Vietnam - Mobile Communications, Mobile Operators, and Forecasts

Synopsis

Vietnam’s mobile market has grown strongly over the last decade, evidence that the competition model the government has put in place, although limited initially, worked. In 2011, however, as mobile penetration headed towards the improbable level of 200% the market started to stall. Demand had dropped and growth slowed significantly over a six month period. It will be interesting to see how this plays out with the country’s mobile operators very keen to remain competitive and at least maintain market share. The competitive nature of the market is due in no small part to it being opened up to new players, importantly including some with no involvement of the state-owned VNPT. Inevitably though the overcrowded market must rationalise and that process has begun with the takeover of EVN Telecom by Viettel (with effect from January 2012). As with most other Asian mobile markets, growth in Vietnam was boosted by the early introduction of prepaid mobile services and prepaid remains a vital component of the business today. By end-2011 Vietnam’s mobile phone service providers could claim around 165 million subscribers, representing a national penetration of over 180%. The government has issued four 3G licences and the involved operators have since rolled out networks, signalling what will probably be the market’s next phase in its development.

In this report we provide an overview of the country’s mobile market and the major mobile players; the report also includes scenario forecasts for mobile subscriber growth to 2015 and 2020.

Key developments:

The mobile market in Vietnam has been booming; annual subscriber growth typically between 50% and 100%; a downturn in demand hit the market in 2011; the seven operators continue to fuel a highly competitive situation; Viettel successfully took control of rival operator EVN Telecom at the start of 2012; the roll out of 3G networks has been moving quickly; the regulator had authorised operators to launch trial 4G/LTE networks; the market is waiting on the government’s next move in part privatising the two state-owned mobile operators, Mobifone and Vinaphone.

Companies covered in this report include:

VNPT; Vinaphone; Mobifone; Viettel; S-Fone; EVN Telecom; Vietnamobile (Hanoi Telecom); GTel Mobile (Beeline).

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Mobile communications
  • 2.1 Vietnam’s mobile market
    • 2.1.1 Overview
    • 2.1.2 Background
    • 2.1.3 Viettel takeover of EVN Telecom
    • 2.1.4 Mobile statistics
    • 2.1.5 Regulatory issues
    • 2.1.6 Tariffs and revenue
    • 2.1.7 Market restructuring: Equitisation
    • 2.1.8 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
    • 2.1.9 Handset manufacture
  • 2.2 Forecasts – mobile services – 2015; 2020
  • 2.3 Mobile technologies
    • 2.3.1 GSM and CDMA
    • 2.3.2 Third Generation (3G) services
    • 2.3.3 4G / Long Term Evolution (LTE)
  • 2.4 Mobile voice services
    • 2.4.1 Prepaid
    • 2.4.2 Registration of prepaid services
  • 2.5 Mobile data services
    • 2.5.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
    • 2.5.2 Multimedia Message Service (MMS)
    • 2.5.3 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
    • 2.5.4 Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE)
    • 2.5.5 International remittances
  • 2.6 Mobile applications
• 3. Major mobile operators
  • 3.1 VNPT
  • 3.2 Mobifone
    • 3.2.1 Overview
    • 3.2.2 Corporate structure
    • 3.2.3 Network development
  • 3.3 Vinaphone
    • 3.3.1 Overview
    • 3.3.2 Corporate structure
    • 3.3.3 Network development
  • 3.4 S-Fone (S-Telecom)
  • 3.5 Viettel
    • 3.5.1 Overview
    • 3.5.2 Network development
  • 3.6 EVN Telecom (formerly VP Telecom)
    • 3.6.1 Overview
    • 3.6.2 Development of 3G
    • 3.6.3 Fixed wireless service
    • 3.6.4 Internet services
  • 3.7 Vietnamobile (formerly Hutchison Vietnam/HT Mobile)
  • 3.8 GTel Mobile (Beeline)
• 4. Notes on scenario forecasts
• 5. Related reports

• Table 1 – Mobile subscribers – 1995 - 2012
• Table 2 – Mobile operators, subscribers and annual change – 2010
• Table 3 – Mobile subscribers and market share by operator – 2010
• Table 4 – Mobile services revenue – 1993 - 2010
• Table 5 – Mobile services sector estimated ARPU – 1998 - 2010
• Table 6 – Forecast mobile subscribers and penetration rates – 2015; 2020
• Table 7 – 3G mobile subscribers by operator – March 2010
• Table 8 –VNPT subscribers – 1998 - 2010
• Table 9 – Mobifone subscribers – 1998 - 2010
• Table 10 – Vinaphone subscribers – 1998 - 2010
• Table 11 – S-Fone subscribers – 2003 - 2010
• Table 12 – Viettel subscribers – 2004 - 2011
• Table 13 – EVN Telecom subscribers – 2006 - 2010
• Table 14 – HT Mobile (CDMA) subscribers – 2006 - 2009
• Table 15 – Vietnamobile (GSM) subscribers – 2009 - 2010
• Table 16 – Beeline subscribers – 2009 - 2011

• Chart 1 – Mobile subscribers and annual change – 2000 - 2012