HT Mobile begins shifting subscribers to S-Fone

15:54' 23/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – As of April 22, HT Mobile, a joint venture between Hanoi Telecom and Hutchison (USA), commenced “sending” its subscribers to S-Fone. This task will last for two months and the firm will officially put an end to its CDMA network on June 21, 2008.
HT Mobile’s subscribers can choose one of two options. They can keep their numbers and phones and use S-Fone services, which employ CDMA technology. In this case, they would still be HT Mobile subscribers, but temporarily use services provided by S-Fone. After two months, they would return to HT Mobile, and at that time HT Mobile would give them new GSM-supported mobile phones which have the same value as their old CDMA-supported phones.
The second option is using services of other mobile networks which use GSM technology. In this case, HT Mobile would partly help its customers to buy new phones.
The shifting service is now being provided at 100 offices of HT Mobile throughout the country. Subscribers can also perform the shift by registering through hot line 123 or sending SMS to 121. In this case they will receive a VND50,000 bonus in their accounts.
HT Mobile joined the telecom market on January 15, 2007, using CDMA 850MHz technology. This company’s goal was to have one million subscribers in 2007 but only achieved half of that. In early January 2008, the network petitioned to change its technology from CDMA to GSM, and the government approved its request.
The firm received a licence to supply e-GSM based mobile services on March 15.
There are six mobile networks in Vietnam, three using GSM technology – VinaPhone, MobiFone and Viettel – and three applying CDMA technology – S-Fone, EVN Telecom and HT Mobile.