Hanoi (VNA) – The number of mobile phone subscriptions nationwide stood at about127 million at the end of 2017, down 2.1 percent year-on-year.

The decrease cameas telecom providers withdrew unregistered SIM cards as directed by theMinistry of Information and Communications.

However, the suppliersstill posted high growth rates, such as Viettel Military Industry and TelecomsGroup with total revenue of 250.8 trillion VND (11.04 billion USD), up 9.4percent year-on-year, and accumulated profits of nearly 44 trillion VND (1.93billion USD), up 12 percent.

Vietnam Postsand Telecommunications Group (VNPT) also pocketed 5.01 trillion VND (220.44million USD) while MobiFone’s pre-tax profits was close to 5.6 trillion VND (246.4million USD).

Last year, thecompanies worked to expand their networks. VNPT, for example, deployed morethan 20,000 mobile stations (2G, 3G, 4G) across the country, bringing its totalnumber to 75,000, while putting into operation many broadband submarine cablesystems.

Viettel alsospent six months completing its new network, reaching even remote, border andisland areas with more than 36,000 4G stations.

The companieshave considered the industry-IT sector a spearhead in their business strategies.

Viettel earned12.5 trillion VND (550 million USD) from research and production activities.Meanwhile, VNPT has become a strategic partner of 52 out of 63 cities andprovinces nationwide in telecommunications and IT.

Apart fromopportunities, 2018 is forecast to pose challenges to the domestic telecomproviders’ efforts to maintain their market shares and achieve their goals inrevenue and development.

Experts saidtelecom suppliers are expected to face fierce competition in increasing mobilesubscriptions and market shares, urging they to improve service quality andrevamp business methods.

They cited theservice launched by the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications thatallows subscribers to change the telecom providers without having to changetheir phone numbers.

The fourthindustrial revolution, which comes with new notions like cloud computing,internet of things, artificial intelligence and big data, will also generate challengesfor Vietnamese telecom suppliers, they said.

The experts,therefore, suggested telecom providers create innovation and updatetechnologies to use the opportunities offered by the revolution.-VNA