The FTTx (fiber to the x) market has been heated up when network operators have launched a series of low-cost service packages. However, no agency has come forward and clarifies the quality of the packages.
The FTTx (fiber to the x) market has been heated up when network operators have launched a series of low-cost service packages. However, no agency has come forward and clarifies the quality of the packages.
By July 2011, seven FTTH (fiber to the home) service providers had appeared on the market which provided the packages with the fees between 1.5 million dong and 30 million dong a month, depending on the bandwidth speed. By that time, businesses had been the main clients of the service providers.
However, in the second half of 2011, Viettel, FPT Telecom and the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) continuously launched new service packages which have low fees, or have lowered the service fees in order to attract more users.
Viettel, for example, has launched FTTH Eco (12 Mbps) service, specifically designed for small enterprises or the offices, worth 350,000 dong, and FTTH TVN (10 Mbps), targeting families, worth 300,000 dong. Meanwhile, FPT Telecom has offered VDSL packages with the bandwidth from 15 Mbps to 18 Mbps.
To date, state management agencies have not announced quality standards for FTTx services. Therefore, the quality standards announced by service providers are the standards set up by themselves.
Representatives of FPT Telecom, CMC TI, Netnam, VDC/VNPT all have affirmed that besides the standards on the installation time and customer care services, applied to all kinds of services, the network operators have also announced the committed speed for FTTx services in order to ensure the benefits of FTTx service subscribers.
VNPT, for example, has committed the international bandwidth speed of between 640 Kbps and 2048 Kbps for the FTTH packages reserved for businesses. Meanwhile, FiberHomeTV package reserved for families (499,000 dong a month) has the committed speed of 256-384 Kbps.
FPT Telecom has also made commitments regarding the bandwidth speed with FTTH services. VDSL package, for example, which targets families (570,000 dong), has the committed speed of 640-768 Kbps, while FTTH package for businesses has the committed speed of 1024 Kbps.
Like FPT Telecom and VNPT, other networks such as Netnam, CMC TI all have made similar commitments.
As for Viettel, FTTH Office, FTTH Pro or FTTH Pub, which targets businesses, all clearly stipulate the speed of 640-1536 Kbps.
However, as for the service packages with surprisingly low fees, at less than 400,000 dong, just equal to that of ADSL services, targeting families, such as FTTH Eco or FTTH TV, Viettel has not made any commitments about the minimum bandwidth speed.
Chu Van Binh, Deputy Director of the Telecommunication Department under the Ministry of Information and Communication, said that the required standards on FTTx are being compiled by the Science and Technology Department of the ministry.
Binh went on to say that there are only the regulations stipulating the required standards for ADSL service, mobile and fixed line networks, while there has been no requirements on FTTx, state management agencies still cannot control the quality of FTTx service packages available on the market.
Meanwhile, on information technology forums, a lot of members have complained about the quality of low cost FTTH service packages. Some said that the maximum download speed from Rapidshare is only 250 Kbps, while ADSL old package once had the download speed of 560Kbps (the same download file).
Quocduytu, a member of HDVietnam forum, commented that the low cost FTTx packages have the “FTTx cover and ADSL content.” Meanwhile, other members said that the low quality of low cost packages does not surprise them, because network operators have to reduce the quality in order to reduce the fees.
Binh has affirmed that if the ministry receives a lot of complaints about the quality of the services, it will take inspection over the packages. However, he has revealed that even if discovering that the services have too low quality, the ministry will still not impose punishment, because the regulations on punishments have not come out yet.
 |
However, in the second half of 2011, Viettel, FPT Telecom and the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) continuously launched new service packages which have low fees, or have lowered the service fees in order to attract more users.
Viettel, for example, has launched FTTH Eco (12 Mbps) service, specifically designed for small enterprises or the offices, worth 350,000 dong, and FTTH TVN (10 Mbps), targeting families, worth 300,000 dong. Meanwhile, FPT Telecom has offered VDSL packages with the bandwidth from 15 Mbps to 18 Mbps.
To date, state management agencies have not announced quality standards for FTTx services. Therefore, the quality standards announced by service providers are the standards set up by themselves.
Representatives of FPT Telecom, CMC TI, Netnam, VDC/VNPT all have affirmed that besides the standards on the installation time and customer care services, applied to all kinds of services, the network operators have also announced the committed speed for FTTx services in order to ensure the benefits of FTTx service subscribers.
VNPT, for example, has committed the international bandwidth speed of between 640 Kbps and 2048 Kbps for the FTTH packages reserved for businesses. Meanwhile, FiberHomeTV package reserved for families (499,000 dong a month) has the committed speed of 256-384 Kbps.
FPT Telecom has also made commitments regarding the bandwidth speed with FTTH services. VDSL package, for example, which targets families (570,000 dong), has the committed speed of 640-768 Kbps, while FTTH package for businesses has the committed speed of 1024 Kbps.
Like FPT Telecom and VNPT, other networks such as Netnam, CMC TI all have made similar commitments.
As for Viettel, FTTH Office, FTTH Pro or FTTH Pub, which targets businesses, all clearly stipulate the speed of 640-1536 Kbps.
However, as for the service packages with surprisingly low fees, at less than 400,000 dong, just equal to that of ADSL services, targeting families, such as FTTH Eco or FTTH TV, Viettel has not made any commitments about the minimum bandwidth speed.
Chu Van Binh, Deputy Director of the Telecommunication Department under the Ministry of Information and Communication, said that the required standards on FTTx are being compiled by the Science and Technology Department of the ministry.
Binh went on to say that there are only the regulations stipulating the required standards for ADSL service, mobile and fixed line networks, while there has been no requirements on FTTx, state management agencies still cannot control the quality of FTTx service packages available on the market.
Meanwhile, on information technology forums, a lot of members have complained about the quality of low cost FTTH service packages. Some said that the maximum download speed from Rapidshare is only 250 Kbps, while ADSL old package once had the download speed of 560Kbps (the same download file).
Quocduytu, a member of HDVietnam forum, commented that the low cost FTTx packages have the “FTTx cover and ADSL content.” Meanwhile, other members said that the low quality of low cost packages does not surprise them, because network operators have to reduce the quality in order to reduce the fees.
Binh has affirmed that if the ministry receives a lot of complaints about the quality of the services, it will take inspection over the packages. However, he has revealed that even if discovering that the services have too low quality, the ministry will still not impose punishment, because the regulations on punishments have not come out yet.
(Source: Vietnamnet)
