“The lack of bandwidth at the range of 2x15MHz makes it difficult for us to expand our 3G network and develop 3G subscribers,” Hanoi Telecom’s chairman Pham Ngoc Lang said.
Lang said the company would have to build more 3G Base Transmission Stations (BTSs) to compensate for the bandwidth inefficiency.
“This means we have to spend more money to develop the 3G network and it would reduce our competency in this emerging and competitive 3G market,” Lang added.
The government has recently asked the Ministry of Information and Communications to provide Hanoi Telecom at least 10 MHz of bandwidth more in order to help the fifth largest network to develop its 3G service.
Vietnamobile, a joint venture between Hanoi Telecom and Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecommunications International, had a market share of 8 per cent in 2012.