The Ministry of Information and Communications has permitted GTel, a Vietnamese – Russian joint venture, to set up and supply fixed phone service in Vietnam.

Seventh mobile network licensed

GTel has become the 9^th provider of fixed phone service in Vietnam, besides the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), Viettel, EVN Telecom, Saigon Postel, FPT Telecom, VTC Group and CMC.

This service is not very lucrative as investments must be huge, but capital recall is slow. Vietnam currently has 14 million fixed phone subscribers, with 13 million belonging to VNPT.

GTel presently runs the Beeline mobile network, which was launched last July 2009.

Vietnam’s Global Telecom Corporation under the Ministry of Public Security holds a 60 percent stake in GTel Mobile, with VimpelCom holding the remainder.

Beeline is the brand name used in Russia by VimpelCom, the country’s second largest cell phone operator. It has 62.7 million subscribers in Russia and Eastern Europe.

PV