Viettel to deploy 3G network by year-end

Vietnamese news source Thanh Nien Daily is reporting that military-owned telco Viettel will deploy HSPA mobile infrastructure for its 3G network by the end of 2009. According to CommsUpdate, Chinese equipment vendor Huawei was selected by the Vietnamese operator in May 2009 to build the W-CDMA/HSPA network. The vendor will construct more than 2,000 base stations in southern Vietnam. According to the report, Viettel has also said that customers in both densely populated and remote areas where cable broadband infrastructure is limited will have access to wireless broadband services, multimedia services and high quality content. Viettel was awarded a licence to operate 3G services by the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) in April 2009, along with Vinaphone, MobiFone and a consortium between EVN Telecom and Hanoi Telecom, which will build and develop a 3G network together. The quartet were given three months to develop third-generation wireless services under the 15-year licences.