By the end of 2017, total mobile phone subscribers, both in terms of prepaid and postpaid reached 10.52 million, decreasing 10% compared to 2016; the number fixed line telephone subscribers is 685,000 – a decrease of 3% over the last year’s figure.
Meanwhile, the number of internet subscribers (including number of broadband internet subscribers, number of 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile phone subscribers) up 12% compared to 2016 with 8.5 million. For TV subscribers, total number of cable TV subscribers, terrestrial digital TV subscribers and satellite digital TV subscribers (excluding terrestrial digital TV for free-to-air TV channels) by the end of 2017 is 2.25 million, up 50% compared to the same period of last year.
Besides, the Hanoi Department of Information & Communications informed that by the end of 2017, total Base transceiver Station (BTS) integrated with 2G, 3G and 4G networks in Hanoi are 8,200, in which 3G BTS are 5,798, and 4G BTS are 4,700.
100% telecommunication operators and internet service providers are providing the 4G mobile network. At present, 4G is well advanced in the world, as its speed is equivalent to fiber cable. Currently there are 39 internet providers in the world, in which 3 biggest US service providers are implementing the 4G Gigabit LTE.
There are 3.5 million 4G subscribers nationwide so far, in which 88% of them live in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. Currently, students, self-employed people make up 74% of 4G users, while 51% of 4G subscribers have income ranging from 5 to 10 million VND. Young people from 20 to 30 years old make up 38% of 4G subscribers. Viettel has the largest share of 4G users with 52%, while the percentage for MobiFone and VinaPhone is 27% and 21% respectively.
With regard to 4G subscriber fee, Vinaphone provides the most expensive service with the fee of 79,000 (equivalent to nearly 4 USD) VND per month, while Viettel and MobiFone has the same fee of 70,000 VND/month or 3.5 USD. Survey on customer satisfaction with 4G service is divided into 3 categories. For the income based category, users with income ranging from 3-5 million VND (150 USD - 220 USD) has the highest satisfaction of 55%. While in the category for region, Hanoi has the highest satisfaction of 50.2%.
In Vietnam, users of 4G service are mainly for entertainment purpose with 68%, in which social networks get the largest share, while only 30% of 4G subscribers are using 4G for works. In term of the quality service of 4G (on the speed or signal strength), 56% users are satisfied with the quality, and the opposite are 7%. 58% users of 4G are pleased with the speed of 4G, and 9% say it needs to be improved.
With more investment in infrastructure, Hanoi is providing more free wifi hotspots as the foundation for the city to implement e-government and smart city. Total revenue in telecommunication, posts and broadcasting are 25 trillion VND (1.1 billion USD), up 10% compared to 2016.
