HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Vietnamese telecommunications operator Vietel has announced an exciting new tie-up with Bestinver Cameroon S.A.R.L to build mobile network Viettel Cameroon S.A.R.L and provide advanced integrated mobile services in the African country.

The joint venture is set to become the largest telecommunications company in the country, with 6,000 employees and a network covering 81 per cent of Cameroon.

Vietnamese telecommunications operator Viettel provide 3G mobile service in Cameroon with the support from IBM. Photo courtesy of Viettel Group

Phung Van Cuong, chief information officer of Viettel Group, said: "This agreement marks our significant commitment to Cameroon – the second African market we have invested in."

With smarter computing solutions from US-based IBM Corporation, the joint network will develops its 3G infrastructure and provide high-speed mobile data and voice services.

According to Pyramid Research, mobile phones are mostly used in Cameroon for voice calls and less for advanced data applications, due largely to infrastructure limitations. However, the introduction of integrated 3G data services has the potential to attract up to six million new subscribers by 2017.

"IBM's rich portfolio of smarter computing solutions is enabling us to provide next-generation wireless services at a much lower cost," Cuong said. "It will unleash new types of service in Cameroon."

"Those include things such as making a video call while surfing the internet, playing interactive games with distant friends, chatting online, connecting to multimedia apps through tablet devices, or paying for utilities or parking."

Under the agreement, Viettel Cameroon will provide information technology infrastructure for the new mobile services with capacity to handle approximately ten terabytes of data, while also managing the company's billing and customer relationship management systems.

Since early 2006, Viettel has rigorously invested in markets outside of Viet Nam, including Cambodia, Laos, East Timor, Haiti, Mozambique, Peru and now Cameroon.

Having invested more than $400 million in Cameroon, Viettel Group aims to expand to another 10-15 countries to cover a market of one billion users by 2020, with an average revenue growth rate of 20 per cent per year. — VNS