November 2016, adding to
its existing base of 23.3m at the start of the year, according to a company release.
34
Other Operators
Though these three have enjoyed a dominant position, more competition is
expected as the remaining two players, Vietnamobile and Gmobile, are converting
their investment models and are expecting increased investment capital.

Vietnamobile is the only market player that is privately owned, by Hanoi Telecom
and Hong Kong’s Hutchison Asia Telecommunications. The provider converted its
operating model from a business corporation contract to a joint stock company in
2016. Under the new structure, the company is allowed to establish a telecoms
network, provide telecoms services and utilise 2G and 3G spectrum. It has also
inked contracts with equipment providers Ericsson and ZTE Corporation to
expand its 3G network to approximately 90% of the population by the end of
2017. The number of the company’s subscribers using 2G and 3G mobile services
was reported to have reached 11m at the beginning of 2016.

The smallest provider, Gmobile, is owned by GT el Mobile, which is part of Global

Telecommunications, a state-owned joint-stock company under the Ministry of
Public Security. It is set to change its domestic investment model into a foreign
investment model. The company plans to tie up with a foreign partner for
network and services development with total investment capital of around $2bn.
This would mean that Gmobile could sell shares to foreign investors. According to
the MIC’s ICT White Book statistics, in 2015 Vietnamobile held 4% of the market,
while Gmobile had 3.2% of the 2G and 3G services market.

A Maturing Sector
The Vietnamese mobile market is now showing many of the classic signs of a
market in transition, from its beginnings as a high-growth, high-profit industry
into a more competitive environment, as it matures. No longer able to rely on

35
large untapped population segments to maintain growth, operators are turning to
new products and services such as 3G – and soon 4G – to drive sales.

The deployment of 3G has seen swift development, with the number of 3G

subscribers reaching 38m in the first half of 2016, or around 41% of the
population, according to the MIC. This represented a 30.5% increase year-on-year
from 29.1m in mid-2015. This rise in usage is due to a number of factors such as
increasing availability of affordable mobile phones, a growing demand from a
burgeoning middle class and improved subscription fee packages.

Wider availability of smartphones has also enabled uses to move into 3G services
for accessing the internet. Sales of smartphones continued to rise in 2016 thanks
to higher disposable incomes and the government’s decision to slash taxes on
mobile ownership and do away with import duties on mobile handsets, which
had been passed onto consumers.

Smartphones & 4G
Samsung, Apple and Microsoft, with its Nokia brand, have dominated the mid-
class and high-end market segments. Apple has even opened a subsidiary
company in Vietnam to import and distribute handsets directly, while Samsung
has invested billions into building smartphone plants.

Mobile operators are also gearing up for the introduction of 4G, which will
provide a wide array of value-added services. Under the national broadband plan
which runs until 2020, the government is setting out to build and develop a
modern broadband infrastructure. The plan calls for a 95% coverage of
residential homes with 3G and 4G networks by 2020.

The MIC has licensed four carriers, namely Viettel, Vinaphone, MobiFone and
Gmobile, to establish the network and provide 4G LTE-Advanced public land
36
mobile telecoms services. After nearly a year of trials, these operators have
officially been permitted to roll out their offer of 4G services.

Vinaphone became the first to commercially launch LTE services in Vietnam

when in November 2016 it turned on its LTE service in Phu Quoc Island.
Vinaphone expects to deploy 21,000 base stations nationwide by the end of 2017.

Next Up
Viettel, meanwhile, is planning a nationwide commercial launch in the first
quarter of 2017. MobileFone has been testing the service in the three major cities
of Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. GT el Mobile became the fourth LTE
licensee for deploying 4G services, but unlike its three rivals, it has yet to launch
trials. Issues over ready infrastructure and terminal equipment is still being
addressed in some areas. A major step forward was MobiFone’s inauguration of
its north-south transmission line in 2016, which allows for speeds up to 300 Gbps.
This will allow MobiFone to supply broadband services on a high-speed mobile
platform.

These investments in 4G infrastructure will serve as the base for the introduction
of 5G services expected by 2020. For Vietnam it is the right time to get the
network rolled out, as 4G LTE deployment has already reached maturity
worldwide. According to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association, the number of
4G LTE subscribers worldwide had already reached 1.3bn in the first three
months of 2016.

Over-The-Top Services
As the market becomes more sophisticated and phones more advanced, mobile
operators are now facing a drop in revenue from their traditional voice and SMS
services owing to the strong rise in OTT services. The threat became visible in
2012, when according to the Telecoms Authority, mobile instant messages sent
37
via applications surpassed the number of SMS text messages for the first time. As
a result, operators are expected to shift focus to digital content services such as
video, cloud computing and the internet of things, as well as new applications.
The launch of 4G is expected to help telecoms providers in this sense.

In 2015 local operators took action, launching their own OTT services, such as
Vinaphone’sVietTalk and Viettel’s Mocha in a bid to peel off lost revenue from
popular and free services such as Zalo and Viber. The VNPT Group told the local
press that these OTT applications have had a serious impact on its revenues, by
up to 30% at times.

Industry players note that for telecoms companies to compete successfully, they
will have to partner with OTT providers to develop new service packages as well
as introduce new 3G service packages which include OTT offerings. However, in a
possible bid to clip OTT providers’ wings, there is currently a draft circular on
OTT services under which Vietnamese regulators are considering heavily
regulating providers of OTT voice and text messaging services.

According to a European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) white

paper, the proposed regulations would effectively undermine OTT providers’
technological advantage. EuroCham said that if passed in its current form, the
draft circular would subject OTT voice and messaging services to the same
pricing regime as Vietnamese telecoms services – which would raise transaction
costs in the online environment. “Co-operation and dialogue between OTT service
providers and Vietnam telecoms companies has not resulted in any solution but
rather has resulted in Vietnam telecoms companies creating their own OTT
services. An unamended draft circular would continue to cause uncertainty to
OTT service providers which could result in foreign OTT service providers
adversely amending their Vietnam entry strategies,” EuroCham wrote. It noted

38
that instead of passing the regulation in its current form, cooperation and
dialogue between OTT providers and local telecoms firms should be encouraged.

On The Ground & In Space

The arrival of OTT services is not the only threat to VNPT’s revenue stream. As
the telco has had the fixed-line market almost to itself, the steady decline in
landline subscribers has been a continuous issue for the operator. According to
the company, it once had 13m landline subscribers. However, this number has
been falling by 25% annually for a number of years.

In Hanoi the Hanoi Post Office, a subsidiary of VNPT which owns an 85% of the
market, reported a loss of some 60,000 subscribers every year. Vu Tien Duong, a
company executive, told local media that the telco was incurring a loss of trillions
of dong from landline services. In its heyday fixed-line service was a good
business for VNPT: in 2005 fixed-line subscribers accounted for 45% of total
telephone subscriptions, but the number had dropped to 5% by 2015.

Some providers have made efforts to stop the decline in subscriber numbers by
showcasing additional features, but this has not stopped the exodus.

For this reason, VNPT is looking upwards instead. The operator has partnered
with Vinaphone in signing an agreement with Thuraya Telecommunications of
the UAE for a mobile satellite service, which will give the company 100%
coverage of the country’s territory through Thuraya’s network. With the satellite
mobile and post-paid SIM, users can call, send text messages or use GPS
anywhere in Vietnam. Yet, phone companies would not have to invest in satellite
services, or laying cables, to increase coverage around the country, especially
remote rural areas, if the current phone mast network was improved, especially
in terms quantity and economies of scale.

39
Investing In Tower Infrastructure
The tower sector, or mobile phone masts, in Vietnam is significantly
underdeveloped, with only approximately 15% of the infrastructure owned by
independent tower companies. Furthermore, the sector comprises a large
number of small, unsophisticated tower companies, according to the
International Finance Company (IFC), the World Bank’s investment arm. To
rectify this, the IFC is investing a total of $20m in Golden Towers, a domestic
tower company under the management of ACLASEAN Tower, an international
firm focused on ASEAN states.
In the beginning of 2016 Golden Towers had around 340 towers under
ownership and management. It is now looking for funds to acquire and construct
up to 5800 towers in the country in FY the 2016/17. Estimated costs for this
project amount to about $210m, the company said. IFC would step in by partially
financing the project.

The IFC said in its filing that, “the project presents an important roll-up
opportunity of the highly fragmented telecoms tower market that can realise
economies of scale under an experienced team and strong sponsors.” The
organisation added that, “The success of this project will demonstrate the
importance of private sector involvement in the telecoms tower sector and may
help to attract more private capital flow into the sector.” In addition to the
funding, the IFC will also help the company attract more capital as the project
expands.

Rural coverage in Vietnam is still limited and this project should help widen
access to telecoms services. The IFC is also keen for the project to advance tower-
sharing practices, which would cut down on costs as operators pool resources.

Outlook

40
The telecoms market is expected to continue to be dominated by the big three
telcos, Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone, which together accounted for 93% of
total mobile connections in 2016. Indeed, the three were included in the top-20
most-valuable telecoms brands in South-east Asia in 2016, with a combined value
of nearly $1.8bn, according to consultancy Brand Finance. MobiFone’s planned
IPO may shake things up, while competition is set to get tougher, as smaller
players such as Vietnamobile and Gmobile have changed their investment models
and will be open for equitization.

Meanwhile, it will be a busy period for telecoms groups, as they will have to make
quick preparations for the introduction of MNP in 2017. The 4G roll-out will also
mark a significant milestone for the sector, with four operators having received
licences and one already providing LTE services. As data use grows, revenue from
voice and SMS services is expected to see a slide due to the strong rise of OTT
services. This will force telcos to change from being purely telecoms exploiters to
service and solution providers. And as the market has reached saturation levels,
there will be a shift towards customer care as well as a stronger focus on service
quality.

A raft of new legislation has also heartened industry players going forward,
notably a new Law on Information Security, which marks Vietnam’s first
comprehensive statute in this area. Data-security regulations were previously
fragmented across various pieces of legislation such as such as the Law on
Information Technology and the Law on Telecommunications. According to the
MIC, the new law, which went into effect on July 1, 2016, includes, among other
things, provisions on ensuring safety and security of information, protecting
personal information in the network environment, as well as preventing spam,
computer viruses and harmful software.

41
 III. Competitive Landscape

Key Players – Vietnam Telecoms Sector

Company Name Ownership Market

Vietnam Posts and Government (100%) Local, long-distance and
Telecommunications international telephony,
(VNPT) data, internet
Vinaphone Vietnam Telecom Service (100%) Mobile
MobiFone Vietnam Telecom Service (100%) Mobile
Viettel Ministry of Defence Mobile, local telephony
S-Fone Joint Venture: Saigon Postel and SK Mobile
Telecom
Electricity of Vietnam Electricity of Vietnam (100%) Local, long-distance and
(EVN Telecom) international telephony,
data, internet and mobile
Hanoi Telecom Joint Venture: Hanoi Telecom, Hutchison Mobile
Telecommunications International (HTI)
Source: BMI

1. Competition analysis
Competition in telecommunications
̵ Competition Law (2004):Regulations on restraint of competition, unfair
competitive practices and economic concentration in general
• Vietnam Competition Authority
• Competition Council
̵ Telecommunications Law (2009): Adding to acts of restraint of
competition, specific unfair competition (based on the WTO)
• Vietnam Telecommunications Authority

REGULATORY
Competition law

42
 • Regulations on restraint of competition, unfair competitive
practices and economic concentration in general
• Regulations criteria for enterprises and groups of enterprises
having dominant positions in the market
Decree 116/2005/ NĐ-CP
• Determining the relevant market
• Bases for determining capability of enterprise to substantially
restrain competition in relevant market
• Selling goods or providing services below total prime cost of
goods aimed at excluding competitors
Telecommunications Law
• Competition in the provision of telecommunications services
• In each period, the MIC shall promulgate a list of SMP, and a list
of telecommunications businesses that possess essential devices
Decree 25/2011/NĐ-CP: Handling cases of competition in the
telecommunication services trading
Circular 18/2012/TT-BTTTT 15/2015/TT-BTTTT: List of
telecommunications enterprises, group of
telecommunications enterprises with SMP for the important
telecommunication services

Competition management in telecommunications is mainly based on the four

criteria following:
̵ Classifying markets and identifying relevant market.
̵ Identifying the Significant Market Power (SMP) in the relevant market
̵ Regulations on restraint of competition, unfair competitive
̵ Management methods Significant Market Power

43
 a. Relevant market

Article 11 Competition law

Enterprises and groups of enterprises in dominant market position
̵ An enterprise shall be deemed to be in a dominant market position if such
enterprise has a market share of thirty (30) per cent or more in the
relevant market or is capable of substantially restraining competition.
̵ A group of enterprises shall be deemed to be in a dominant market
position if they act together in order to restrain competition and fall into
one of the following categories:
• Two enterprises have a market share of fifty (50) per cent or more
in the relevant market;
• Three enterprises have a market share of sixty-five (65) per cent or
more in the relevant market;
• Four enterprises have a market share of seventy-five (75) per cent
or more in the relevant market.

Relevant market in Telecommunications

Classifying the relevant market by service classification:

I. Ground fixed telecommunications services Number of SMP enterprise

1. Local telephone service 2
2. Domestic long-distance telephone service 1
3. International telephone service 2
4. Local leased line service 2
5. Domestic long-distance leased line service 2
6. International leased line service 2
7. Broadband internet access service 3

II. Land mobile information services

1. Phone service 1

44
 2. Messaging service 1
3. Internet access service 1

b. Identification of the SMP enterprise

̵ Determined by the market share of revenue, with reference to the market

share of subscribers and quantity
̵ Not defined under the second Criteria of Competition Law: “An enterprise
shall be deemed to be in SMP if …is capable of substantially restraining
competition.

Principles for identifying SMP businesses in telecommunications:

̵ Identification of SMP according to the provisions of the Competition Law
(Telecommunications Law does not stipulate criteria)
̵ The basis is determined based on the business production report of the
enterprise (including telecoms revenue, quantity and number of
subscribers)
̵ After 2 years will review the SMP enterprise
Example: In 2012, the MIC issued Circular No.18/2012/TT-BTTTT, which
stipulates that there are three SMPs for Land mobile information services. By
early 2015, the MIC issued Circular No.15/2015/TT-BTTTT. Accordingly, for
Land mobile information services only has one SMP

Report of the enterprise → (Send to VNTA) Review the report, calculate the data
and identify the SMP enterprise in accordance with the Law on Competition
(determined by market share). → Advise the Ministry's leaders to issue circulars:
SMP, Non-SMP

The capability of an enterprise to substantially restrain competition (Decree

116/2005/NĐ-CP) rely on one or more bases

45
 ̵ Financial capacity of the enterprise
̵ Financial capacity of the organizations and individuals which established
the enterprise
̵ Financial capability of the organization or individual that has the right to
control or dominate the operation of the enterprise according to the
provisions of law or the enterprises charter
̵ Financial capacity of the parent company
̵ Technological capability
̵ The right to own or use industrial property objects
̵ Scale of distribution network

Challenges
̵ If SMP is only identified by market share, it does not fully reflect the
competitive nature of telecommunications
̵ There are no significant competing specific criteria to the capability of an
enterprise to substantially restrain competition to identify SMP enterprise
(07 criteria mentioned above)
̵ Giving the method to defined SMP by combining two methods according to
the Competition Law

c. Unfair competitive practices

Practices constituting abuse of dominant market position which are

prohibited
̵ Selling goods or providing services below total prime cost of the goods
aimed at excluding competitors;
̵ Fixing an unreasonable selling or purchasing price or fixing a minimum
reselling price goods or services, thereby causing loss to customers;

46
 ̵ Restraining production or distribution of goods or services, limiting the
market, or impeding technical or technological development, thereby
causing loss to customers;
̵ Applying different commercial conditions to the same transactions aimed
at creating inequality in competition;
̵ Imposing conditions on other enterprises signing contracts for the
purchase and sale of goods and services or forcing other enterprises to
agree to obligations which are not related in a direct way to the subject
matter of the contract;
̵ Preventing market participation by new competitors.

Many behavior abuse of SMP is prohibited in telecommunications in addition

to the above provisions of the Competition Law (based on WTO references):
̵ Cross subsidisation telecommunications services among them for the
unfair competition purpose;
̵ Taking advantage of their telecommunications networks and essential
devices to impede the market penetration or limit or cause troubles to
provision of telecommunications services by other telecommunications
businesses;
̵ Using information obtained from other telecommunications businesses for
the unfair competition purpose;
̵ Failing to promptly provide to other telecommunications businesses
about technical information on essential devices and relevant commercial
information necessary for the provision of telecommunications services.

Many behavior abuse of SMP are taking place in the telecommunications

sector:
̵ Cross subsidisation telecommunications services among them for the
unfair competition purpose
̵ SMP release a tariff of telecommunication services lower than its cost
47
 ̵ Discount promotion in contravention of the discount rate, promotion
period, promotion beneficiaries

Cause of unfair competitive practices

̵ Increase revenue, subscribers by all means
̵ The sanction is still low
̵ Some guiding Legal documents are not specific, difficult to implement
̵ Vietnam is developing a new Competition Law, however, some contents
are inconsistent with the Telecommunications Law

d. Management of SMP

̵ Cost-effective management (not sold below cost service), Anti Cross

subsidisation service
̵ Management in the form of ex-ante
Example: Significant market power (SMP) enterprise for land mobile information
service. Before issuing the retail tariff to the terminal service user, the SMP
enterprise is responsible for registering the tariff to the VNTA - MIC (Ex-ante),
and SMP only implement when available written approval of VNTA. Other
enterprises (Non-SMP) just announce tariff

2. Wired and wireless communication players

a. Foreign’s owned wired & wireless communication
equipment
About Juniper Networks, Inc.

Juniper Networks helps its customers branch out and up, all the way to the cloud.
The company makes infrastructure hardware and software for large-scale
networks for cloud-computing providers (including data centers), financial
services; national, federal, state, and local government; as well as research and
educational institutions. Its routers, switches and security technologies are high-

48
performance networks that enable customers to build scalable, reliable, secure
and cost-effective networks for their businesses, while achieving agility and
improved operating efficiency through automation. Juniper also introduced cloud
management and security products which enable enterprises to consume cloud
infrastructure and services securely. Juniper sells directly and through resellers
and distributors including Ingram Micro and Hitachi. More than half of the
company's sales are made to customers based in the US.
Website https://juniper.vn/
Overview • Establishment: February 1996
• NYSE: JNPR
• CEO: Rami Rahim
• Founder: Pradeep Sindhu
• CTO: Raj Yavatkar
• Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California
• Employees: 9400+
• Office: 109 Offices, 47 Countries (including 7 Virtual Offices, 48 E-
Suites)
• Revenue: $ 4,445.4 million (2019)
Vietnam Hanoi:188 Yen Binh Street, Phuc La Ward, Ha Dong, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Office Ho Chi Minh:12 Street 10, Ward 9, Go Vap, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
Hotline: 0921 456666
Email: info@juniper.vn
Main Main product lines:
Products • Switches
• Routers
• Security
• Bundles
• Licenses
• Modules & cards
Distribute the genuine Juniper network equipment in Vietnam
EX Series Ethernet Switches: These cloud-grade switches are designed for the
converged enterprise branch, campus, and data center, and for service
providers. They address growing enterprise demands for high availability,
unified communications, and virtualization.
QFX Series Switches: QFX Series switches satisfy the needs of today’s most

49
 demanding enterprise and service provider data center environments. This
high-performance, high-density platform is designed for top-of-rack, end-of-row,
and spine-and-core aggregation deployments.

For more information, click here

̵ Product lines:

̵ Product models:

Note: The Products price aren’t public

About Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco Systems (Cisco) is a maker of the network gear -- routers, switches, and
servers as well as software -- that moves information around the internet and
corporate networks. The company, which has dominated the market for internet
protocol-based networking equipment, also makes security devices, internet
conferencing systems and other networking equipment for businesses and
government agencies. Software that controls networks has become an increasing
focus for Cisco, which also provides cloud connectivity. Most sales come from
customers in the Americas. Cisco's primary customers are large enterprises and
telecommunications service providers, but it also sells products designed for
small businesses and public sector.

Website https://www.cisco.com/c/vi_vn/index.html
Overview • Establishment:December 1984

50
 • CEO:Chuck Robbins
• Founder: Sandy Lerner, Leonard Bosack
• Headquarters:300 E Tasman Dr, San Jose, CA 95134
• Revenue: $ 51.7 billion (2019)
• Subsidiaries: WebEx, Meraki, OpenDNS, AppDynamics ,etc.
Vietnam Hanoi: P.2301-2305 Keangnam Landmark Tower, Me Tri Ward, Nam Tu Liem
Office District, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh: Room 912/901/902, Floor 9, Saigon Trade Center, 37 Ton Duc
Thang, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Main Main product lines
̵ Network Management: Use a single dashboard to automate processes and
Products
optimize performance with analytics.
̵ Switching: Build a network with switches that constantly learn, adapt, and
protect.
̵ Wireless: Provide an immersive experience with secure, fast, and reliable
products.
̵ Routing: Simplify your WAN architecture and make it easier to deploy,
manage, and operate.
̵ Network security: Get secure connectivity with centralized management
that keeps costs low.
̵ Small business: Deploy simple, flexible, and secure solutions designed for
small business.
Main Wireless products
Wireless controllers: The controllers are always on,
are secure, and can be deployed anywhere—three
pillars of network excellence that strengthen the
network by providing the best wireless experience
without compromise, while saving time and money.
• Always on: High availability and seamless
software updates, enabled by hot patching, keep your clients and
services always on in planned and unplanned events. Bug fixes, access
point deployment at multiple sites, network updates, and more can be
handled without rebooting the controller or impacting the operation of
the networks
• Secure: Wireless infrastructure becomes the strongest first line of
defense with Encrypted Traffic Analytics and Cisco Software-Defined
Access. The controllers come with built-in security to secure the
controller and the network: Secure Boot, runtime defenses, image
signing, integrity verification, and hardware authenticity
• Deploy anywhere: Whether your deployment choice is an on-premises
solution or a cloud deployment solution, the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series
Wireless Controllers allow for management
and deployment of the controller anywhere

Cloud-managed access points: Reliably

51
 deliver new mobile experiences with future-proof wireless.

• High-efficiency wireless
Cisco Meraki access points are built from the highest grade components
and carefully optimized for a seamless user experience.
The outcome: faster connections, greater user capacity, more coverage,
and fewer support calls.
• Unmatched visibility
Gain visibility into the network users, their devices, and their
applications. Armed with rich analytics, administrators can quickly
create access control and application usage policies, optimizing both the
end-user experience and network security.
• Entire network under one roof
Powerful and intuitive multi-site management via the cloud, eliminating
the cost and complexity of traditional on-site wireless controllers. End-
to-end management which unifies WAN, LAN, wireless LAN, and mobile
device management under a single pane of glass.
Note: The Products price aren’t public

Other Cisco wireless products, click here for more information

Indoor access points Outdoor and industrial Controllerless access

access points points

About Aruba Networks, Inc.

Aruba Networks, a unit of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), offers network

access equipment and software for mobile enterprise networks and devices
connected to the Internet of Things. Products include controllers, Wi-Fi access
points, and analytics as well as security functions. The company also offers
location products and services including beacons, tags, and applications. Aruba
provides professional and support services. It targets the corporate, education,
and government sectors and customers include Tractor Supply Co., Texas A&M
University, Al Zahara Hospital Dubai, and the US Army. Aruba constitutes HPE's
Intelligent Edge segment.

52
Website https://arubavietnam.com/
Overview • Establishment:2002
• CEO:Keerti Melkote
• Founder:Keerti Melkote and Pankaj Manglik
• Headquarters:3333 Scott Blvd Santa Clara, Ca 95054
• Revenue: $ 3 billion (2019)
• Mother company: Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• Subsidiaries: Silver Peak Systems, Asimmetric Inc,etc.
Vietnam Hanoi: P10 Hang Chuoi, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Office Ho Chi Minh: 1355/15 Hoang sa, Ward 15,Tan BinhDistrict, Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam
Main Main products line:
• Wireless
Products
• Switches
• Management & operations
• SD-WAN
• Security
• Location
Main wireless products:
Access points: Boost IT, user, and IoT experiences with enterprise connectivity
that’s simple, fast, and secure.

Aruba 510 Series Wireless Access Points

Aruba Wi-Fi 6 access points provide high-performance
connectivity for any organization experiencing growing
numbers of IoT and mobility requirements. With a
maximum real-world aggregate data rate of 2.69 Gbps
(HE80/HE20), they deliver the speed and reliability
needed for any enterprise environment.

• Dimensions/weight (excluding mount bracket):

- 200mm (W) x 200mm (D) x 46mm (H)/ 7.9” (W) x 7.9” (D) x 1.8” (H)
- 810g/28.5oz
KEY FEATURES
• Gbps maximum real-world speed (HE80/HE20)
• WPA3 and Enhanced Open security
• Built-in technology that resolves sticky client issues for Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-
Fi 5 devices
• OFDMA and MU-MIMO for enhanced multi-user efficiency
• IoT-ready Bluetooth 5 and Zigbee support
Advantages of OFDMA
This capability allows Aruba’s APs to handle multiple Wi-Fi 6 capable clients on
each channel simultaneously, regardless of device or traffic type. Channel
utilization is optimized by handling each transaction via smaller sub-carriers or

53
 resource units (RUs), which means that clients are sharing a channel and not
competing for airtime and bandwidth.
Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO)
The 510 Series APs support downlink mU-MIMO just like Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac
Wave 2) APs. The added benefit is the ability to multiply the number of clients
that can now send traffic, thus optimizing client-to-AP spatial stream diversity.

*Other wireless products are Remote Access points, Gateways & controllers,
click here for more information

Some popular wireless products in Vietnam Market

54
55
56
 About Extreme Networks, Inc.

Extreme Networks keeps devices connected everywhere from data centers to

schools and stadiums. The company designs and markets Ethernet switches to
address the networking needs of enterprises, cloud data centers, mobile
operators, and service providers. Its switches are marketed primarily under the
BlackDiamond and Summit brands. The company also offers RidgeLine software
for central configuration, among other functions, the ExtremeXOS operating
system, and identify, a family of wireless access points. It serves some 20,000
customers - including businesses, schools, and hospitals -- more than 80
countries.

Website https://extremevietnam.com/
Overview • Establishment: June 1996
• CEO: Charles W. Berger
• Founder: Gordon Stitt, Herb Schneider, and Stephen Haddock
• Headquarters: San Jose, CA
Vietnam Hanoi: No B4-20 Vinhomes Gardenia, Ham Nghi Str, Nam Tu Liem Dist, Hanoi,
Office Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh: 781/C1 Le Hong Phong(ND) Str, Ward 12, Dist 10, HCMC, Vietnam.
Main Main product lines:
• Wireless
Products
• Routing
• Switching
• Application

57
Main Wireless products:
Indoor Access point: A New Standard of AI-Infused
Wi-Fi 6 Access Points

Extreme WiNG AP7602

Ideal Applications
• Hospitality One AP per Guest Room
• Put wireless signals and high throughput where the guest is - in the room
Affordable
• Priced right to deploy one access point per room
• Elimination of expensive site surveys
• Zero-disruption installations
• Centralized management Quick Installation
• Hook-and-snap mounting system makes it possible to install in less than
five minutes
SPECIFICATIONS

58
 *Other wireless products are Outdoor Access point, Controllers click here for
more information
Note: The products price aren’t public

Some Extreme Network’s wired &wireless communication equipment in Vietnam

market

59
60
 Alcatel Lucent, France Telecom, La Poste

̵ Alcatel Lucent present in Vietnam since 1993, France Telecom since 1997
̵ VNPT/Orange contract to deploy over 500,000 fixed lines in HCMC region
for $492.6 million
̵ 2007: Alcatel/Mobifone contract, Alcatel provides GSM Base Stations in
rural areas
̵ 2008: MoU between La Poste and VNPost Corporation. La Poste provides
staff training, money transfer services for VNPost and wanted to establish
a JS Bank to offer insurance services
̵ 2009: Alcatel provides GPON infrastructure for CMC TI
̵ Orange France Telecom repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring
Mobifone shares
̵ 2013: Alcatel improves AAG capacity from 1.92Tbps to 8Tbps
̵ French/Vietnamese ICT companies:

61
 ̵ France Cable Radio (Orange/VNPT), taken over by VNPT in 2011
̵ Alcatel Network System Vietnam (ANSV) created in 1993, VNPT took over
in 2011
Website https://www.al-enterprise.com/en
Overview • Establishment:2006
• CEO:Jack Chen
• Headquarters: Boulogne-billancourt, Ile-de-France, France
• Mother company: Nokia, Nokia Networks
• Subsidiaries: BELL Laboratory
Vietnam Hanoi: Floor 9, Tower A, HandirescoBuilding, 521 Kim Ma, Ngoc Khanh Ward,
Office Ba DinhDistrict, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Other French ICT activities in Vietnam

Main activities of French ICT companies: technology transfer to Vietnam telecoms,
infrastructure development, outsourcing software activities to Vietnam ICT
company, providing content and software services
Examples:
̵ Nexans (communication cables, copper and optical fiber)
̵ Pentalog High Tech (IT consulting/engineering and wireless network
services)
̵ Canal Overseas (subsidiary of Canal+, owns K+, providing satellite TV
service in Vietnam
̵ Gemalto (Software security, e-banking/e-government services)
Cooperated with FPT-IS to provide Europay, Mastercard, VISA payment
for VPBank
Observations:
̵ In 2013, France imported informatics/electronics/optics from Vietnam for
a total sum of over €1,026 Bn (biggest sector of French imports from
Vietnam) while shoes and textile imports were estimated around €700
million

62
 ̵ Few French ICT companies in Vietnam apart Orange France Telecom and
Alcatel
̵ French outsourcing ICT prefer French speaking labor force they can find in
North Africa, which also is geographically closer to France
̵ Foreign companies wary of setting up BCCs, as they give advantage to local
companies.

Researcher Note:
Based on the requested about players in Vietnam market: Cisco Systems, Juniper
Networks, Extreme Networks, Huawei, Aruba Networks (HPE),Alcatel-Lucent, etc
Only Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent ‘s communication equipment are difficult to find
the information in Vietnam.
• Huawei’s brand identification is phone product with cheap price from
china compare to others
• About Alcatel-Lucent, as above information, they cooperate with local
player to expand their business.
After that, Nokia completed the acquisition of the company and it was
merged into their Nokia Networks division. Bell Labs was maintained as
an independent subsidiary of Nokia

b. Recognition and status of Korean communication

equipment companies
In 2019, DPRK wants to cooperate with Viettel in telecommunication

On February 27th, 2020, in Hanoi, Minister of Information and Communications

Nguyen Manh Hung had a meeting with Mr. Park Noh-wan, Korean Ambassador
to Vietnam
At the meeting, Ambassador Park Noh-wan said that the friendship and
cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea over the past years had
developed strongly, especially in the field of information and communication

63
through activities on policy consultancy, training information security experts,
establishing Vietnam-Korea IT cooperation centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City,
especially many Korean ICT enterprises are increasing investment in Vietnam like
Samsung, Lotte, etc.

The Ambassador also mentioned the Memorandum of Cooperation between the

Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam and the Ministry of
Science, Technology and Information and Communications of Korea on
promoting cooperation in the context of the Industrial Revolution 4 signed in
2018 and expressed that the two sides would work together to implement the
signed contents.

Regarding 5G mobile network, Ambassador Park Noh-wan said that Korea was
the world leader in commercializing 5G in 2019 with a total of 5 million 5G
subscribers at present and expected this number would be increased to 10
million by the end of 2020. The Korean side is eager to hear about Vietnam's
information and preparations related to the commercialization of 5G.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed that the Government and the Ministry of
Information and Communications of Vietnam welcomed and supported the
positive move of Korea in investing in Vietnam in the field of ICT and committed
to promoting cooperation between Vietnamese and Korean businesses in these
areas.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung proposed organizing seminars and forums for
Vietnamese ICT enterprises to introduce their products in Korea. Regarding the
5G mobile network, the Minister said that Vietnam had implemented 5G pilot in
2019 and would commercialize 5G by 2020. The Ministry of Information and
Communications wants businesses to research and produce Vietnamese 5G
equipment in corporation with South Korea ones. South Korea's KT and SK can
64
cooperate with Vietnamese mobile businesses to develop new applications on the
5G platform

MIC’S Minister affirmed that the government and the ministry supported the
positive move of Korea in investing in Vietnam in the field of ICT and is
committed to promoting cooperation between Vietnamese and Korean businesses
in these areas.

3. Competition problems in Vietnam telecoms sector

List of dominant telecoms enterprises, groups of telecoms enterprises

No. Telecom services Dominant Enterprises/

Groups of Enterprises
I. Terrestrial fixed telecommunications services
1 Local telephone service VNPT, Viettel
2 Domestic long-distance telephone service VNPT
3 International telephone service Viettel, VNPT
4 Local leased line service VNPT, Viettel
5 Domestic long-distance leased line service VNPT, Viettel
6 International leased line service VNPT, Viettel
7 Broadband Internet access service VNPT, FPT telecom, Viettel
II. Terrestrial mobile information services
1 Phone service Viettel, Mobifone, Vinaphone
2 Messaging service Viettel, Mobifone, Vinaphone
3 Internet access service Viettel, Mobifone, Vinaphone
Source: MIC

As pointed out by the WTO Secretariat in its recent TPR report regarding Vietnam,
despitethe various efforts and initiatives to reform and their resulting impacts on
pricing andaccessibility, the country’s telecom sector is still characteristically

65
plagued by Statedominance. It is evident from the different market segments as
well as aggregately: thebiggest shares of the market cake are still in the hands of a
few State-ownedincumbents/monopolists such as VNPT and Viettel, whereas the
shares that belong toprivate firms are either small or negligent. This is often a
contentious issue because not allthese dominant positions or monopoly positions
have been acquired as a result of‘superior skill, foresight and industry’,9 and thus
winning the competition, but mainly because of the government links that these
enterprises are privileged to have. This leads to the often-asked questions of
whether there is a truly ‘level playing field’ in Vietnam and how competition
policy and law, or competition principles within the sectoral regulatory
framework, will apply in such a market.

State ownership, full or partial, could bring a lot of advantages towards certain
enterprises in the market. Some of these advantages are quite obvious and would
contribute to strengthening the financial/capital base of State-owned enterprises
(SOEs), such as direct subsidies that some SOEs might receive from the
government, land-use rights, credits provided via State-controlled financial
institutions at below-market interest rate, etc. Other less obvious but no smaller
advantages include favourable tax regimes or exemptions from certain type of
taxes, which help to lower SOEs’ costs; explicit or implicit loan guarantees for
SOEs, which reduce their cost of borrowing and enhance their competitiveness
vis-à-vis their privately owned rivals; or exemption from bankruptcy rules,
because governments often invest heavily in SOEs and thus naturally do not want
these firms to go out of business; as well as exceptions and preferential
treatments under other regulatory regimes.

To make matters worse, many SOEs are also generally absolved from paying
dividends or indeed any expected return to shareholders, the most major one
being the State. The Government of Vietnam does not or rarely collect their
dividends/returns on these funds, and thus many SOEs are literally sitting on
66
billions of dollars thanks for uncollected dividends. These SOEs could then freely
pursue re-investments or other expansion activities, giving them an advantage
over their rivals from the private sector. Enormous financial strengths, in
addition to other advantages as listed above, could allow SOEs to freely engage in
anticompetitive practices such as predation and others.

In addition, SOEs may also benefit from information asymmetries since they
would have access to data and information whichare not available to their private
competitorsor only available to a limited extent, due totheir government linkages.
Most importantly,in many cases, governments entrust SOEswith exclusive or
monopoly rights over someof the activities that they are mandated topursue. The
telecom sector in Vietnam isclearly one such case, where VNPT used to bethe sole
service provider in the market, and itsdominance continues to be
artificiallymaintained till today even though theirefficiency level was never really
high. WhereSOEs continue to benefit from a legal ornatural monopoly, this may
be of littlepractical consequence for the competitivelandscape. The real problem
is when theseSOEs abuse their government-grantedmonopoly or dominant
positions to engage inexclusionary tactics, or other exploitativebehaviours, such
as unreasonably highpricing.

A case that happened back in the year 2003before Vietnam adopted the VCL
involved theCDMA-based mobile telephone serviceprovider upstart S-Fone who
complained thatthey had tremendous difficulty connectingmessaging services
with other thenincumbent GSM-based 10 cellular providers,Vinaphone and
MobiFone, both owned by theState-owned VNPT.

The agreement between the new marketentrant and the incumbents called
forinterconnection by December 2003, but itwas not implemented until mid-
2004 – a fullyear after service was started. S-Fonemanagement was quoted
highlighting thedifficulties of executing interconnection withVNPT that:
67
 “Obviously, there are some technical problemsin connecting different
networks, but they arenot big problems. The real problem is whetherVNPT
wants S-Fone to be connected ornot.“Cityphone is not compatible
butconnected quickly with VNPT mobile networks,while it takes a very
long time in the case ofS-Fone. If VNPT has a cooperative attitude, only10
days are needed to settle everything.”

VNPT was also alleged to have used technicalreasons to deny interconnection ‘at
anytechnically feasible point’. The most notableexample was the requirement of
VNPT that S-Fone be connected with VNPT mobilenetworks not directly through
a tandemswitch, but indirectly through a toll switchmanaged by VNPT. This
forced S-Fone to payan additional 250 VND per minute. Accordingto S-Fone, this
extra charge cost the companymore than 1.4bn VND in the last six monthsof 2003,
and 1bn-2bn VND in 2004. Theseextra charges were said to have inhibited
theupstart company’s competitiveness andprofitability.

VNPT was also alleged to have used technicalreasons to deny interconnection ‘at
anytechnically feasible point’. The most notableexample was the requirement of
VNPT that S-Fone be connected with VNPT mobilenetworks not directly through
a tandemswitch, but indirectly through a toll switchmanaged by VNPT. This
forced S-Fone to payan additional 250 VND per minute. Accordingto S-Fone, this
extra charge cost the companymore than 1.4bn VND in the last six monthsof 2003,
and 1bn-2bn VND in 2004. Theseextra charges were said to have inhibited
theupstart company’s competitiveness andprofitability.

According to the same manager:

“VNPT really has everything relating to telecommunications infrastructure. New
entities in this industry have to borrow or hire facilities or infrastructure of VNPT.
The problem is that it is always difficult to borrow or hire them.
Sometimes it takes considerable time and sometimes requires large fees. Even
68
negotiation with VNPT is also a controversial matter. [...] MobiFone and
Vinaphone are monopolists in Vietnam. I understand that they do not want us to
interconnect with our SMS [short message service] services. In my opinion, if they
are not willing to connect messaging services with S-Fone, the Ministry should
intervene in the arrangement and force VNPT to allow the interconnection of
messages between MobiFone, Vinaphone and our network as soon as possible. If
the Ministry had done so, our messaging services would have been connected
within at most six months”.

This is a typical case of raising rivals’ costs, where an incumbent SOE makes it
difficult for a new rival to get access to essential facilities/infrastructures that it
owns, and thus makes it less viable for the rival to compete. The problem is
further aggravated by the reaction or lack of action from the responsible State
regulatory agency which seems to favour the SOE. Subsequently, there were also
a couple of other similar cases/disputes between Viettel and VNPT, or EVN
Telecom and VNPT, from 2004 to 2006, related to interconnection. In all the cases,
Viettel (or EVN Telecom) complained of VNPT’s interconnection refusal, and/or
VNPT’s applying technical measures to hinder Viettel’s /EVN Telecom’s services,
which exemplify these concerns.

69
 IV. Policies and Regulations
1. Telecoms Policy & Regulation System

2. The Law on Telecommunications

The Law on Telecommunication dated November 23th 2009; New points in the
Telecom Law:
• Ensure a healthy competitive environment in telecoms activities
• Legal Framework supports and promotes Convergence (Broadcasting and
Telecommunication Infrastructures and Services)
• Domestic and foreign individuals, organizations of different economic
sectors are able to participate into telecoms investment and trading
• Enforce the role of management of the state in the telecom field
• Licensing of valuable resources (frequency, telephone numbers, domain
names, Internet addresses) could be implemented by beauty contest or
auction.
• Ensure public utility telecom services include universal and compulsory
telecom services in rural, remote areas

70
 a. Telecom regulator

Unlike many countries that have created an independent, autonomous regulatory

body, prior to the adoption of this law, and ever since the beginning of all reforms
in the telecom sector, the MIC (formerly the MPT) has always played the role of
State administration in charge of policy-making and regulatory matters in post,
telecom, IT, electronics, the Internet, radio transmission and emission techniques,
radiofrequency management, and national information infrastructure. It also
manages public services as well as exercises control over the State capital (for
example, investment) in the sector. Under Article 9 of the LOT, these powers and
duties of the MIC continue to be maintained, including:
• to promulgate or prepare drafts of legal regulations, technical
specifications and standards, economic-technical norms of telecoms
strategies and telecoms development plans;
• to implement legal regulations on telecoms, strategies, and telecoms
development plans;
• to manage and regulate the telecoms market; to manage the telecoms
service business and telecoms operation;
• to actively co-ordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to manage
competition in the formulation of telecoms infrastructure and in the
provision of telecommunications services in accordance with laws on
competition;
• to inspect, verify, and resolve disputes, claims, and complaints, and to deal
with violations in telecoms activities;
• to train, foster, and develop human resources; to study and apply science
and technology in telecoms activities; and
• to organize international co-operation in the telecoms sector.

The LOT also refers to the establishment of a telecommunications specialized

management agency (TSMA). This is a specific agency under the MIC that

71
supports the MIC to carry out State management of the telecommunications
sector. Decree 25 assigns the TSMA following tasks:
• to participate in drafting mechanisms, policies, strategies, plans, and legal
regulations on telecommunications;
• to manage the telecommunications market and universal
telecommunications;
• to organize the implementation of legal regulations on
telecommunications; and
• to carry out other State management missions in the telecommunications
sector as delegated by the Minister of Information & Communications.

b. Interconnection

Article 42 of the LOT provides general principles for interconnection between

networks. The basic principle is that all telecom enterprises are entitled to
connect with each other's networks and services in order to take advantage of
existing infrastructure. In other words, a telecommunications enterprise must
allow other telecoms enterprises to connect to its network or services.
Interconnection is based on negotiations intended to assure the equality, rights
and benefits of the parties as well as the rights and benefits of
telecommunications service users and related persons.

A facilities-based operator (FBO) is responsible for providing connection at any

point in the telecommunications network provided that it is technically feasible.
It should not discriminate in terms of charges, technical standards, network
quality or telecommunication services. The interconnection charges must be
calculated on the basis of market price, reasonably separate network components,
or service phases without distinguishing service forms. This is very much in line
with the content of the WTO Reference Paper regarding interconnection, which
says:

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 “2.2 Interconnection to be ensured Interconnection with a major supplier
will be ensured at any technically feasible point in the network. Such
interconnection is provided. under non-discriminatory terms, conditions
(including technical standards and specifications) and rates and of a
quality no less favourable than that provided for its own like services or for
like services of non-affiliated service suppliers or for its subsidiaries or
other affiliates; in a timely fashion, on terms, conditions (including
technical standards and specifications) and cost oriented rates that are
transparent, reasonable, having regard to economic feasibility, and
sufficiently unbundled so that the supplier need not pay for network
components or facilities that it does not require for the service to be
provided; and upon request, at points in addition to the network
termination points offered to the majority of users, subject to charges that
reflect the cost of construction of necessary additional facilities.”

A private network may connect to a public network based on a written contract

between a telecommunications enterprise and the owner of the private network.
A private network cannot directly connect to another private network without
the written consent of the TSMA.

c. Pricing

In its accession to the WTO, Vietnam committed to apply price controls in a WTO-
consistent fashion. The LOT stipulates the following principles for determining
telecommunications prices:
• to respect the rights of telecoms enterprises to determine the price and to
compete in terms of price;
• to ensure the legitimate rights and benefits of service users, telecoms
enterprises and the State;

73
 • to ensure fair competition and to perform telecoms activities for public
purposes; and
• to ensure equality and non-discrimination in the determination and
management of telecoms charges, except in cases designed to encourage
new enterprises to enter the market

Telecommunication charges will be calculated on the basis of:

• applicable policies and objectives of telecoms development; regulations on
price management and international treaties to which Vietnam is a
signatory;
• market price, market demand and supply, and an appropriate correlation
with telecoms charges of regional and international countries; and
• no cross compensation among telecommunication services.

A telecommunication enterprise may determine the prices of services that it

provides except the prices of services that must be determined by the State. On
13 May 2013, the MIC issued Circular 11/2013/TT-BTTTT promulgating the list
of telecommunications services whose actual prices and projected price must be
reported. They are:
• Terrestrial fixed telecommunications services: local phone services, data
transmission service, image transmission service, conference services,
local long distance phone services, international phone services, leased
line services, Internet connection services, Internet access services;
• Satellite fixed telecommunications services: phone services, data
transmission services, image transmission services, lease line services,
Internet access services;
• Terrestrial mobile telecommunications services: phone service, SMS and
MMS services, Internet access services (2G, 3G);

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 • Satellite mobile telecommunications services: phone services, data
transmission services, SMS and MMS services, Internet access services (2G,
3G);
• Services of Vinasat satellite system: band lease services, transponder lease
package.

d. Cross ownership

The State holds the controlling shares in telecoms enterprises that provide
facilities-based telecommunications services, which play an important role in
operating the national telecoms infrastructure and which have direct influence on
socio-economic development, national security, and defense.

In order to ensure fair competition, Decree 25 limits the percentage of charter

capital that an enterprise or an individual can own in enterprises that operate in
the same telecommunications services market. If an enterprise or individual
owns more than 20% of the charter capital or shares in a telecommunications
enterprise, it is not allowed to own concurrently more than 20% of the charter
capital or shares in another enterprise in the same telecommunications market.
Such restrictions, however, only apply to terrestrial mobile communications
services as listed in Circular 10/2012/TT-BTTTT of the MIC dated 10 July 2013.

e. Competition issues

In accordance with the principles set forth in the WTO Basics

Telecommunications Agreement and the Reference Paper, a new provision on
competition in the telecommunication business is stipulated in Article 19 of the
LOT. Specifically, telecommunication enterprises are prohibited from engaging in
practices that restrain competition, and may not commit unfair/unhealthy
competition acts. In addition, any enterprise or group of enterprises in a

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dominant market position, as well as telecommunication enterprises controlling
‘essential facilities’, shall be prohibited from engaging in the following practices:
• carrying out cross compensation of telecommunications services in order
to engage in unfair competition; using its advantage in terms of its
network and essential means in order to hinder market access or to cause
limitations and difficulties to other telecoms enterprises;
• using information obtained from other telecoms enterprises in order to
engage in unfair competition; and
• not timely providing other telecoms enterprises with technical
information of essential means and commercial information necessary for
them to provide telecommunications services
Essential facilities, as defined in Article 3.19 of the LOT, are important parts of the
telecoms infrastructure which is exclusively or largely held by one or some
telecoms enterprises in the telecoms market and it is economically or technically
infeasible to establish new parts of the telecoms infrastructure to replace them.

A telecoms enterprise, a group of telecoms enterprises that dominate the

telecoms market, or a telecoms enterprise holding essential facilities are required
to keep separate statistics and accounting records for the telecommunications
services they provide in order to determine the cost of telecommunications
services for competition purposes. Telecom enterprises that together have a
market share ranging from 30% to 50%, after shares are consolidated, must
notify the TSMA prior to economic concentration. If the market share exceeds
50%, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) will accept the exemption upon
receipt of MIC's exemption acceptance.

The TSMA is responsible for settling telecommunications competition cases

within 30 days from the date of receipt of a dossier. Although, the parties in a
competition case must comply with the TSMA's decision, they may appeal the
decision if they do not agree with it. On 15 November 2012, the MIC issued
76
Circular 18/2012/TT-BTTTT on a List of Dominant Telecoms Enterprises, Groups
of Telecoms Enterprises. This initiative, however, was considered by the
competition authorities to be not consistent with the approach of the VCL, since
market definition is supposed to be a much more complex exercise which takes
into account several factors and market dynamics, including technological
changes, new market entries, regulatory barriers, etc. As a result, whether an
enterprise should be considered as a dominant business in a market should be
determined on a case-to case basis and should not rely on a predetermined list.

3. Vietnam Telecom: Policies, Regulations and Plans

• Promote competition (Participation of private sector). Manage the cross
ownership in the telecom market; Develop and implement the proposed
scheme on mobile number portability (MNP)
• The Government will regulate carefully the universal services
• Telecom Rare Resources will be managed following the market economy
mechanism, some could be assigned through Beauty Contest and Auction
• Telecoms Tariff: equivalent to the neighboring countries in the region
• Licensing: No limit of the number of licenses (If Telecom Rare Resource
could be planed)
• Enhancing the Post Regulation: Telecoms service charges, Quality of
services etc.,
• Strengthening the Competition Regulation in the Telecom market
• Make the passive telecom infrastructure schemes
• License of passive telecom infrastructure installations: Transparent and
simple procedures
• Promoting the telecom infrastructure sharing” The essential and passive
telecoms infrastructures., etc
• Promoting the inter-industries infrastructure sharing: Transport, energy,
water supply and other technical infrastructures
77
 • Strengthening the under-ground telecoms cables: The safety of people, the
good-looking of cities

The decision of Prime Minister approved the Project “Bring Vietnam to a

strong country of ICT”:
Set-up the broadband telecom of televisions
• 2020: the most hamlets use the broadband telecom infrastructures. The
mobile broadband services to 95% of inhabitants
• 2015: 20-30% households: have computers and access broadband
internet. >90% of households: use the televisions, 80% can receive the
digital television
• 2020: 50-60% households: have the computers and access broadband
internet. The most of households: use the televisions and receive the
digital television

Vietnam permits foreign participation in the telecommunications sector, with

varying equity limitations depending on the sub-sector (there are five basic and
eight value added sub-sectors). Foreign ownership in private networks is
permitted up to 70%, while foreign ownership in facility-based basic services (eg,
public voice service where the supplier owns its transmission facilities) is
generally capped at 49%.

78
 C. CONCLUSION
During the last decade, the telecommunications sector of Vietnam has developed
dramatically. Regulations have been promulgated to try to keep pace with market
changes. Various matters, however, have still not been addressed or have been
inadequately addressed. Procedures and conditions to obtain licenses are not yet
standardized.

This poses a challenge to both local and foreign telecommunications investors. Under
its commitments to the WTO, Vietnam pledged to open the local market to foreign
investors. This gives customers access to higher quality telecommunications services
at competitive prices. Various commercial arrangements between foreign investors and
local telecommunications enterprises have indeed been executed. However, due to
various practical factors, access to foreign investors has not reached the level
permissible by Vietnam’s commitments to WTO. Certain foreign investors (e.g.
VimpelCom, SK Telecoms) have left Vietnam market.

The new Law on Telecommunications is expected to create a more transparent

environment for activities in the telecommunications sector and to help Vietnam reach
its goal of becoming one of the leaders of the ASEAN countries in technology and
telecommunications by 2020.

79
REFERENCE
• Opportunity,https://www.vietnambusiness.tv/technology/316/the-
opportunity-for-foreign-investors-in-vietnam-s-telecom-industry
https://en.vcci.com.vn/four-mobile-companies-strike-deal-for-sharing-
telecom-infrastructure

• Market Structure, http://www.cuts-geneva.org/pdf/TAF087_good-

practice-telecom-regulations_Vietnam.pdf

http://www.antconsult.vn/wp-content/uploads/Vietnam-
telecommunications-Report-_19052011_BMI.pdf

• Telecommunications equipment and services,

https://www.globaltrade.net/f/market-
research/text/Vietnam/Telecommunications-Wireless-
Telecommunications-Telecommunications-Equipment-and-Services-in-
Vietnam.html

• Infrastructure, https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/overview/wired-
digital-content-gains-popularity-operators-are-bolstering-infrastructure-
and-introducing-new
https://www.techsciresearch.com/news/2692-vietnam-telecom-
infrastructure-market-to-surpass-10-billion-by-2022.html

• FDI policy in Vietnam, https://vietnaminsider.vn/foreign-direct-

investment-policy-in-vietnam/

• Competition analysis,
http://workshops.vnta.gov.vn/imageUpload/T%C3%A0i%20li%E1%BB
%87u%20HT/QLCANHTRANH102017/C%E1%BA%A1nh%20tranh%20
Eng%2031-10.pdf

• DPRK cooperate with Viettel, https://vietnamnews.vn/politics-

laws/506331/dprk-wants-to-cooperate-with-viettel-in-
telecommunication.html
80
• Relationship between Vietnam and South Korea,
http://www.allfinancejournal.com/article/view/21/1-2-23

• Cisco Systems, https://www.vault.com/company-profiles/computer-

hardware/cisco-systems-inc

• Extreme Networks, https://www.vault.com/company-profiles/computer-

hardware/extreme-networks-inc

https://extreme.com.vn/thiet-bi-mang-khong-day/

• Juniper, https://www.vault.com/company-profiles/computer-
hardware/juniper-networks-inc

https://juniper.vn/san-pham

• HPE, https://www.vault.com/company-profiles/computer-
hardware/aruba-networks-inc

https://arubavietnam.com/collections/all?vendor=ARUBA

• Internet and Telecommunication,

https://english.mic.gov.vn/Pages/ChuyenMuc/PhanTrang/1320/4/Inter
net-and-Telecommunications.html

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