Mobile charges to keep falling

VGP – The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) recently reiterated its intention to manage mobile telecommunication charges in line with market mechanism.

March 10, 2009 2:10 PM GMT+7

Mobile charges will be adjusted to the same levels in neighboring countries - Illustration photo

The decision was declared in a recent seminar on telecommunication fees held by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Hà Nội.

Representatives of MIC affirmed that mobile fees will be adjusted asymptotic to the levels in neighboring countries, such as China and Thailand.

In addition, Việt Nam pledged to encourage competitiveness in the domestic telecommunications market where all players can get involved.

The mobile charges will be managed with a market mechanism. Specifically, some activities like applying for 3G license, upgrading transmission network, and providing SIM cards will be conducted through examinations and auctions.

It is reported that, last year, mobile telephone charge per minute in Việt Nam plummeted to US $0.07, lower than in developed countries, for example Belgium (US $0.23), UK (US $0.19), and France (US $0.17).

Nevertheless, taking into consideration of per capita income, the rate is relatively high, even higher than in many Asian countries, such as Thailand (US $0.05), Pakistan (US $0.04), China (US $0.03) and India (US $0.02).

By Kim Anh