Although not yet officially in operation, Viettel mobile network has had a strong "push" in the mobile market with its billing methods. In the document submitted to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (now the Ministry of Information and Communications) in July 2004, Viettel mobile network fees are calculated in 6-second blocks and the maximum text message fee is 400 VND/message. In addition, Viettel also issued a new package for postpaid subscribers, with 6 customer groups of families, agencies, organizations, low-income people... enjoying preferential rates reduced by about 15% compared to the normal rate. These policies were approved by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and officially took effect from August 1, 2004.
Block calls When customers make calls, the Online Charging System (OCS) will calculate the fee according to each updated time period, called blocks. The shorter the block, the closer the customer's call time is to reality. Before 2004, Vietnamese network operators often calculated blocks by the minute (60 seconds), customers who only called for a few seconds were rounded up to 1 minute. Calculating by shorter blocks (currently 6 1 second blocks) helps customers save money that is "rounded" by the block. |
At that time, network operators in Vietnam using GSM technology were still calculating by 1-minute blocks (60 seconds), Sfone network calculated by 10-second blocks. Viettel was the first network operator to calculate mobile charges by 6-second blocks. The breakthrough immediately attracted public attention, creating a wave in the press. According to experts' calculations, this method of calculating charges helps reduce customers' monthly bills by 10-15%. In 2006, Viettel and Sfone were the first two network operators to implement charging by 6-1 blocks. In June 2006, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications decided to allow all telecommunications services, both mobile and fixed, of network operators in Vietnam to be calculated by 6-1 blocks. The fact that all network operators calculate charges by 6-1 blocks helps reduce telecommunications costs in a way that benefits customers when "calling for each second, paying for each second". This makes mobile services more accessible to the majority of people, increases the telecommunications penetration rate, and initiates a period of explosive growth. Most importantly, the application of this billing method has helped customers save money for the time they do not make calls, creating goodwill in the hearts of customers. Free first call of the day From September 20 to November 3, 2005, Viettel announced a special promotion to celebrate its first year of official business called "One year of joint efforts, three common joys". Accordingly, all new customers will be given free calls within the network for the first 24 hours. At the same time, all active subscribers will be given free calls within the network of the day, with no time limit. The "big play" immediately shocked the telecommunications market because no network operator had ever "played big" like that before. In 2006, mobile phone rates were still a significant expense for the majority of Vietnamese people. Each short call can be equivalent to… a bowl of pho. Customers still only use mobile phones for important, urgent communications. Being able to chat for free gives many customers an unprecedented experience: chatting with relatives far away is no longer just a brief announcement, asking about the situation quickly, but has truly become a channel to share confidences, connecting distant feelings. 
The increasing interest of customers has caused Viettel's mobile network to be congested at times. It is estimated that there were 50 - 55 million free calls with billions of 6-second blocks made by customers during the promotion period. Despite the strong pressure on the technical team, and receiving many complaints about network congestion, the program really made a big splash in the market. Talking to the press about this special program, Major General Tong Viet Trung, former Director of Viettel Mobile at that time, affirmed: "The purpose of Viettel Mobile is to increase the value of technology, making technology increasingly closer and serving life better". "Forever calling" package Tomato If infrastructure is a breakthrough that brings advantages to Viettel in terms of coverage and network quality, the Tomato package is a breakthrough in business policy. On January 16, 2007, Viettel Mobile officially announced a prepaid package called Tomato, which allows customers to use mobile phones at a monthly cost of 0 VND. Sharing with the press, Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, currently Head of Strategy Department of the Military Industry and Telecommunications Group - also the author of the Tomato package when he was Deputy Director of Viettel Mobile, said: "The Tomato package is really successful - a source of pride for Viettel people. Because up to now it has become a mass package" and is called by many customers with the familiar name "Forever calling package". 
In the years 2004 - 2007, mobile phones created a consumer trend in Vietnam. However, the market lacked competition, so buying a phone was easy, but "maintaining" it monthly was difficult. Expensive telecommunications fees were a big obstacle, especially in rural, mountainous, remote areas. Many people did not dare to use mobile phones, mainly because they were afraid of having to spend a large amount of money every month to maintain the service. The idea of a new package with no time limit for use, using mobile phones for 0 VND was quickly approved by Viettel's leadership. If successful, this would be a pioneering breakthrough in the mobile market. Other carriers are focusing on more economical features, deducting daily fees, or monthly packages. No product has broken the fear of time of use. The name Tomato is also a point of heated debate among Viettel's leadership. Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung said that after many seminars, he chose the tomato image option. In English, the word "tomato" can be arranged in the same way, implying the infinity of usage time. This familiar, rustic agricultural product also has the meaning of being popular, familiar to the people, dispelling the prejudice that "mobile phones are only for the rich". This option also had to be defended three times before being approved. The leadership also asked the question: Is such an image suitable for a telecommunications service? Is it suitable for a military enterprise? Finally, the group received a nod from the leadership with the message: "Let's try it to see how creativity and difference are expressed?" The Tomato package was quickly accepted by customers, contributing to the telecommunications boom that followed. As of 2018, Tomato customers accounted for 90% of Viettel's total mobile subscribers. Customers of this package are quite diverse, from very low users to high income earners, when they see the convenience and comfort they also choose it.| Those initial simple innovations helped Viettel Mobile become closer to life, attracting more and more Vietnamese people to use it. Later, when it became the leading mobile network in the market, Viettel continued to constantly create "unique tricks" to give incentives to customers. A typical example is the program "Receive calls and get money" in 2007, customers were given 100 VND for every minute of receiving a call. The policy caused a "storm" because it went against all strategies and principles in the telecommunications business, but won the hearts of customers because it came from the interests of customers, serving the people. |
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