Vietnam’s Vinaphone inks strategic deal with Vodafone

The partnership is part of the strategic cooperation framework agreement between Conexus Mobile Alliance, one of Asia's biggest mobile alliances, of which Vinaphone is a member, and Vodafone, the world's second-biggest mobile phone company, the Vietnamese company said on its website on Friday.

Under the strategic cooperation agreement, Vinaphone and Vodafone believe that they can share both sides’ advantages in markets, technologies, and experiences, to “bring the best possible experience and value to customers,” Vinaphone said in a statement.

Vinaphone is the only mobile network operator in Vietnam to have a strategic cooperation with Vodafone.

“The partnership will help improve the position of both parties in the Vietnamese market,” Vinaphone spokesman Do Xuan Hop said.

Hop added that Vinaphone customers will enjoy the greatest benefit from the new relationship, as it "will continue bringing high-quality and practical services to meet customer demand in the future.”

“Partnering with Vodafone will also help Vinaphone become better-known in more international markets,” the spokesman added.

Vinaphone also quoted Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao as saying that the cooperation will help drive services in the area of corporate customers, roaming, and value-added services.

“Vodafone can bring international products and services to Vietnam, as well as unique services for the demands of each market, as we have done all over the world,” Colao said.

Vinaphone, a subsidiary of state-run post and telecom giant VNPT, is the third largest mobile network operator in Vietnam, behind MobiFone and Viettel.

The company boasts 19.5 million prepaid subscribers and 2.2 million postpaid customers, according to a report dated August 19.

Vodafone Group is the world's second-largest mobile telecommunications company measured by both subscribers and 2013 revenues, behind China Mobile in both cases. It had 434 million subscribers as of the end of March.

The British firm owns and operates networks in 21 countries and has partner networks in over 40 additional countries.