VietNamNet Bridge – Results of the survey on the quality of mobile networks in Vietnam released by Buu dien (Post) newspaper has raised the opposition of many mobile service providers who believe that the survey was not conducted using a reliable scientific method. They believe  that the result should not be announced at the end of the year, a sensitive time for service providers.

Who is the best?

The survey, conducted on 3200 mobile phone subscribers in Hanoi and HCM City, has found out that MobiFone has the best service quality. The mobile service provider was rated 3.92/5  by pre-paid subscribers and 3.95/5 by post-paid subscribers. Meanwhile, Viettel ranks the second in terms of the quality provided with ratings of 3.85 and 3.88 , respectively. VinaPhone ranks the third with 3.83 and 3.72, respectively.

MobiFone was also revealed to be the network that most people (28.3 percent) recommend to their relatives and friends. Viettel ranks second with 25.6 percent.

As for the question which network people will choose if they wish to  have an additional subscription, most of polled people choose Viettel over MobiFone, VinaPhone, Vietnamobile and Beeline.  When asked which network they will choose if they are allowed to keep the same subscription number people chose Viettel first, followed by MobiFone, VinaPhone and VIetnamobile.

This is the first time a survey has been conducted on the feelings of users about the quality of Vietnam’s 3G services. MobiFone is leading in terms of wave quality, transmission speed and information security. Meanwhile, Viettel is leading in terms of reasonable service fees, and VinaPhone is leading in terms of the capability to calculate charges accurately.

Unreliable survey?

Right after the release of the results, mobile service providers voiced their disagreement with the findings. Representative of Viettel said that the survey was only conducted in two big cities Hanoi and HCM City, therefore, the findings does not reflect the true quality of Vietnam’s mobile phone network.

Representative from Vietnamobile shared the same view with Viettel, saying that every network has its specific goals and business strategies. “As for my network, Hanoi and HCM City are not the two main cities. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider the survey,” he said.

The survey was conducted in Hanoi and HCM City in November and December 2010, where 50 questions were raised to 3200 people. The survey’s result will be referenced when considering the VICTA 2010 award organized by Buu dien newspaper.

Explaining why the survey was only conducted in Hanoi and HCM City, Buu dien said that these are the two biggest cities in the country, where the intellectual standards of people are high. Local residents in the two cities have high income levels, therefore, they always demand a high quality of services.

The explanation has faced strong opposition from mobile service providers, who say that residents in other localities, including rural areas, also demand high quality of services. Therefore, the above said conclusion is groundless.

Representative from the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group VNPT said that now does not seem to be the right time to announce the survey results because it is high business season for enterprises, and the survey’s will badly affect their business.

Declining to say if the result of the survey is reliable or not, Nguyen Duc Trung, Deputy Director of the Information Technology and Communication Quality Management under the Ministry of Information and Communication, said that it is necessary to have reasonable surveying methods and it is necessary to explain the method to the public. Besides, the survey should take samples from different localities, not only in Hanoi or HCM City.

“If the survey had been conducted in mountainous areas, Viettel would have been ranked the first,” Trung said.

Meanwhile, Buu dien has tried to reassure the public that the survey just aims to find the feelings of consumers, and that this would be just a small factor that the VICTA 2010’s organization board will take into consideration to give awards.

CV