Việt Nam in Transition – Mobile Phones

12 million.

That’s how many mobile phones were in use in Việt Nam as of January 2006.  That means approximately 15% of Việt Nam’s citizens own a mobile phone.  As I was leaving class the other day, I looked at the back of the room and saw a student using her phone for text messaging.  Knowing there was a break between the end of my class, and the beginning of the next, she took advantage of the time to catch up with friends.

A couple of nights earlier, another student was visiting us in our apartment.  Can you guess?  Yep – the phone rang, there was a polite “Excuse me”, and she answered her call.

No – I wasn’t upset.  Mobile phones are so ubiquitous in Việt Nam, they are just an ordinary part of daily life. 

Our Guest House is in a newer area of Huê where some gorgeous new homes are located.  As yet, there are few (if any) zoning laws here, and folks have not made the leap to worrying about property values.  On my way to work, I pass by this huge new house – with a tall mobile phone antenna perched on top.  Hey – the newly rich of Huê must get their phone service somehow.

During a recent môto trip to the countryside, I was about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Huê when I got curious.  I took out my mobile phone to see if I could call the Mystery Guest Blogger if I needed to.  Sure enough, I had five pegs on my phone.

It is much easier to bring telephone service to the countryside and remote areas of Việt Nam using wireless technology than it is to string wires to every home.  The growth is phenomenal.

And yes – you do see motorbike riders talking on their mobile phone while riding.

Comments

[Tom Murray]

The mobile phone thing in Vietnam is so very interesting. A factor that makes it even more interesting is that research shows people in Asia overwhelmingly get their Internet over cell phones. This is interesting because, unlike the Western world, all of Asia is not limited to phone land lines or cables to get the Internet. While the western world tries to expand use of computers it is limited by the wired infrastructure we all depend upon. Asia, however, does not face these limits. It is said they think of their computers and Internet in far different ways and subsequently are poised to pass the western world so fast that unless things change the western world may be left behind.

It may not be as black and white as I've presented, but it is an issue that many upper level computer people are discussing in the USA.

Tom Murray

[Tu Cong Van]

Vietnamese loves mobile phone and they follow the updating everyday. mobile phone in Viet Nam is very expensive too.
Very interesting post Dough- Cheers

[Matt]

We're involved in a project at the moment to find sites nationwide for mobile phone signal repeaters. In the not too distant future the majority of the country should get decent reception.

[KCA]

I advise you to check this link http://www.idrc.ca/mapasia/cone_mapasia.swf, u will have some useful numbers regarding the phone, ti vi and more.

[HanoiMark]

I've heard the mobile phone in Asia referred to as "leapfrog technology". Vietnam has lept over landlines and the West in the use and adoption of mobile phones. It's incredible how they are used in ways we don't in the West (mostly for text, as portable jukeboxes, for slideshows,etc.). I do think the West will be left behind when it comes to this sort of technology.

[hikaru]

Vietnam (and Asia in general) has environmental and economic factors which have lead to the advancement of wireless technologies such as cellular phones:

-Dense metropolis islands amid a sea of rice patties vs. Occidental urban sprawl.
-The high cost of personal computer ownership amid the relatively low per capita income.
-The lack of preexisting, outdated copper telecom infrastructure.
-Non-autombile mass transit.