Vinaphone, MobiFone to Reduce SMS Charge

Vinaphone and MobiFone, Vietnam's two largest cellphone networks operated by the Vietnam Post & Telecoms Corporation (VNPT), has a plan to reduce the charge of their SMS (Short Messaging Service) from the current VND500.

Accordingly, the SMS charge will be reduce to between VND350 and VND400 for an intra-network message and between VND400 and VND450 for an inter-network message.

VNPT has also asked the Ministry of Post & Telecoms for permission to reduce the call charges and monthly subscription of its two networks.

If approved, the monthly subscription will be VND50,000-73,000 and the call charge will be VND636-727 for every 30 seconds for a post-paid subscriber. A prepaid subscriber will be subject to a call charge of between VND1,000 and VND1,182 for every 30 seconds.

“It’s unlikely that the new charges will be applicable from July 1 as planned but they will surely be applied within July,” said VNPT deputy director Tran Manh Hung.

• VNS