A scene of Viettel working office. The group has organised a conference on managing telecome business. – Photo Vietnamnet

The telecommunications conference, titled "Viettel Global Experience Sharing Conference", created an opportunity for Viettel's employees from across the world to meet and share their experiences in managing and conducting their telecom business.

Employees participating in the conference arrived from Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia, and Timor Leste, as well as Haiti, Peru, Mozambique, and Cameroon. Also present were employees from Tanzania and Burundi.

The conference was divided into five workshops covering different subjects: business, technology, infrastructure, and information technology, as well as management.

This conference marks the first time that a multinational group from Viet Nam has hosted a global programme that gathers telecom operators from 10 countries. It provides Viettel the opportunity to introduce Viet Nam and the strengths of Vietnamese corporations to its international friends. Viettel, the largest mobile operator in Viet Nam, is currently proving its competence in the global telecommunications industry, with most of its overseas subsidiaries playing leading roles in their respective markets, both in terms of technology and business. Viettel has been gaining knowledge and experience in various fields through its investments and by doing business in different countries.

The group's total revenue in foreign countries last year rose 25 per cent, reaching US$1.2 billion, while its profit was $115 million, posting a 25 per cent year-on-year increase.

Viettel has applied for a licence and auction approval to invest in several African and East European countries. Investing in foreign countries has been one of Viettel's three main priorities. It aims to become a global company that ranks amongst the top 20 telecommunications groups in the world. Company officials expect to receive 20-25 investment licences for an overseas telecommunications network that will provide services to 500-600 million people by 2020.

Viettel allocated 3 million new mobile numbers

The Ministry of Information and Communications has recently approved the addition of digit "1" to the "096", "097" and "098" prefixes in mobile phone numbers operated by Viettel.

The move follows a ministerial decision on allocation of telecom codes and numbers.

With the addition of one digit, Viettel will have more three million 10-digit mobile phone numbers. With 11 mobile phone prefixes, Viettel, with 87 million phone numbers, becomes the largest owner of mobile phone numbers in the country, of which 27 million are 10-digit numbers and 60 million 11-digit ones.

On December 22, 2014, the ministry issued Circular No 22/2014/TT-BTTT about planning the country's telecommunication numbers. The circular will take effect on March 1.

The ministry said that the plan is being implemented since fixed phones were on the decline while mobile phones' market was expanding. The fixed phones have seven digit long prefixes while mobile phones have two. However, fixed phones account for about five per cent while mobile phones make up for about 95 per cent of the total Vietnamese subscribers.

Therefore, the ministry has decided to provide eight prefixes for mobile phones and only one for fixed line that can lead to a change in area codes. All 11-digit phone numbers of mobile network operators will be transformed into 10-digit ones. The change in area code will be implemented within two years. — VNS