If VinaPhone and MobiFone overcome the ongoing test of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) for 3G service quality, they can withdraw 1.5 trillion dong ($789.5 million) in deposit money.

Pham Hong Hai, chief of the MoIC’s Telecommunications Department, said that the ministry’s inspectors have finalized their inspection of 3G service quality offered by VinaPhone and MobiFone, two subsidiaries of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT). The result will be announced very soon.

If the two mobile operators meet MoIC’s standards, they will be allowed to withdraw 50 percent of their deposits for the 3G networks, totaling 1.5 trillion dong.

After VinaPhone and MobiFone, the MoIC will test the 3G network of Viettel and then EVN Telecom-Hanoi Telecom.

In case mobile operators don’t meet their 3G license commitments, they will be fined.

According to their commitments, in the next three years, MobiFone, VinaPhone, Viettel and EVN Telecom-Hanoi Telecom will invest more than 33 trillion dong ($1.73 billion) in their 3G networks, which have a total of 30,000 base transceiver stations (BTS). They have deposited 8.1 trillion dong ($426.3 million) to the MoIC. They can withdraw the deposit after three years if they don’t break their commitment.

The current revenue from 3G service is said to be low, but experts believe that mobile operators can regain their investment after eight years. With 15-year 3G licenses, they can earn a lot of profit, experts said.

Ha Phuong - vietnamnet