Gmobile the new name in the game

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Though late October 2012 is the deadline for the Global Telecommunications Corporation (Gtel) to stop using Beeline trademark under an agreement with Russian partner VimpelCom when it acquired entire 49 per cent stake from VimpelCom in late April, Gtel’s GTel Mobile declared to stop using Beeline trademark from September 17 and instead using new trademark Gmobile.

“Though Beeline trademark was no longer in use, the new brand will inherit the previous brand’s strengths and advantages to bring development to a new high,” said GTel Mobile general director Nguyen Van Du.

Du said the firm would mull over economic efficiency when it came to set up base transceiver stations (BTSs) for the new brand in current hostile business climate.

“Gmobile’s top target is to optimise product and service quality to ensure effective operation based on existing fundament,” GTel Mobile’s business director Nguyen Hoang Hai underscored.

Accordingly, Gmobile will continue using previous Beeline Billionaire service package. Particularly, the Billionaire package 3 was launched into the market coinciding with the time new brand Gmobile was promoted at price VND35,000 ($1.6) for connection kit, including one Simcard Gmobile and associated account worth VND1 billion or $47,600 to be valid in 10 years.

With this service package, customers only need to activate one time for using the Billionaire account in 30 days instead of activating everyday as with previous Billionaire packages.

GTel Mobile figures show that Gmobile subscribers amount to approximately three million at present which is expected to scale up to five million by the year’s end.

Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) figures show GTel Mobile’s market share was modest at 3.21 per cent in 2011, far below those of top three players Viettel, VinaPhone and MobiFone.

Also according to MIC, telecom sector revenue shows signs of trending downward. For instance, it shed 26 per cent on-year in 2011, particularly revenue coming from mobile services slid 5.6 per cent to $5.42 billion in 2011 from $5.74 billion in 2010.

The MIC attributed sliding revenue to mobile services providers taking move to hike service fees on the back of stiff market competition to woo customers.

From May 2012 up to present, Gmobile has developed about 600 BTSs throughout the country and envisages having in place around 1,000 BTSs in 2013.