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Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung speaks at the working session with MobiFone. Photo: Le Son

MobiFone will focus on 5G strategy

On June 13, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung and leaders of functional units of the Ministry of Information and Communications visited and worked with MobiFone.

At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Hong Hien, Chairman of MobiFone, said that 2024 is a pivotal year for MobiFone in the context of traditional telecommunications services declining and having to open up new growth spaces. This is also the year MobiFone will move to 5G and must ensure efficiency when investing in new technology. MobiFone will build a 5G ecosystem and combine partners to develop new business and service models.

At the same time, he put forward MobiFone's motto: "maintain telecommunications, attack new spaces", shift from scale development to substantial development, and improve APRU (revenue per customer).

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Mr. Nguyen Hong Hien, Chairman of MobiFone, said that 2024 is a pivotal year for MobiFone in the context of traditional telecommunications services declining and having to open up new growth spaces. Photo: Le Son

Reporting to the working delegation of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Mr. To Manh Cuong, General Director of MobiFone, said that despite many challenges, MobiFone's business results in the first 5 months of 2024 were positive, with new services targeting young people growing well.

MobiFone's General Director said that the network has restructured and is establishing a steering committee to implement it, and the company will continue to equitize according to the Government's roadmap.

MobiFone's goal is to continue developing MVNOs (mobile virtual networks), develop and restructure its sales channels and open more channels to improve customer experience.

“As soon as the Ministry of Information and Communications promoted 5G, MobiFone changed its strategy and focused on this technology. MobiFone is determined to promote 5G after having the frequency. While waiting for the frequency auction, MobiFone has built an investment project and built transmission lines for 5G. We are determined to invest heavily in 5G,” said Mr. To Manh Cuong.

Also at the meeting, Mr. To Manh Cuong proposed to cross-check more information fields with the population database of the Ministry of Public Security. There is still a phenomenon of international fee fraud to Vietnam affecting network operators, so he suggested that the Ministry of Information and Communications handle this issue.

MobiFone also proposed a mechanism for registering SIM information to make it more convenient for foreign tourists and for mobile subscribers to register personal information online. MobiFone's General Director proposed that there should be full legal regulations for MVNO (mobile virtual network) for this model to develop.

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Mr. To Manh Cuong, General Director of MobiFone, said that despite many challenges, MobiFone's business results in the first 5 months of 2024 were positive. Photo: Le Son.

Regarding infrastructure development in localities, MobiFone proposed that the Ministry of Information and Communications remove difficulties when the network operator has to develop base stations to deploy 5G technology. The Ministry of Information and Communications supports MobiFone in consulting with localities on land lease for IDCs in the coming time; Consider promoting network operators to share infrastructure for 5G, allowing network operators to share 5G frequency bands to ensure investment capital. In addition, the Ministry of Information and Communications consults with relevant ministries and branches on a special salary mechanism for enterprises that are converting technology, because currently the salary for MobiFone's staff is lower than that of other corporations operating in the same field.

Removing difficulties for MobiFone

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung requested that functional units of the Ministry of Information and Communications respond clearly to MobiFone's recommendations and have a deadline to handle these recommendations.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Huy Dung said that MobiFone's changes last year have had results; Regarding the proposal on salary mechanism, the Ministry of Information and Communications will consult with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs on MobiFone's special salary mechanism.

Suggestions for development, . In addition, MobiFone is interested in building a department related to public policy, in order to have a better legal basis for its operations.

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Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung and leaders of functional units of the Ministry of Information and Communications visited and worked with MobiFone. Photo: Le Son.

“I expect every MobiFone customer to be able to install the Mobiedu application and every subscriber to have a personal digital signature on My MobiFone. MobiFone needs to solve the big problem of improving the APRU index in the context that this index in Vietnam is relatively low. MobiFone needs to develop strongly in IoT to become the leading network operator in Vietnam in terms of smart devices. MobiFone also needs to prepare human resources to develop the AI ​​field because this will be an opportunity to change the market," Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Huy Dung emphasized.

At the meeting, a representative of the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) said that VNNIC evaluates the Internet speed of network operators and requested MobiFone to coordinate to deploy the iSpeed ​​tool for customers to measure the speed of network operators.

The representative of the Information Security Department said that when MobiFone attacks new space, the issue of network security is a matter of concern because it can affect the data of tens of millions of customers. MobiFone must have a backup system to ensure data security in all situations.

Regarding MobiFone's proposal on frequency, Mr. Tran Manh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Radio Frequency Department, said that the Ministry of Information and Communications has recently conducted two successful auctions of 5G frequency bands. In the near future, the Ministry will conduct a 5G frequency band auction before July 10, 2024; After that, the 700 MHz band will be auctioned in October 2024 to cover remote areas. In addition, the Ministry of Information and Communications will re-allocate the 900 MHz band for another 2 years and will conduct this frequency auction after September 2026.

Regarding the handling of junk SIMs and junk calls, Mr. Do Huu Tri, Deputy Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Information and Communications, said that there is currently a situation where junk calls are transferred to landline numbers. If businesses see that junk calls originate from a landline number, they will proactively handle it with the fixed-line service provider or transfer it to the Ministry Inspectorate for handling. Currently, the situation of using junk SIMs to scam people is still common in cyberspace. Businesses must determine the origin of junk SIMs from which agent to handle it thoroughly.

Ms. Tran Thi Quoc Hien, Deputy Director of the Department of Digital Transformation, said that MobiFone proposed to adjust the assessment and recognition of the national digital platform and the Department will consider this proposal.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuc, Director of the Department of Telecommunications, said that the Department has received many complaints from the Departments of Information and Communications about fake subscribers using junk SIMs. The Minister has issued an ultimatum to suspend the development of subscribers of the network if junk SIMs are detected and requested MobiFone to seriously implement this issue.

Regarding the issue of 2G waves, the Ministry of Information and Communications has provided guidance to businesses. By September 2024, businesses must switch all 2G only subscribers to 3G and 4G.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuc also said that managing subscriber information requires cross-checking the population database and possibly expanding the cross-checking information field. Therefore, MobiFone needs to submit a written proposal to the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Public Security on this issue. MobiFone is the first network operator to propose a mechanism for registering information for tourist subscribers, so a specific report is needed. According to the new Telecommunications Law that will soon take effect, network operators will be allowed to register personal information online.

Regarding the proposal on the MVNO model, Mr. Phuc said that the decree guiding the Telecommunications Law has provisions on licensing virtual mobile networks. Regarding wholesale and retail regulations, there are provisions in the circular allowing network operators to proactively choose the forms when cooperating with MVNOs.