VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association complained that the 3G service fee increases have neutralized the journey monitoring devices attached to vehicles. Viettel has denied this.

The association has sent a document to the Ministry of Transport and relevant ministries, complaining that the devices have stopped operation because of the 3G service fee increases.

Transport firms have installed journey monitoring devices which allow to report the vehicles’ operation to local transport departments as requested by the Decree 91.

Most of the devices use 3G simcard and Laptop40, Mi10, Laptop Easy service packages for which the vehicles’ owners have to pay VND10,000-40,000 a month. As Viettel has raised the service fee, the subscribers have run out of money quickly, which means that most of the devices have stopped operation.

According to the association, by October 21, 2013, tens of thousands of journey monitoring devices had reportedly stopped operation. This means that thousands of transport firms are in the danger of losing the control over their vehicles, and tens of thousands of vehicle drivers are likely to be fined by VND2.5 million and have driving licensed revoked for 30 days as stipulated by the Decree 71.

The Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association proposed the Ministries of Transport and Public Security not to punish the vehicles which have stopped journey monitoring devices.

It has also called on Viettel to keep the 3G service fees unchanged to help transport firms overcome the current big economic difficulties.

The document by the transport firms’ association has immediately caught the special attention from public which has shown their dissatisfaction about the telcos’ move to raise the 3G service fees.

Telcos’ have even been accused of colluding with each other to raise the service fees, a behavior which is believed to violate the competition law. Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai in person has commanded relevant ministries to take probe over the case to find out if the telcos’ violate the laws.

As such, Viettel has been considered the “culprit” which has caused troubles to tens of thousands of vehicles in circulation.

Nevertheless, Viettel has denied this, affirming that it does not raise the fees of the 3G services for monitoring vehicles.

Viettel began providing V-tracking, the vehicle monitoring service in early 2011 and has got 15,000 subscribers. Viettel now provides six post-paid service packages, namely Dbiz 15, Dbiz 35, Dbiz 50, Dbiz 80, Dbiz 120, Dbiz 300.

Transport firms can choose one of the service packages which have the fees of VND15,000 at minimum. These are the specific service packages designed to fit the users’ purposes. Especially, Viettel offer preferential service fees for the packages, according to Pham Thi Thanh Van, Deputy General Director of VIettel.

Van went on to say that in an effort to help transport firms ease their difficulties, Viettel decided not to raise the fees of the six data services provided to the firms

According to Van, the vehicle owners who bear the service fee increases are those, who spontaneously used normal D-com simcards to use for the vehicle monitoring purpose.

She has advised businesses which have the demand for data services for positioning or Internet access to use specific services to save their money.

Buu Dien