FPT Telecom dials in ambitious investment plan

Why did you choose Cambodia to expand and what are your future overseas investment plans?

Cambodia has high potential, which is now the second largest market among Indochina countries. It has its own advantages, such as very fast techonologisation process, which took much time in Vietnam.

We expect to open the fourth branch in Siem Riep on June 13 and the fifth one in August this year. Together with three previous branches, FPT Telecom will present in five main cities in Cambodia, then we will deeply develop the market with better services.

Besides, FPT Telecom aims at many other markets such as Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh and some South American ones. All details are ready, but we cannot release them at this time. We are in the process of research and development (R&D) and human resource preparation. It is expected we will start these plans in the next three months at the earliest.

In 2012, FPT Telecom made the biggest contribution to FPT's revenue. What were your business results for last year and targets for this year?

It is true that among member companies under FPT group, FPT Telecom reached the highest profit in 2012 with VND685 billion ($32.9 million). The revenue was reported at VND3.2 trillion ($153.8 million) last year.

In 2013, we expected to gain the revenue and profit of VND4.5 trillion ($216.3 million) and VND855 billion ($41.1 million), up 40 per cent and 26 per cent year on year, respectively.

In addition, in the first four months of this year, we reached about 115 per cent of the year plan for revenue and profit.

The difficult economy has blunted consumers' demand. Has it damaged your business?

Of course, because FPT Telecom's customers are not only individuals, households but also enterprises. Since 2008 when many countries faced economic crisis, we had preparations and last year, we changed the focused customers into the foreign-invested enterprises sector. Thanks to preparation in advance, we reached a good result. FPT Telecom International Company, member of FPT Telecom which specialised to supply services for FIEs, grew 30-40 per cent per year. I think optimistically, in 2014 this economic situation can improve.

How about your general strategy for the upcoming time?

We now invest in the broadcasting sector, in aspect of technology and transmission, with the goal to supply a higher quality and diversified for customers.

Along with the common strategy of the whole FPT group, we will set up the base and applications for customers, depending cloud computing and large-sized data processing system.

In the next five years, FPT Telecom targets to remain in the top three with Viettel and VNPT. We also seek for opportunities in the mobile phone sector. At this moment, we just focus on fixed telephones and will continue to broaden the market. Currently, we are present in 50 provinces through the country and some overseas markets such as Laos and Cambodia.