MobiFone staff serve customers in an office in Ha Noi. —VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Lam

HA NOI (VNS) — The Ministry of Information and Communications should give State-owned mobile carrier MobiFone access to greater market share in a bid to stay competitive in the lucrative mobile phone market.

At the 20th anniversary ceremony of MobiFone, Viet Nam's first mobile network, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the ministry to assist the company in acquiring sufficient investment funds for development and to stay competitive in both domestic and international markets.

Meanwhile, he urged MobiFone to focus on fulfilling three major tasks: modernising networks; keep its leading position in the local market; and boost expansion to international markets.

Phuc appreciated MobiFone's efforts in recent years to invest in the international market, which included setting up internet transmission lines in the US, Singapore, Hong Kong, Czech Republic and the recent representative office in Myanmar.

The Ministry of Information and Communications last month rejected a proposal by the Viet Nam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) for the merger of their two mobile network companies, Vinaphone and MobiFone.

The ministry made clear that a VNPT restructuring must be in accordance with the Government telecommunications plan, in which Viet Nam must have three to four large telecommunications groups.

The ministry said restructuring must allow continued operations of the three strongest telecommunications brands in Viet Nam, namely, Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone, which each is worth billions of US dollars.

The ministry will instruct VNPT to build another restructuring plan to submit to the Government within this year. — VNS