Synopsis
Having come late to the internet, Vietnam has only recently been exploring the possibilities to be found in higher access speeds. The initial roll-out of some broadband services has been followed by a strong surge in growth, but broadband remains on a relatively small scale and in need of a stronger market focus by the providers. Given that there are signs of an increasingly Internet savvy population, it will be interesting to see to what extent wireless broadband including services such as WiMAX are embraced by the market. Interestingly, the government has been particularly active in the development of cyber laws, no doubt because of its deeply ingrained political culture of central control. This report looks at the development of broadband in Vietnam, as well as providing some general background on the country’s internet market; it also presents some information on the embryonic e-commerce market.
Key developments:
The broadband market has started to grow strongly, although it experience a setback in early 2011; wireless broadband services are increasingly popular at the expense of the fixed broadband services, especially DSL; 3G broadband services are filling a major portion of the demand for broadband on the back of lower tariffs and mobility.
Companies covered in this report include:
VNPT; Vietnam Datacommunications Company (VDC); FPT Telecom; SaiGonNet; NetNam; Vietnam Television Technology Investment and Development Company (VTC).