Inactive MVNOs face licence cancellation

Dong Duong Telecom and VTC Telecom will have their mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) licences revoked if they fail to roll out services soon, reports Vietnam Business News. Pham Hong Hai, head of the Ministry of Information and Communications’ (MIC’s) telecom department, said it had forwarded documents requiring the two firms to report on their delay in launching wireless services. ‘Last year, the department got the order to recall MVNO licences of these firms but did not do so since [they] delivered reasonable explanations,’ said Hai, adding that the revocation of the licences would be inevitable if the companies fail to report any progress. According to the report, Dong Duong Telecom and VTC Telecom have encountered problems agreeing terms on infrastructure sharing with existing network operators; Dong Duong Telecom has yet to reach an agreement with Viettel on sharing 3G infrastructure, while VTC’s planned partner EVN Telecom was merged into Viettel earlier this year. TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database states that the MIC approved state-run Vietnam Multimedia Corporation’s (VTC’s) application to operate as an MVNO April 2009. VTC, which operates a number of multimedia related services and is a licensed WiMAX operator, was awarded its MVNO permit in June 2010 and pledged to launch services by the end of the year. In August 2009 the MIC granted a further MVNO licence to Dong Duong Telecom, which had said it planned to share 3G network facilities with military-owned Viettel and launch services in 1Q10.