FPT Retail Co., a subsidiary of the big information technology firm FPT, launched on Tuesday four shops retailing cell phones and laptops in HCMC and Hanoi, marking its first business activity since establishment early this year.
Le Quang Vu, managing director of FPT Retail, said at the opening ceremony that "the new retail shop chain marks FPT Retail's debut in Vietnam mobile retail market and offers more choices for customers."
He said that after opening the four retail shops in Hanoi and HCMC, the company would continue to open more stores in Can Tho, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Vinh and Da Nang in the coming months as part of a more ambitious expansion plan.
"FPT Retail plans to increase our chain to 100 shops nationwide in the next two years and expects to obtain US$400mil of annual revenue," he added.
Under the FPT Retail shop standard, all the FPT retail shops with the trademark [IN] should cover no less than 300 square meters and has the uniform design model in blue color.
The center mainly distributes products of popular mobile phone and notebook manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Lenovo, HP, Toshiba and NEC.
On the occasion of the opening, the company also launched its promotion campaign to offer many gifts worth over VND2bil for clients.
Industry insiders said that with the debut of FPT Retail, Vietnam's mobile and notebook distributing market would see fiercer competition.
The Mobile World Joint Stock Company also launched on Tuesday its new promotion campaign to celebrate its third establishment, offering lucky clients mobile phones manufactured by Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericson.
The Mobile World is now the leading company in Vietnam's cell phone segment, holding a market share of over 20% in HCMC. After receiving Mekong Enterprise Fund II investment of US$4.5mil, the company plans to open about 20 more retail shops nationwide.
With the Mobile World's business expansion, the military-run telco Viettel also said that the company has plans to participate in the local mobile phone distribution market.
The company has taken over 15 retail shops of Netra Trading and Investment International Co. Ltd., who lost its foothold in Vietnam in June due to poor business return.
The market survey company GfK Asia Pte. Ltd. (Vietnam) estimated the market growth rate this year for mobile phones at between 40% and 60%.
Source: VNE
Showing posts with label Telecom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Telecom. Show all posts
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
France Telecom eyes big stake in Vietnam MobiFone
France Telecom aims to buy a large stake in Vietnam's second-largest mobile phone service provider, MobiFone, state media quoted its chief executive as saying.
"We hope to participate with the highest stake possible," France Telecom CEO Didier Lombard was quoted by the Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper on Tuesday as saying.
"Vietnam is a market with potential for growth. Moreover, when we seek the partnership we aim to build a lasting relationship with a long-term vision," Lombard said in his first trip to Vietnam last week.
Mobifone said on Monday it had shortlisted six foreign firms which would bid to advise the state-run company on its partial privatisation, including an IPO expected in 2008.
MobiFone said Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Rothschild and UBS would bid to become the adviser for the Hanoi-based firm. It gave no timeframe for the bidding.
MobiFone, known formally as Vietnam Mobile Telecom Services Company and owned by Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT), has said the IPO would take place early next year and VNPT would only hold one-third of the shares in MobiFone.
Strategic shareholders would have one third and outsiders the remaining stake, MobiFone's director Le Ngoc Minh said in May.
Foreign telecom giants including Vodafone and British Telecommunications Plc have said they wanted to be equity partners in the company.
MobiFone uses GSM technology and has about 8.5 million subscribers, or 35 percent share of the domestic market where it competes with military-run Viettel and state-run Vinaphone, which is also controlled by VNPT.
Privatising MobiFone, the first move in restructuring the telecommunications industry, was slow and difficult because Vietnam did not have a legal guide for the process, officials have said.
Source: Reuters
"We hope to participate with the highest stake possible," France Telecom CEO Didier Lombard was quoted by the Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper on Tuesday as saying.
"Vietnam is a market with potential for growth. Moreover, when we seek the partnership we aim to build a lasting relationship with a long-term vision," Lombard said in his first trip to Vietnam last week.
Mobifone said on Monday it had shortlisted six foreign firms which would bid to advise the state-run company on its partial privatisation, including an IPO expected in 2008.
MobiFone said Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Rothschild and UBS would bid to become the adviser for the Hanoi-based firm. It gave no timeframe for the bidding.
MobiFone, known formally as Vietnam Mobile Telecom Services Company and owned by Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT), has said the IPO would take place early next year and VNPT would only hold one-third of the shares in MobiFone.
Strategic shareholders would have one third and outsiders the remaining stake, MobiFone's director Le Ngoc Minh said in May.
Foreign telecom giants including Vodafone and British Telecommunications Plc have said they wanted to be equity partners in the company.
MobiFone uses GSM technology and has about 8.5 million subscribers, or 35 percent share of the domestic market where it competes with military-run Viettel and state-run Vinaphone, which is also controlled by VNPT.
Privatising MobiFone, the first move in restructuring the telecommunications industry, was slow and difficult because Vietnam did not have a legal guide for the process, officials have said.
Source: Reuters
Foreign investors reduce stakes in two companies
Deutsche Bank has announced the sale of 19,560 shares in the Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Co, reducing its stake from 5.04 percent to 4.97 percent.
The bank continues to hold nearly 1.5 million shares in the company.
The Cable and Telecommunications Materials Co (SAM) also announced that Wareham Group Ltd’s stake in the company had been reduced from 12.68 percent to 10.51 percent.
Amersham Industries Ltd also now holds 4.2 million shares in SAM, a 7.8 percent stake, 1.66 percent lower than before.
Source: VNA
The bank continues to hold nearly 1.5 million shares in the company.
The Cable and Telecommunications Materials Co (SAM) also announced that Wareham Group Ltd’s stake in the company had been reduced from 12.68 percent to 10.51 percent.
Amersham Industries Ltd also now holds 4.2 million shares in SAM, a 7.8 percent stake, 1.66 percent lower than before.
Source: VNA
Friday, August 10, 2007
Taiwan telco joins forces with Viettel Mobile
Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd, a telecom giant in Taiwan, is mulling teaming up with Viettel Mobile to tap the fast-growing Vietnamese market.
The joint venture, which will be capitalized at around US$3.9mil, will first focus on Internet Data Center business and Chunghwa may diversify operations into other service sectors.
Under Vietnamese law, Chunghwa's ownership in the venture will be capped at less than 50%.
An executive from Chunghwa Telecom said the venture, if translated into reality, would be the first overseas telecom investment by Chunghwa and that it showed the growth potential held by the local market where large numbers of Taiwan investors have set up shop.
He said his company had assessed the feasibility of the investment project for nearly a year.
Viettel sent its senior officials to Taiwan last month to work with Chunghwa over the plan.
"At first, we planned to join hands with MobiFone through the acquisition of a 29% stake in it. However, the Vietnamese mobile service provider had not decided when to sell shares to Chunghwa since the two reached an agreement in May this year," he added.
The Taiwan telecom provider opened a representative office in HCMC last year.
Chunghwa Telecom president Shyue-Ching Lu said at the opening ceremony last year that the most important mission of the HCMC office was to boost the company's services for Taiwanese enterprises in Vietnam.
The company wants to strengthen cooperative ties with local telecom service providers, he said.
Under Chunghwa's plan, it has set aside US$181mil for overseas investments this year. It spent about US$36mil in the first six months of this year.
With 4,000 base transceiver stations, 10mil subscribers, the military-owned Viettel is emerging as one of the country's largest mobile service providers.
The firm's market share grew to 35% from 27% in late 2006.
Viettel posted revenue of VND7tril (US$437.5mil) in the first half of the year, equivalent to the amount recorded in all of 2006 or about 23% of the post and telecom sector's total.
Source: VNE
The joint venture, which will be capitalized at around US$3.9mil, will first focus on Internet Data Center business and Chunghwa may diversify operations into other service sectors.
Under Vietnamese law, Chunghwa's ownership in the venture will be capped at less than 50%.
An executive from Chunghwa Telecom said the venture, if translated into reality, would be the first overseas telecom investment by Chunghwa and that it showed the growth potential held by the local market where large numbers of Taiwan investors have set up shop.
He said his company had assessed the feasibility of the investment project for nearly a year.
Viettel sent its senior officials to Taiwan last month to work with Chunghwa over the plan.
"At first, we planned to join hands with MobiFone through the acquisition of a 29% stake in it. However, the Vietnamese mobile service provider had not decided when to sell shares to Chunghwa since the two reached an agreement in May this year," he added.
The Taiwan telecom provider opened a representative office in HCMC last year.
Chunghwa Telecom president Shyue-Ching Lu said at the opening ceremony last year that the most important mission of the HCMC office was to boost the company's services for Taiwanese enterprises in Vietnam.
The company wants to strengthen cooperative ties with local telecom service providers, he said.
Under Chunghwa's plan, it has set aside US$181mil for overseas investments this year. It spent about US$36mil in the first six months of this year.
With 4,000 base transceiver stations, 10mil subscribers, the military-owned Viettel is emerging as one of the country's largest mobile service providers.
The firm's market share grew to 35% from 27% in late 2006.
Viettel posted revenue of VND7tril (US$437.5mil) in the first half of the year, equivalent to the amount recorded in all of 2006 or about 23% of the post and telecom sector's total.
Source: VNE
Monday, July 30, 2007
Vietnam bank to underwrite VND720 bln bond
The telecoms arm of dominant utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) group has signed a contract for a domestic bank to underwrite a VND720 billion (US$44.6 million) corporate bond, local media reported Saturday. EVN Telecom's bond might raise more funds than the offer thanks to investor's interest, An Binh Bank's Chief Executive Luu Duc Khanh was quoted by the Liberation Saigon daily as saying, after EVN Telecom signed the contract with An Binh Bank on Friday.
"In such case, we are allowed to raise an extra 20 percent above the target," he said, but gave no details of the bond.
Hanoi-based EVN Telecom is one of three providers of CDMA technology-based mobile phone services in the communist-run Southeast Asian country. It also develops wireless landline phones and provides Internet access.
In April, EVN Telecom said the company and Singapore's VSNL International would build part of a $200-million pan-Asian submarine optic cable which would link Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong and Guam when operational in the first quarter of 2008.
In March, Moody's upgraded the outlook for both Vietnam's foreign currency bonds and local currency bonds to positive from stable. It has a Ba3 rating on the country's dong debt.
Source: Thanh Nien
"In such case, we are allowed to raise an extra 20 percent above the target," he said, but gave no details of the bond.
Hanoi-based EVN Telecom is one of three providers of CDMA technology-based mobile phone services in the communist-run Southeast Asian country. It also develops wireless landline phones and provides Internet access.
In April, EVN Telecom said the company and Singapore's VSNL International would build part of a $200-million pan-Asian submarine optic cable which would link Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong and Guam when operational in the first quarter of 2008.
In March, Moody's upgraded the outlook for both Vietnam's foreign currency bonds and local currency bonds to positive from stable. It has a Ba3 rating on the country's dong debt.
Source: Thanh Nien
Friday, July 20, 2007
FPT H1 net doubles as business grows
FPT said on Friday its net profit more than doubled to 436.07 billion dong ($27 million) during the first half of this year.
The Hanoi-based firm, the second-largest on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, also said in a statement its January to June revenues jumped 25 percent from a year earlier to 5.9 trillion dong ($365.6 million).
Shares in FPT were trading up 0.35 percent at 286,000 dong ($17.7) at 0136 GMT on Friday after the company released the first half results.
"FPT has expanded to areas in which information technology plays a role as the important momentum in raising the quality of products, services and management level," the statement said.
FPT said it has formed subsidiaries to deal with retail sales, stock broking and also contributed funds to form a fund management firm and a commercial bank.
Stockbroking services for which FPT received a licence a week ago, takes the company, now with a market value of $1.6 billion, outside its core businesses of software production, mobile phone distribution and Internet services.
Source: Reuters
The Hanoi-based firm, the second-largest on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, also said in a statement its January to June revenues jumped 25 percent from a year earlier to 5.9 trillion dong ($365.6 million).
Shares in FPT were trading up 0.35 percent at 286,000 dong ($17.7) at 0136 GMT on Friday after the company released the first half results.
"FPT has expanded to areas in which information technology plays a role as the important momentum in raising the quality of products, services and management level," the statement said.
FPT said it has formed subsidiaries to deal with retail sales, stock broking and also contributed funds to form a fund management firm and a commercial bank.
Stockbroking services for which FPT received a licence a week ago, takes the company, now with a market value of $1.6 billion, outside its core businesses of software production, mobile phone distribution and Internet services.
Source: Reuters
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Global telecoms jockey for position in Viet Nam
The opening of Viet Nam’s telecommunications market following the nation’s accession to the WTO has set off a race among some of the world’s leading players in the sector, many of whom are eager to gain a foothold in the potentially lucrative market.
"A string of foreign corporations operating in the telecommunications field have opened representative offices in Viet Nam in a move to seek investment opportunities with local service providers," said Bui Quoc Viet, director of VNPT’s Telecommunications Centre.
Viet Nam is currently home to six telecom providers, but it is the big three of VNPT-operated VinaPhone and MobiFone and the military-owned Viettel which, after announcing plans to sell shares to international partners, are being most aggressively courted by foreign firms.
France Telecom, Europe’s second leading cellular services provider with 88 million mobile users and 11 million internet subscribers in 220 countries and territories worldwide, has said it intends to be a major player in the MobiFone and VinaPhone auctions as it looks to aggressively expand its presence in Asia.
Norway’s Telenor, the top telecommunications supplier in northern Europe, also laid out its long-term investment plans in Viet Nam at the Mobile Viet Nam conference in Ha Noi in May. The group, which already has more than 40 million customers in Asia, has poured an additional US$350 million into its operations in the continent as it also looks to cement its place in the world’s fastest and most promising cellular market.
Other heavyweights, including the UK’s Vodafone and France’s Lucent, have opened offices in Viet Nam while seeking investment licences enabling them to begin rolling out their country strategies.
With a population of 84 million and pent-up demand, Viet Nam could prove to be a boon to telecoms that establish themselves early on, said Vodafone Asia marketing manager Jonathan Kregel.
Before Viet Nam joined the WTO, foreign telecoms had been restricted to co-operation agreements with local partners. South Korea-backed S-Phone is a player in the market following this model.
Now, foreign firms are permitted to hold up 49 per cent in a joint venture, giving them security and a major say in the management of the operation. WTO commitments will also allow entirely foreign-owned entities to operate in the field starting in 2010.
Meanwhile, analysts say, teaming up with foreign partners would bring some benefits to domestic businesses, allowing them to receive expertise, much-needed capital and quality management to expand their market shares.
Domestic services providers who go it alone would be forced to operate within a highly competitive market in which weaknesses are exploited. They need to move quickly in order to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills required to compete as the country barrels down the path to global economic integration.
Over the past few years, Viet Nam’s telecommunications sector has not only kept pace with national growth but markedly surpassed it. Annual expansion rates of 30 per cent a year continue to be recorded in what is one of the world’s quickest growing markets. By April 2007, the number of telephone subscribers in the country had mushroomed to 33.5 million and registered mobile customers spiked to close to 24 million.
Forecasts on subscription rates over the next five years fluctuate greatly with the UK’s BMI predicting 36 million subscribers by 2010 while Canadian provider Hot Telecom expects over 50 million users to be signed up.
According to a Telecommunications and Internet Development Plan through 2010, recently approved by the Government, Viet Nam has set a target to achieve a fully equipped state-of-the-art system, including broadband service that reaches all provinces and cities nationwide.
A user rate of 45 phones per 100 people, 12 million internet users, and annual revenues of over VND55 trillion ($3.5 billion) are also written into the Government’s strategic goals.
Industry prospects look bright for overseas companies that take advantage of new WTO rules while domestic firms that effectively utilise new capital flows and the management experience of some of the world’s leading communication firms should also expect to flourish on the back of the country’s rapidly developing economy.
Source: VNS
"A string of foreign corporations operating in the telecommunications field have opened representative offices in Viet Nam in a move to seek investment opportunities with local service providers," said Bui Quoc Viet, director of VNPT’s Telecommunications Centre.
Viet Nam is currently home to six telecom providers, but it is the big three of VNPT-operated VinaPhone and MobiFone and the military-owned Viettel which, after announcing plans to sell shares to international partners, are being most aggressively courted by foreign firms.
France Telecom, Europe’s second leading cellular services provider with 88 million mobile users and 11 million internet subscribers in 220 countries and territories worldwide, has said it intends to be a major player in the MobiFone and VinaPhone auctions as it looks to aggressively expand its presence in Asia.
Norway’s Telenor, the top telecommunications supplier in northern Europe, also laid out its long-term investment plans in Viet Nam at the Mobile Viet Nam conference in Ha Noi in May. The group, which already has more than 40 million customers in Asia, has poured an additional US$350 million into its operations in the continent as it also looks to cement its place in the world’s fastest and most promising cellular market.
Other heavyweights, including the UK’s Vodafone and France’s Lucent, have opened offices in Viet Nam while seeking investment licences enabling them to begin rolling out their country strategies.
With a population of 84 million and pent-up demand, Viet Nam could prove to be a boon to telecoms that establish themselves early on, said Vodafone Asia marketing manager Jonathan Kregel.
Before Viet Nam joined the WTO, foreign telecoms had been restricted to co-operation agreements with local partners. South Korea-backed S-Phone is a player in the market following this model.
Now, foreign firms are permitted to hold up 49 per cent in a joint venture, giving them security and a major say in the management of the operation. WTO commitments will also allow entirely foreign-owned entities to operate in the field starting in 2010.
Meanwhile, analysts say, teaming up with foreign partners would bring some benefits to domestic businesses, allowing them to receive expertise, much-needed capital and quality management to expand their market shares.
Domestic services providers who go it alone would be forced to operate within a highly competitive market in which weaknesses are exploited. They need to move quickly in order to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills required to compete as the country barrels down the path to global economic integration.
Over the past few years, Viet Nam’s telecommunications sector has not only kept pace with national growth but markedly surpassed it. Annual expansion rates of 30 per cent a year continue to be recorded in what is one of the world’s quickest growing markets. By April 2007, the number of telephone subscribers in the country had mushroomed to 33.5 million and registered mobile customers spiked to close to 24 million.
Forecasts on subscription rates over the next five years fluctuate greatly with the UK’s BMI predicting 36 million subscribers by 2010 while Canadian provider Hot Telecom expects over 50 million users to be signed up.
According to a Telecommunications and Internet Development Plan through 2010, recently approved by the Government, Viet Nam has set a target to achieve a fully equipped state-of-the-art system, including broadband service that reaches all provinces and cities nationwide.
A user rate of 45 phones per 100 people, 12 million internet users, and annual revenues of over VND55 trillion ($3.5 billion) are also written into the Government’s strategic goals.
Industry prospects look bright for overseas companies that take advantage of new WTO rules while domestic firms that effectively utilise new capital flows and the management experience of some of the world’s leading communication firms should also expect to flourish on the back of the country’s rapidly developing economy.
Source: VNS
Friday, July 13, 2007
VNPT, Vinaconex ‘synergise’ strengths
Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) on July 12 signed a strategic partnership agreement with Viet Nam Construction and Import-Export Corp (Vinaconex), forming the country’s largest cooperation deal.
”This is a very notable partnership as it will synergise the strengths and resources from two of the country’s leading companies,” said Vinaconex’s CEO Nguyen Van Tuan.
The two giants committed to using each other’s products and services.
“Partnering with the country’s biggest contractor will help VNPT expand its coverage with our products and services being used at Vinaconex projects,” said VNPT Deputy General Director Nguyen Ba Thuoc.
As Vinaconex expands globally, VNPT will also have an opportunity to reach new markets, he added.
On the other side, Vinaconex will be awarded VNPT infrastructure development contracts.
Vinaconex predicts 2007 revenue will reach 6.5 trillion VND (406 million USD), up 16.4 percent over last year. Pre-tax profit is expected to increase 49.7 percent to 350 billion VND (22 million USD).
VNPT last year posted a revenue of 38.3 trillion VND (2.4 billion USD), up 14.9 percent compared to 2005 and 3.4 percent higher than the company’s initial forecast.
Source: VNA
”This is a very notable partnership as it will synergise the strengths and resources from two of the country’s leading companies,” said Vinaconex’s CEO Nguyen Van Tuan.
The two giants committed to using each other’s products and services.
“Partnering with the country’s biggest contractor will help VNPT expand its coverage with our products and services being used at Vinaconex projects,” said VNPT Deputy General Director Nguyen Ba Thuoc.
As Vinaconex expands globally, VNPT will also have an opportunity to reach new markets, he added.
On the other side, Vinaconex will be awarded VNPT infrastructure development contracts.
Vinaconex predicts 2007 revenue will reach 6.5 trillion VND (406 million USD), up 16.4 percent over last year. Pre-tax profit is expected to increase 49.7 percent to 350 billion VND (22 million USD).
VNPT last year posted a revenue of 38.3 trillion VND (2.4 billion USD), up 14.9 percent compared to 2005 and 3.4 percent higher than the company’s initial forecast.
Source: VNA
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Viettel becomes largest mobile service provider
With 4,000 base transmission stations, 10 million subscribers, military-owned Viettel has emerged as the country’s largest mobile service provider.
The corporation provides services to 30 million voice dialogue minutes a day, earning a revenue of over 1 trillion VND (62.5 million USD) a month.
In the first six months of the year, Viettel had an additional 6.5 million mobile subscribers, or 45 percent of the new subscribers in the market.
The firm’s market share increased to 35 percent from 27 percent in late 2006, leaving behind two long-time market leaders Vinaphone and MobiFone.
Viettel posted a turnover of 7 trillion VND (437.5 million USD) in the first half of 2007, equal to what they had made for the revenue of the whole year of 2006 or about 23 percent of the post and telecom sector’s total revenue.
Source: VNA
The corporation provides services to 30 million voice dialogue minutes a day, earning a revenue of over 1 trillion VND (62.5 million USD) a month.
In the first six months of the year, Viettel had an additional 6.5 million mobile subscribers, or 45 percent of the new subscribers in the market.
The firm’s market share increased to 35 percent from 27 percent in late 2006, leaving behind two long-time market leaders Vinaphone and MobiFone.
Viettel posted a turnover of 7 trillion VND (437.5 million USD) in the first half of 2007, equal to what they had made for the revenue of the whole year of 2006 or about 23 percent of the post and telecom sector’s total revenue.
Source: VNA
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
VNPT may form a bank
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications group (VNPT), the country's largest telecoms firm, will look into converting a subsidiary now offering a savings service into a bank, a government official said.
VNPT needed to assess the value of its Post Savings Service Company so it could contribute funds to form a bank, Deputy Chief Administrator of the Government Office Pham Viet Muon said in a document seen on Tuesday.
Seven state-run banks, including two policy banks, and 34 partly private banks now operate in Vietnam. Apart from domestic banks, branches of 35 foreign banks and six joint venture banks also compete in the Southeast Asian country.
Several Vietnamese firms, including Sacom (SAM) and FPT, have already sought central bank permission to open new commercial banks.
Source: Reuters
VNPT needed to assess the value of its Post Savings Service Company so it could contribute funds to form a bank, Deputy Chief Administrator of the Government Office Pham Viet Muon said in a document seen on Tuesday.
Seven state-run banks, including two policy banks, and 34 partly private banks now operate in Vietnam. Apart from domestic banks, branches of 35 foreign banks and six joint venture banks also compete in the Southeast Asian country.
Several Vietnamese firms, including Sacom (SAM) and FPT, have already sought central bank permission to open new commercial banks.
Source: Reuters
Monday, July 02, 2007
Investors impatient for telecom equitisation
The equitisation of some telecom firms in Vietnam was announced by state agencies in 2005, but so far none of the telecom firms have been equitised. In the eyes of investors, the equitisation process of Vietnamese telecom companies is going at a snail’s pace.
According to sources from MobiFone, this company is completing formalities for equitisation this year, and in early 2008 it will perform IPO.
Around five partners have expressed their desire to buy MobiFone stocks to become the firm’s strategic investors. However, as it is currently selecting a consultant only, MobiFone isn’t considering this issue yet.
Le Ngoc Minh, MobiFone’s director, said that he didn’t know what the value of MobiFone was at this moment.
Once MobiFone finds its consultant, tasks related to equitisation will be quickly fulfilled within 2007 to prepare for the IPO early next year.
Also a subsidiary of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), VinaPhone can’t immediately conduct equitisation like MobiFone. VinaPhone director Hoang Trung Hai said that there was no detailed plan about VinaPhone’s equitisation yet. VNPT is focusing on the equitisation of MobiFone and VinaPhone will be equitised after MobiFone’s equitisation is completed.
Other mobile information companies that will be equitised after MobiFone and VinaPhone are Viettel Telecom and EVN Telecom. However, they have made any moves for this task. Perhaps they want to learn something from MobiFone and VinaPhone.
Deputy Minister of Post and Telematics Tran Duc Lai doesn’t agree with the idea that mobile information firms are doing business well so they don’t want to equitisate, which is responsible for the tardiness in equitisation.
“Implementation of equitisation is different for each company and this task will be conducted suitably to their ability. Viettel Telecom and EVN Telecom are new businesses and they are designing equitisation plans that are appropriate to their actual situations,” Mr. Lai said.
While MobiFone is urgently promoting its equitisation process, equitisation seems to be not a priority of Viettel Telecom. Perhaps this company is afraid that its equitisation will attract small shareholders who will focus on short-term benefits and this will influence its strategy to build a big corporation in the long run.
Viettel Telecom’s plan in the near future is developing strongly in rural and remote areas, where benefit doesn’t come in immediately, so shareholders will not like this. The firm, thus, will equitise its subsidies firstly.
Viettel Deputy General Director Nguyen Manh Hung said that Viettel had established a joint stock company on value added services for mobile phones and this company would be equitised first. EVN Telecom has also chosen the same path of equitisation as Viettel.
The Vietnam Association of Financial Investors (VAFI) has sent many documents urging telecom companies to quickly perform equitisation, which shows how impatient investors are and how great their interest is in shares of mobile information service companies.
At the Vietnam Enterprise Forum, under the framework of the mid-term Consultative Group Meeting 2007, held on May 30 in Hanoi, Alain Cany, Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce (Eurocham), said that foreign investors were anxious to take part in the equitisation process of a significant field like telecom.
“To help foreign investors have the best preparation for their participation into the telecom sector, Eurocham and its members hope that the Vietnamese Government will introduce an itinerary for the participation of foreign investors soon,” he said.
The Financial manager of Norway’s Telenor group said that when Telenor conducted equitisation the group faced a lot of problems. This group was afraid that it would lose control over the firm. Some said that as Telenor was known in many countries and it was a strong brand equitisation was unnecessary.
However, with his experience, the Telenor official said that Vietnamese telecom firms should speed up the equitisation process and bring their stocks to the stock market as soon as possible. However, he agreed that appraising the value of shares of telecom firms is often very complicated.
Mark Shuper, Morgan Stanley Bank’s Managing Director, said that value appraisal for telecom companies is best when they are in the development phase, so they should choose the best time for doing this task.
However, he commented that Vietnamese telecom companies would not be equitised this year. “This process will take place strongly next year or the following years and of course, we are always ready to participate in this process,” he said.
Source: VNE
According to sources from MobiFone, this company is completing formalities for equitisation this year, and in early 2008 it will perform IPO.
Around five partners have expressed their desire to buy MobiFone stocks to become the firm’s strategic investors. However, as it is currently selecting a consultant only, MobiFone isn’t considering this issue yet.
Le Ngoc Minh, MobiFone’s director, said that he didn’t know what the value of MobiFone was at this moment.
Once MobiFone finds its consultant, tasks related to equitisation will be quickly fulfilled within 2007 to prepare for the IPO early next year.
Also a subsidiary of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), VinaPhone can’t immediately conduct equitisation like MobiFone. VinaPhone director Hoang Trung Hai said that there was no detailed plan about VinaPhone’s equitisation yet. VNPT is focusing on the equitisation of MobiFone and VinaPhone will be equitised after MobiFone’s equitisation is completed.
Other mobile information companies that will be equitised after MobiFone and VinaPhone are Viettel Telecom and EVN Telecom. However, they have made any moves for this task. Perhaps they want to learn something from MobiFone and VinaPhone.
Deputy Minister of Post and Telematics Tran Duc Lai doesn’t agree with the idea that mobile information firms are doing business well so they don’t want to equitisate, which is responsible for the tardiness in equitisation.
“Implementation of equitisation is different for each company and this task will be conducted suitably to their ability. Viettel Telecom and EVN Telecom are new businesses and they are designing equitisation plans that are appropriate to their actual situations,” Mr. Lai said.
While MobiFone is urgently promoting its equitisation process, equitisation seems to be not a priority of Viettel Telecom. Perhaps this company is afraid that its equitisation will attract small shareholders who will focus on short-term benefits and this will influence its strategy to build a big corporation in the long run.
Viettel Telecom’s plan in the near future is developing strongly in rural and remote areas, where benefit doesn’t come in immediately, so shareholders will not like this. The firm, thus, will equitise its subsidies firstly.
Viettel Deputy General Director Nguyen Manh Hung said that Viettel had established a joint stock company on value added services for mobile phones and this company would be equitised first. EVN Telecom has also chosen the same path of equitisation as Viettel.
The Vietnam Association of Financial Investors (VAFI) has sent many documents urging telecom companies to quickly perform equitisation, which shows how impatient investors are and how great their interest is in shares of mobile information service companies.
At the Vietnam Enterprise Forum, under the framework of the mid-term Consultative Group Meeting 2007, held on May 30 in Hanoi, Alain Cany, Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce (Eurocham), said that foreign investors were anxious to take part in the equitisation process of a significant field like telecom.
“To help foreign investors have the best preparation for their participation into the telecom sector, Eurocham and its members hope that the Vietnamese Government will introduce an itinerary for the participation of foreign investors soon,” he said.
The Financial manager of Norway’s Telenor group said that when Telenor conducted equitisation the group faced a lot of problems. This group was afraid that it would lose control over the firm. Some said that as Telenor was known in many countries and it was a strong brand equitisation was unnecessary.
However, with his experience, the Telenor official said that Vietnamese telecom firms should speed up the equitisation process and bring their stocks to the stock market as soon as possible. However, he agreed that appraising the value of shares of telecom firms is often very complicated.
Mark Shuper, Morgan Stanley Bank’s Managing Director, said that value appraisal for telecom companies is best when they are in the development phase, so they should choose the best time for doing this task.
However, he commented that Vietnamese telecom companies would not be equitised this year. “This process will take place strongly next year or the following years and of course, we are always ready to participate in this process,” he said.
Source: VNE
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
VinaPhone to be equitised after MobiFone
The General Director of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) said that the equitisation of VinaPhone information mobile network is only performed after the equitisation of MobiFone is finalised.
The General Director said that the equitisation scheme of VinaPhone is being designed. VNPT is now focusing on the equitisation of MobiFone and when this task is complete, the group will apply lessons that it learns from MobiFone equitisation to apply for VinaPhone.
“We can’t perform equitisation of the two mobile phone networks at the same time when we don’t have any experience,” he said.
The equitisation of VinaPhone and MobiFone was permitted by the Government in early 2005. But until now, MobiFone is still seeking a suitable consultant and a strategic investor. MobiFone’s shares will be listed on the bourse in 2008 at the earliest time. Thus, till late 2008, VNPT can think of the equitisation of VinaPhone.
Hoang Trung Hai, VinaPhone Director said that the difficulty for the equitisation of VinaPhone is that this network is not independent in term of finance. Its business closely depends on the system of 64 post offices of 64 provinces and cities in Vietnam. To prepare for equitisation, VinaPhone will have to consider turnover, tasks, etc. for each province, which takes time and is very complicated.
According to Mr Hai, investors are enthusiastic for stocks of telecom companies. VinaPhone has received many investors who want to buy its stocks though the firm is not been equitised yet.
“However, we can’t tell before hand because we don’t have guidance from the leaders of VNPT,” VinaPhone Director said.
Source: VNE
The General Director said that the equitisation scheme of VinaPhone is being designed. VNPT is now focusing on the equitisation of MobiFone and when this task is complete, the group will apply lessons that it learns from MobiFone equitisation to apply for VinaPhone.
“We can’t perform equitisation of the two mobile phone networks at the same time when we don’t have any experience,” he said.
The equitisation of VinaPhone and MobiFone was permitted by the Government in early 2005. But until now, MobiFone is still seeking a suitable consultant and a strategic investor. MobiFone’s shares will be listed on the bourse in 2008 at the earliest time. Thus, till late 2008, VNPT can think of the equitisation of VinaPhone.
Hoang Trung Hai, VinaPhone Director said that the difficulty for the equitisation of VinaPhone is that this network is not independent in term of finance. Its business closely depends on the system of 64 post offices of 64 provinces and cities in Vietnam. To prepare for equitisation, VinaPhone will have to consider turnover, tasks, etc. for each province, which takes time and is very complicated.
According to Mr Hai, investors are enthusiastic for stocks of telecom companies. VinaPhone has received many investors who want to buy its stocks though the firm is not been equitised yet.
“However, we can’t tell before hand because we don’t have guidance from the leaders of VNPT,” VinaPhone Director said.
Source: VNE
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Viettel sharpens competitive edge
Viettel Corporation yesterday announced the merger of three of its core arms to form Viettel Telecom Company, in a bid to strengthen its foothold in the increasingly competitive telecommunications market.
The three firms merging are Viettel Fixed Telephone Co, Viettel Internet Co and Viettel Mobile Co, the military-run company said.
"The merging of Viettel’s three flagship firms will enable Viettel Telecom to be the biggest telecom provider in Viet Nam, which will provide multiple telecom services," said Viettel deputy director Nguyen Manh Hung.
Hung added that the domestic telecom market had grown increasingly competitive following Viet Nam’s entry into the World Trade Organisation.
"The restructure will also help Viettel to shift from being a network service provider to becoming an information service provider," he said.
According to the Viettel Corporation, Viettel Telecom will provide a full range of telecom services, including internet, fixed telephone, VoIP, mobile phones and network services.
The company’s flagship, Viettel Mobile Co, has 13 million mobile subscribers, accounting for over 40% of the country’s total mobile subscriber market. It is ranked among the top 20 fastest-developing mobile carriers in the world.
Viettel Internet Co has 140,000 broadband internet subscribers, while Viettel Fixed Telephone Co has 190,000 subscribers.
Source: VNS
The three firms merging are Viettel Fixed Telephone Co, Viettel Internet Co and Viettel Mobile Co, the military-run company said.
"The merging of Viettel’s three flagship firms will enable Viettel Telecom to be the biggest telecom provider in Viet Nam, which will provide multiple telecom services," said Viettel deputy director Nguyen Manh Hung.
Hung added that the domestic telecom market had grown increasingly competitive following Viet Nam’s entry into the World Trade Organisation.
"The restructure will also help Viettel to shift from being a network service provider to becoming an information service provider," he said.
According to the Viettel Corporation, Viettel Telecom will provide a full range of telecom services, including internet, fixed telephone, VoIP, mobile phones and network services.
The company’s flagship, Viettel Mobile Co, has 13 million mobile subscribers, accounting for over 40% of the country’s total mobile subscriber market. It is ranked among the top 20 fastest-developing mobile carriers in the world.
Viettel Internet Co has 140,000 broadband internet subscribers, while Viettel Fixed Telephone Co has 190,000 subscribers.
Source: VNS
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Burning race to invest in telecom
Foreign telecom firms have made some moves in Vietnam: investing in Vietnamese telecom companies by purchasing stocks. However, it is said to be difficult because the supply is limited.
In September 2006, in a press conference before the Vietnam Telecom 2006 exhibition in HCM City, the chief representative of France Telecom, frankly stated: “We want to buy stocks of some Vietnamese telecom companies, for example stocks of mobile information companies like MobiFone, VinaPhone…”
Ten months have passed and many moves have been made, perhaps including clandestine negotiations among related sites, and the ‘faces of giants’ have gradually appeared.
In early May 2007, Norway’s Telenor, the biggest mobile information and television service provider in northern Europe, sponsored the “Mobile Vietnam 2007” event in Hanoi and expressed its plan to invest in Vietnamese mobile information firms.
On May 29, in a press conference in HCM City on its social charity programmes in Vietnam, a representative of SK Telecom said that the firm wanted to equitise the CDMA technology-based S-Fone mobile information network, a business cooperation project with Vietnam’s Saigon Telecom JS Company.
On June 13, at the press conference to introduce the Vietnam Comm 2007 exhibition in HCM City, Bui Quoc Viet, Director of the Postal Information Centre of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), said: “Many foreign telecom groups have opened representative offices in Vietnam to wait for opportunities to invest in mobile information companies.”
According to some sources, American telecom groups want to buy stocks of Vietnam’s mobile information companies through Korean and Taiwanese firms.
Three mobile information firms that are targeted by foreign telecom groups – MobiFone, VinaPhone and Viettel Mobile – will sell stocks in the near future.
Bui Quoc Viet, Director of the VNPT’s Postal Information Centre, said that under the current rules, foreign investors couldn’t buy more than 49% of the stocks of Vietnamese mobile information firms. By the end of 2008 or early 2009, foreign investors will be allowed to make joint ventures with Vietnamese partners and after 2010 they can establish wholly foreign-owned firms in the telecom field in Vietnam.
In the race to invest in Vietnam’s mobile information companies, France Telecom has the advantage of being an early comer. It is now the second largest mobile information service provider in Europe, with 88 million mobile phone subscribers, 48 million fixed phone subscribers and 11 million Internet subscribers in 220 countries and territories. Its revenue was Eur49 billion in 2005.
Another big rival is NTT-DoCoMo from Japan, which has more than 50 million mobile phone subscribers and 135 million Internet subscribers. This group began its world expansion strategy in 2005 through modern value added services for mobile phone subscribers.
Norway’s Telenor has opened a representative office in Vietnam but its name is not popular. This group has more than 40 million customers in Asia and in the first quarter of 2007, Telenor boosted its investment in this region with more than $350 million of investment capital, up 40% over the same period of 2006.
Other big names that have opened representative offices in Vietnam are VodaPhone of the UK and Lucent of France.
The participation of big names in the race to invest in mobile information companies in Vietnam has made the competition fiercer but they still have to wait till Vietnamese companies announce the names of their foreign partners.
Source: VNE
In September 2006, in a press conference before the Vietnam Telecom 2006 exhibition in HCM City, the chief representative of France Telecom, frankly stated: “We want to buy stocks of some Vietnamese telecom companies, for example stocks of mobile information companies like MobiFone, VinaPhone…”
Ten months have passed and many moves have been made, perhaps including clandestine negotiations among related sites, and the ‘faces of giants’ have gradually appeared.
In early May 2007, Norway’s Telenor, the biggest mobile information and television service provider in northern Europe, sponsored the “Mobile Vietnam 2007” event in Hanoi and expressed its plan to invest in Vietnamese mobile information firms.
On May 29, in a press conference in HCM City on its social charity programmes in Vietnam, a representative of SK Telecom said that the firm wanted to equitise the CDMA technology-based S-Fone mobile information network, a business cooperation project with Vietnam’s Saigon Telecom JS Company.
On June 13, at the press conference to introduce the Vietnam Comm 2007 exhibition in HCM City, Bui Quoc Viet, Director of the Postal Information Centre of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), said: “Many foreign telecom groups have opened representative offices in Vietnam to wait for opportunities to invest in mobile information companies.”
According to some sources, American telecom groups want to buy stocks of Vietnam’s mobile information companies through Korean and Taiwanese firms.
Three mobile information firms that are targeted by foreign telecom groups – MobiFone, VinaPhone and Viettel Mobile – will sell stocks in the near future.
Bui Quoc Viet, Director of the VNPT’s Postal Information Centre, said that under the current rules, foreign investors couldn’t buy more than 49% of the stocks of Vietnamese mobile information firms. By the end of 2008 or early 2009, foreign investors will be allowed to make joint ventures with Vietnamese partners and after 2010 they can establish wholly foreign-owned firms in the telecom field in Vietnam.
In the race to invest in Vietnam’s mobile information companies, France Telecom has the advantage of being an early comer. It is now the second largest mobile information service provider in Europe, with 88 million mobile phone subscribers, 48 million fixed phone subscribers and 11 million Internet subscribers in 220 countries and territories. Its revenue was Eur49 billion in 2005.
Another big rival is NTT-DoCoMo from Japan, which has more than 50 million mobile phone subscribers and 135 million Internet subscribers. This group began its world expansion strategy in 2005 through modern value added services for mobile phone subscribers.
Norway’s Telenor has opened a representative office in Vietnam but its name is not popular. This group has more than 40 million customers in Asia and in the first quarter of 2007, Telenor boosted its investment in this region with more than $350 million of investment capital, up 40% over the same period of 2006.
Other big names that have opened representative offices in Vietnam are VodaPhone of the UK and Lucent of France.
The participation of big names in the race to invest in mobile information companies in Vietnam has made the competition fiercer but they still have to wait till Vietnamese companies announce the names of their foreign partners.
Source: VNE
Monday, May 28, 2007
High internet penetration in Vietnam
Vietnam has entered the top 20 nations with the highest internet penetration paving the way for increasing broadband subscribers to 2010. The country ranked 17th out of 20 countries with the highest internet usage with 15.5 million internet users in March.Minister of Post and Telematics Do Trung Ta said Vietnam had set its sights on Malaysia and Singapore which have 36.6% and 56.3% ratios respectively.
“With this background, we can step up internet user penetration during 2007-2010,” said Ta.Vietnam hopes to have a 35-40% internet penetration rate in 2010, equivalent to 13-14 internet accounts per 100 people.Among internet users to 2010, 30% will be broadband internet subscribers including all state agencies, high schools, institutes and universities.
VNPT Group’s Vietnam DataCommunication Company (VDC) director Vu Hoang Lien said the group’s number of internet subscribers would account for a half of the country’s total by 2010, the bulk of them being broadband internet users.“The number of dial-up users has kept falling but is steady in rural and mountainous areas. However, once broadband internet reaches these areas, dial-up services will automatically disappear,” said Lien.Dial-up revenue accounted for 20% of VDC’s revenue at the beginning of this year and halved in April.
The group plans to hook all provinces up with broadband connections and networks including the next generation network (NGN), metropolitan area network (MAN) Ethernet and wireless Wifi and Wimax to boost the number of ADSL subscribers.
The current number of broadband users in Vietnam is less than 1% of the country’s population. Viettel deputy general director Nguyen Manh Hung said all operators should use mobile networks for developing broadband internet users once networks offered 3G services.
“Vietnam will have done a big job if total internet broadband penetration is 10% by 2010 and it needs support from mobile services, which have a 35% penetration rate,” said Hung.
He said in order to boost the number of internet broadband users, carriers should cut rentals for international channels for operators in order to reduce usage costs for end-users and promote content for domestic usage. International channel rentals make up 30% of $15 of production cost for an ADSL user.
The international channel still accounts for around 30% of production cost for an ADSL subscriber, while users often surf outside Vietnam due to a lack of Vietnamese content.
“The mobile network has a high number of stations and may offer broadband services once the network is redundant for providing mobile services,” Hung said.
Source: VIR
“With this background, we can step up internet user penetration during 2007-2010,” said Ta.Vietnam hopes to have a 35-40% internet penetration rate in 2010, equivalent to 13-14 internet accounts per 100 people.Among internet users to 2010, 30% will be broadband internet subscribers including all state agencies, high schools, institutes and universities.
VNPT Group’s Vietnam DataCommunication Company (VDC) director Vu Hoang Lien said the group’s number of internet subscribers would account for a half of the country’s total by 2010, the bulk of them being broadband internet users.“The number of dial-up users has kept falling but is steady in rural and mountainous areas. However, once broadband internet reaches these areas, dial-up services will automatically disappear,” said Lien.Dial-up revenue accounted for 20% of VDC’s revenue at the beginning of this year and halved in April.
The group plans to hook all provinces up with broadband connections and networks including the next generation network (NGN), metropolitan area network (MAN) Ethernet and wireless Wifi and Wimax to boost the number of ADSL subscribers.
The current number of broadband users in Vietnam is less than 1% of the country’s population. Viettel deputy general director Nguyen Manh Hung said all operators should use mobile networks for developing broadband internet users once networks offered 3G services.
“Vietnam will have done a big job if total internet broadband penetration is 10% by 2010 and it needs support from mobile services, which have a 35% penetration rate,” said Hung.
He said in order to boost the number of internet broadband users, carriers should cut rentals for international channels for operators in order to reduce usage costs for end-users and promote content for domestic usage. International channel rentals make up 30% of $15 of production cost for an ADSL user.
The international channel still accounts for around 30% of production cost for an ADSL subscriber, while users often surf outside Vietnam due to a lack of Vietnamese content.
“The mobile network has a high number of stations and may offer broadband services once the network is redundant for providing mobile services,” Hung said.
Source: VIR
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Mekong Capital invests in Mobile Phone World
Mekong Capital will pump 4.5 million USD into national retail chain Mobile Phone World, announced Mekong Capital General Director Chris Freund, on May 25.
“We are pleased to utilise our Mekong Enterprise Fund II to invest in Mobile Phone World. This is one of the most impressive companies that we have had contact with in Viet Nam, based on the strategic vision of their management staff and their capacity to implement its plan,” said General Director Chris Freund.
The 50 million USD Mekong Enterprise Fund II was established to scout out unlisted companies and well run private companies that retain a high potential for growth.
Director of Mobile Phone World Nguyen Duc Tai said the company has been able to create a supermarket system after two years of operations that has seen the firm record the highest cell phone unit sales in the country.
Source: VNA
“We are pleased to utilise our Mekong Enterprise Fund II to invest in Mobile Phone World. This is one of the most impressive companies that we have had contact with in Viet Nam, based on the strategic vision of their management staff and their capacity to implement its plan,” said General Director Chris Freund.
The 50 million USD Mekong Enterprise Fund II was established to scout out unlisted companies and well run private companies that retain a high potential for growth.
Director of Mobile Phone World Nguyen Duc Tai said the company has been able to create a supermarket system after two years of operations that has seen the firm record the highest cell phone unit sales in the country.
Source: VNA
Monday, May 21, 2007
SACOM to issue 17 million shares
The Cable and Telecommunications Materials Co (Sacom) will issue an additional 17 million shares in a move to finance the company’s business diversifications strategy.
Sacom said it would pour capital into a joint venture to produce cable and into construction of a five-star resort and high-rise office buildings, as well as contribute capital to the Cambodia-based PCP Telecom Co and Taihan-Sacom Co.
Shares at a face value of 10,000 VND each would be offered to existing shareholders at 20,000 VND while it expected the shares to fetch at least 150,000 VND when sold to strategic investors.
Sacom has attained growth rate of more than 84% in the past two years. With profits of nearly 204 billion VND (12.75 million USD) last year, the company has paid an average dividend of 16% during this period.
With a charter capital of 374 billiion VND (23.4 million USD), Sacom holds stakes in such companies as the Sai Gon Cable Joint Stock Co, the Sam Thinh Packing Co, the Sam Cuong Telecom and Electronic Materials Co, and the Sam Phu Plastics Co.
According to Sacom statistics, 75% of the company’s products are bought up by the Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT). The company was expanding its market, however, by providing products to five other telecommunications enterprises in both domestic and regional markets.
Sacom shares traded last Friday at 183,000 VND, down a% from the previous session, at the HCM City Securities Trading Centre.
Source: VNA
Sacom said it would pour capital into a joint venture to produce cable and into construction of a five-star resort and high-rise office buildings, as well as contribute capital to the Cambodia-based PCP Telecom Co and Taihan-Sacom Co.
Shares at a face value of 10,000 VND each would be offered to existing shareholders at 20,000 VND while it expected the shares to fetch at least 150,000 VND when sold to strategic investors.
Sacom has attained growth rate of more than 84% in the past two years. With profits of nearly 204 billion VND (12.75 million USD) last year, the company has paid an average dividend of 16% during this period.
With a charter capital of 374 billiion VND (23.4 million USD), Sacom holds stakes in such companies as the Sai Gon Cable Joint Stock Co, the Sam Thinh Packing Co, the Sam Cuong Telecom and Electronic Materials Co, and the Sam Phu Plastics Co.
According to Sacom statistics, 75% of the company’s products are bought up by the Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT). The company was expanding its market, however, by providing products to five other telecommunications enterprises in both domestic and regional markets.
Sacom shares traded last Friday at 183,000 VND, down a% from the previous session, at the HCM City Securities Trading Centre.
Source: VNA
Friday, May 18, 2007
EVN to invests in telecom network
Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) will invest an additional 24 trillion VND (1.5 billion USD) in its telecom network from now to 2010 to meet demands for technology and service supply.
The group will expand its cable systems to 80% of districts nationwide and increase transmission capacity of both domestic and international cable networks.
This year, the group will use 3.7 trillion VND to increase the number of its base transceiver stations (BTS) to 2,500. The figure will be boosted to 5,000-6,000 BTS, able to serve eight million subscribers.
It will also increase broadband and high-speed internet services in a bid to cover 10% of internet users.
Source: VNA
The group will expand its cable systems to 80% of districts nationwide and increase transmission capacity of both domestic and international cable networks.
This year, the group will use 3.7 trillion VND to increase the number of its base transceiver stations (BTS) to 2,500. The figure will be boosted to 5,000-6,000 BTS, able to serve eight million subscribers.
It will also increase broadband and high-speed internet services in a bid to cover 10% of internet users.
Source: VNA
Monday, May 07, 2007
VNPT and Bao Viet cooperate
The Vietnam Post and Telecom Group (VNPT) has entered into a cooperative deal with Vietnam's largest insurance firm Bao Viet to support mutual development.
Under the deal signed Monday in Hanoi, VNPT and Bao Viet Insurance Corp will work together as strategic partners, each reserving a major chunk of shares for the other to purchase on a mutual basis.
The leading telecom provider will support Bao Viet to develop advanced IT applications in the top insurer as well as its affiliates.
In return, the insurer would provide insurance services for VNPT’s business activities.
The new formal strategic cooperation with a leading insurer will enable VNPT to expand services and develop financial operations with the telecom business.
They will also assist each other in training staff, according to the agreement.
VNPT is in talks with the Bank for Development of Vietnam (BIDV) as a strategic partner to either set up or control a major portion of stakes in companies involved in the country’s forthcoming key mega projects.
These comprise the express way connecting the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay, the Vietnam-Laos Hydropower plant, Vietnam – Cambodia Hydropower plant, and a bank for trade, industry and services of Vietnam.
VNPT, last year, became a member of the ASEAN Telecom Holding Company (ATH/ACASIA), one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)'s leading primary network service providers, made up of the six leading telecom providers in the region, namely CAT, Indosat, JTB, PLDT, Singtel and Telekom Malaysia.
Bao Viet is set to offer an 18% stake to foreign investors while the state will retain 65.34% of ownership.
The top insurer will auction more than 59.4 million shares or 8.74% of the firm's total to the public and 0.7% to employees and the remaining 7.22% to strategic investors.
Further details on the auction were not available.
Bao Viet group has a registered capital of VND6.8 trillion (US$422) million.
Bao Viet Securities, a subsidiary of Bao Viet, listed on the Hanoi exchange last December.
The securities firm is a new business of Bao Viet which has said it would diversify into banking, financial leasing, real estate and public health insurance.
Vietnam's insurance sector has grown rapidly in recent years in line with the economy, which is targeted to expand 8.5% this year after growth of more than 8% in 2005 and 2006.
Source: Thanh Nien
Under the deal signed Monday in Hanoi, VNPT and Bao Viet Insurance Corp will work together as strategic partners, each reserving a major chunk of shares for the other to purchase on a mutual basis.
The leading telecom provider will support Bao Viet to develop advanced IT applications in the top insurer as well as its affiliates.
In return, the insurer would provide insurance services for VNPT’s business activities.
The new formal strategic cooperation with a leading insurer will enable VNPT to expand services and develop financial operations with the telecom business.
They will also assist each other in training staff, according to the agreement.
VNPT is in talks with the Bank for Development of Vietnam (BIDV) as a strategic partner to either set up or control a major portion of stakes in companies involved in the country’s forthcoming key mega projects.
These comprise the express way connecting the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay, the Vietnam-Laos Hydropower plant, Vietnam – Cambodia Hydropower plant, and a bank for trade, industry and services of Vietnam.
VNPT, last year, became a member of the ASEAN Telecom Holding Company (ATH/ACASIA), one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)'s leading primary network service providers, made up of the six leading telecom providers in the region, namely CAT, Indosat, JTB, PLDT, Singtel and Telekom Malaysia.
Bao Viet is set to offer an 18% stake to foreign investors while the state will retain 65.34% of ownership.
The top insurer will auction more than 59.4 million shares or 8.74% of the firm's total to the public and 0.7% to employees and the remaining 7.22% to strategic investors.
Further details on the auction were not available.
Bao Viet group has a registered capital of VND6.8 trillion (US$422) million.
Bao Viet Securities, a subsidiary of Bao Viet, listed on the Hanoi exchange last December.
The securities firm is a new business of Bao Viet which has said it would diversify into banking, financial leasing, real estate and public health insurance.
Vietnam's insurance sector has grown rapidly in recent years in line with the economy, which is targeted to expand 8.5% this year after growth of more than 8% in 2005 and 2006.
Source: Thanh Nien
Monday, April 23, 2007
Indochina Capital buys 15% equity stake of cable firm
London-listed Indochina Capital fund has acquired a 15% stake in the local telecom cable firm Viet Han Corp in central Quang Nam Province.
Peter Ryder, director of Indochina Capital said although the value of the deal was not released, it was the first investment in Vietnam for the newly-established US$500 million Capital Vietnam Holdings, listed with the ticker symbol ICV on the London Stock Exchange.
Under contract, Capital Vietnam Holdings will assist the cable firm in developing a business strategy and offering consulting services for its listing on the local stock exchange set for year’s end.
The securities company will provide the cable firm with consultings on business re-organization, initial public offering (IPO), and services on shareholders management.
The VND225 billion company was established in 2003 by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Corp, mainly producing telecom cables and optic cables.
Indochina Capital Vietnam Holdings, which is structured as a closed-end investment company, isn’t just investing in equities listed on the Ho Chi Minh stock exchange and over-the-counter stocks.
It will also look at private equity and potentially some derivatives and debt securities. And it can also invest in non-Vietnamese companies which have a material portion of their business or assets in Vietnam.
Indochina Capital is amongst Vietnam’s most established investment firms and an innovative leaders in growing financial markets
It manages Vietnam-focused funds with two distinct strategies in real estate and the capital markets including Indochina Capital Vietnam Holdings; Indochina Land Holdings; Indochina Land Holdings 2;Mekong Securities; and Indochina Capital Advisory and Finance.
Indochina Capital has invested in real estate in Vietnam for the past 15 years, having developed or financed projects worth more than $1 billion including offices, apartments and hotels.
Source: Thanh Nien
Peter Ryder, director of Indochina Capital said although the value of the deal was not released, it was the first investment in Vietnam for the newly-established US$500 million Capital Vietnam Holdings, listed with the ticker symbol ICV on the London Stock Exchange.
Under contract, Capital Vietnam Holdings will assist the cable firm in developing a business strategy and offering consulting services for its listing on the local stock exchange set for year’s end.
The securities company will provide the cable firm with consultings on business re-organization, initial public offering (IPO), and services on shareholders management.
The VND225 billion company was established in 2003 by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Corp, mainly producing telecom cables and optic cables.
Indochina Capital Vietnam Holdings, which is structured as a closed-end investment company, isn’t just investing in equities listed on the Ho Chi Minh stock exchange and over-the-counter stocks.
It will also look at private equity and potentially some derivatives and debt securities. And it can also invest in non-Vietnamese companies which have a material portion of their business or assets in Vietnam.
Indochina Capital is amongst Vietnam’s most established investment firms and an innovative leaders in growing financial markets
It manages Vietnam-focused funds with two distinct strategies in real estate and the capital markets including Indochina Capital Vietnam Holdings; Indochina Land Holdings; Indochina Land Holdings 2;
Indochina Capital has invested in real estate in Vietnam for the past 15 years, having developed or financed projects worth more than $1 billion including offices, apartments and hotels.
Source: Thanh Nien
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