VietNamNet Bridge – The three largest mobile networks in Vietnam – Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone – are fined VND30 million ($1,500) each. More than 37,000 subscribers in HCM City who supplied false information have been suspended.
Le Manh Ha, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Information and Technology told a meeting on December 27, that these networks were fined for violating regulations on managing mobile subscribers.

“They did not obey the rules on receiving and registering personal information for pre-paid mobile service users,” Ha said.

The official asked telecom service providers to stop providing mobile services to subscribers who registered the services with false information.

He also requested competent agencies to conduct periodical check to prevent such violations. “If mobile networks continue to violate the rules, they will be punished severely,” Ha stressed.

Earlier, the HCM City Department of Information and Communications detected 37,288 mobile subscribers who registered services with wrong information, including 28,836 subscribers of Viettel, 9,5652 of Vinaphone and 3,800 of MobiFone.

These service providers failed to verify information provided by their subscribers. Their agents sold simcards which had been already registered with false information to users.

HCM City has around 16.8 million mobile subscribers, including nearly 15 million who use pre-paid services.

Mai Chi