VDC takes out Vietnam ICT Awards

Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnam Data Communication
gained three firsts at the Information and Communications Technology Awards 2008.

The Vietnam Data Communication, as announced recently, won best internet service
provider, best service and customer care provider, and service provider with the
highest volume of internet subscribers.

Information and Communications Deputy Minister Tran Duc Lai said the awards
process was conducted in a scientific manner with criteria established overtly,
objectively and logically.

The awards aimed to encourage organizations and enterprises to raise their
community service quality and customer care, said Lai, who is head of the
organising board of Vietnam ITC Awards.

They also encouraged the development of advanced quality management system in
Vietnam 's information and communication industries.

In addition, the organising board also conducted a poll to collect opinions and
ideas from organizations, enterprises and, experts in the IT sector and to obtain
comments on evaluating criteria.

In 2008, the ADSL market had three major competitors: VDC, military-run Viettel
and FPT Telecom. Viettel took the second place from FPT Telecom.

Experts in the ICT sector said ADSL development depended on infrastructure
including investment in broadband and a local telephone network.

Meanwhile, investment in broadband infrastructure and local telephone network
required great investment. Viettel mostly provides its ADSL service to provinces
and big districts.

Analysts said that in the ADSL service market, the Vietnam Post and
Telecommunication Corporation had increased their lead over other competitors by
providing a broadband internet service with more than 1.4 million Mega VNN
subscribers.

Two other internet service providers ranked after VNPT were FPT Telecom and
Viettel with around 700,000 ADSL subscribers.

VDC director Vu Hoang Lien said internet users complained about the service
quality of all domestic internet providers. Lien said being a State-owned
enterprise, VDC admitted it still had shortcomings in customer care service.

Meanwhile, the subscriber number of VDC has been expanded nationwide, thus making
customer care service more difficult than other competitors.

Lien said soon VDC would focus on building and planning a better process of
customer care service. He said he was committed to bringing customers the best
quality service at a reasonable price.-Enditem