The Year of the Buffalo will be the year for the Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group to set an ambitious target: a high growth rate and a revenue of VND60 trillion (US$3.5 billion).

The group will cont-inue to expand and modernise the country’s telecom infrastructure and develop its fixed tele-phone lines, mobile network and broadband service.

However, this will be a tough year for the telecommunications sector due to the global economic downturn. Comp-etition will be fierce since the Government implemented its open policy for foreign competitors in information technology and communications.

Meanwhile, the group will continue to cut call charges as required by the country’s commitments to the World Trade Organisation, according to VNPT spokesman Bui Quoc Viet.

He said the group maintained a high growth last year despite economic difficulties.

The group earned nearly VND55.5 trillion last year, an increase of 19 per cent against 2007, and made a contribution of over VND6.8 trillion to the State coffers.

Huge increase

In 2008, VNPT fixed phone subscribers reached nearly 22 million, an increase of 135 per cent over its projected numbers.

Last year , the group also expanded its mobile network coverage.

Apart from boosting investment in its core network, the group also focused on increasing investment in base transceiver stations (BTS) to popularise its services in both cities and rural areas.

VNPT made every effort to carry out a comprehensive plan to maintain its growth rate and reduce telecom charges.

Last September, the group cut charges on international outgoing calls by 50 per cent, bringing the country’s international outgoing call charges to the lowest level in the region.

Last year, the subscriber volume of mobile service providers Vinaphone and MobileFone, managed by the VNPT, reached 21 million. By the end of 2008, VNPT accounted for 60 per cent of the country’s mobile market share.

VNPT is responsible for 64 per cent of the country’s high-speed internet service and has 1.3 million internet subscribers.

(Source: VNS)