Hanoi Telecom makes fresh play for EVN

Vietnam's Hanoi Telecom is ramping up efforts to acquire state-owned EVN Telecom, or at least prevent a merger between EVN and Viettel.

 

Hanoi Telecom has made a submission to the nation's competition department asserting that Viettel – another state-owned operator – should be allowed to merge with EVN, VietnamNet Bridge said. 

 

An EVN-Viettel merger would create an operator with more than half the nation's 3G spectrum. This would be a breach of competition law, the operator argues.

 

Hanoi Telecom, co-owner of the Vietnamobile brand with Hutchison International, offered to buy out cash-strapped EVN Telecom's spectrum and network assets in October, after the communications ministry suggested merging EVN with another state-run operator to help overturn a run of losses.

 

Hanoi Telecom had at the time said it has the cash ready to make an acquisition, and would offer the same price as EVN had invested.

 

Vietnamobile has a small market share compared to Viettel and its close rivals VinaPhone and MobiFone.