VietNamNet Bridge – Mobile operators have been instructed to increase the quality of the services they provide after an industry survey revealed that 45 per cent of 3G subscribers were dissatisfied with service quality.

Customers are given information on Vinaphone's 3G service. An industry survey revealed that 45 per cent of 3G subscribers were dissatisfied with service quality.

The survey was carried out by the Viet Nam Post and Telecom newspapers and international market researcher Nielsen in Ha Noi, HCM City and Da Nang.

Speaking at the seminar on the trend of 3G in Viet Nam, Information and Communications Deputy Minister Le Nam Thang urged mobile carriers to prepare for a boom in the number of 3G users in the coming years.

Thang said the survey would help the ministry to better manage the mobile sector and give more benefits to mobile users.

The survey was compiled based on five catergories relating to the satisfaction of 3G users including connection quality, reputation of providers, tariffs and promotions, tariff packages and services.

Concerning the connection quality, 92 per cent of surveyed 3G users considered the speed of connection the most important factor, while 55 per cent were satisfied with the quality of 3G in 2012, down from 64 per cent in 2011.

Relating to the reputation of the network operator, 84 per cent of 3G users highly appreciated the reliability of their network operators while 75 per cent were satisfied with their creativity.

Meanwhile, 66 per cent of 3G users were satisfied with service tariffs, and 79 per cent thought billing accuracy was okay.

However, 22 per cent were displeased with the promotions they received.

About 40 per cent of 3G users said they weren't interested in tariff packages, but the same number of respondents said there should be more.

Relating to customer service, 14 per cent of 3G users were unsatisfied with the quality of service provided, while many complained about the capability of hotline staff.

The number of subscribers committed to using the service declined from 71 per cent in 2011 to 64 per cent in 2012, while the number who cancelled their subscriptions increased from 4 per cent to 6 per cent.

According to Information and Communications Deputy Minister Le Nam Thang, Viet Nam did not intend to encourage the application of 4G technology right now in order to ensure the investment efficiency of mobile network operators.

Thang said the ministry would delay licensing mobile operators to provide fourth generation network services until at least 2015, after service providers carried out test runs and an assessment of market demand was conducted.

According to the ministry, Viet Nam had 16 million 3G subscribers out of its 123 million mobile phone subscribers.

The Vietnamese telecommunications market has grown rapidly. However, the market is still mainly controlled by Viettel, Mobifone and Vinafone that have 117 million subscribers between them and an annual turnover of US$5.5 billion.

Source: VNS