It is said the year 2007 is the “Year of CDMA”. What do you think about this opinion?
I think it would be more suitable to say “the year 2007 is the start of 3G of Vietnam”. In the coming years, CDMA will bring particular values for everyone and every industry.
HT Mobile has exerted much effort to increase its position in Vietnam, in spite of many weak points. What do you think about this?
They launched the service only several months ago, and weaknesses are inevitable. But, in light of the services they provide, the weakness is minor. I myself extremely admire them, especially in the current severe market.
Will CDMA mobile phone networks expand services or merely maintain the two main services of calling and SMS?
If network operators use the state-of-the-art technology for just two services, it is actually very wasteful. I believe they will maximally exploit the technology’s superior features to occupy the market and improve business efficiency.
At present, QUALCOMM Indochina seems to have little influence on CDMA technology in Indochina in general and Vietnam in particular. CDMA mobile networks in Vietnam still rely on foreign networks like SK or Hutchison.
QUALCOMM is a vanguard in CDMA platforms (for both 1X and WCDMA). We are not a network operator or a producer of equipment. At present, we are carrying out more than 25 different supporting projects in Vietnam, and will continue developing other concrete supporting activities in Vietnam as well as throughout Indochina.
Do you think poor infrastructure prevents CDMA networks in Vietnam from providing utility services for customers?
To provide utility services, mobile phone networks must have development steps and meticulous preparation. They have to set up a frequency band, stabilise network operations, set up orientations for the service launch, test service quality via network and terminals, test charge calculation parameters, sign contracts with application service providers and outline business and advertisement plans. All these activities take effort and time; hence, although they want to provide utility services to customers immediately, they must proceed carefully step by step, as they lack experience. If they make even the smallest mistake, they may face network inactivity, disrepute and even lawsuits. I think we only need to wait for a short time.
K. Phuong
Vietnamese
