After 3G fees increased from October 16, many users reacted to the poor quality services provided by network operators.

Many mini apartments and landlords installed wifi transmitters after network operators increased 3G prices. Photo: M.Anh

In the past few days, customers have been reporting that 3G has been cut off, and free voice calling and texting services (OTT) have been booming, and people are rushing to install and use wifi.

Buy 3G, use… 2.5G?

October 16th is probably the biggest "loss of points" ever for telecommunications giants like Viettel, MobiFone, Vinaphone. What is worth mentioning here is not necessarily the additional 20,000 VND per month for subscribers of the network operators, but rather the quality of service that is not worthy of the money users spend. When the network operators provide 2G services and then upgrade to 3G, users still "swallow the bitter pill" and pay and receive "slow" service. With the old prices, users are "frustrated" but still accept it, but with the new price list, perhaps things have gone beyond the limit of restraint. The most obvious move is the declaration of many users that they will "cut" 3G.

Immediately after the price increase, many social networking sites began to form groups and associations to "boycott" 3G. On Facebook, a group called "Association of people who boycott 3G when network operators increase prices" immediately appeared. Currently, this group has had many participants and comments. The administrator of this Facebook page shared: "I am very upset about this price increase. If the 3G speed was improved, it would be fine, but the current network speed is only 2.5G at most, let alone 3G. Network operators should increase the transmission speed first before considering increasing the price. If the price increase also increases the service quality, that would be considered a good sign, because the quality of 3G is really too weak now, the speed is still too slow compared to the network operator's announcement."

Regarding the fact that network operators compare Vietnam's 3G prices with those of other countries in the region, members of this website "rebutted": "We should not only compare Vietnam's rates with those of other countries. If we see that they are lower, we just increase them while the quality of service, average income per capita, and basic salary are not compared... Network operators keep citing this or that reason just to increase prices, which is unacceptable."

Public wifi outbreak, free utilities

“I don’t use it anymore not because I feel sorry for the money but because I feel uncomfortable with the way the network operators work. The network operators should review their quality before increasing the price. I use Vinaphone’s 3G network, sometimes I can access it, sometimes I can’t, sometimes it gets cut off in the middle of important work. Increasing the price without improving the service quality and not investing more in infrastructure is unreasonable, it’s like picking the pockets of consumers.”

Member of Facebook page "3G Boycott Association".

When 3G rates were within the acceptable range of users, free messaging and calling applications had a modest number of users. However, after the network operators increased the rates, the number of users downloading and using these applications increased dramatically. Ms. Nguyen Thanh Binh (Me Tri, Tu Liem, Hanoi) said that in the past, she rarely used free messaging and calling applications such as Viber, Zalo, Wala, Line, WhatsApp, KakaoTalk... However, currently, these are the applications that she and her colleagues use thoroughly. According to Ms. Binh, the employees in her agency have also downloaded the above applications to use, some have limited or cut off 3G completely. “Before the 3G price increase, the quality was “slow as a turtle”, but now the price has increased, but the network quality remains the same, so no one is foolish enough to continue to stick with the network operators. Popular applications that help users send messages and make calls for free only take a few minutes to install and then use them freely”, Ms. Binh said

Technology forums have also recorded a similar move, switching from 3G to OTT services. Thus, the OTT “bomb” has been activated and once again “hit” the pockets of network operators. It is not known how the “post-3G fee increase” will benefit network operators, but they will have to face free services once again.

“Following” the increase in 3G prices by network operators, coffee shops, motels, and mini-apartment owners in Hanoi have simultaneously “attracted customers” by immediately installing wifi systems. Ms. Dinh Thi Dung, manager of a coffee shop on To Hieu Street, Cau Giay, said that up to now, shop owners have not paid much attention to technology, but after the network operator’s price increase, a series of coffee shops on this street have installed wifi, and the owner of her shop has just called for wifi installation. “When entering a shop, everyone asks if there is wifi, what is the password, if there is not, they will only come once and that is it. The increase in 3G prices is an opportunity for shops to compete with each other because users are gradually switching to wifi,” Ms. Dung said.

Many boarding houses are also sensitive to the times, installing wifi after the 3G price increase to "attract" people to rent. Not long ago, the owner of boarding house No. 9, Lane 1096, Lang Street invested in a wifi broadcasting system. After learning about the 3G price increase, this owner invested in another wifi transmitter to "upgrade" the signal for households in the area. Mr. Duc (Lane 165 Duong Quang Ham, Cau Giay) said that when 3G prices increased, residents in the boarding house asked him to install wifi. Boarding houses in Cau Giay, Tu Liem, Hoang Mai areas also made similar moves, most of them have recently invested in free wifi for tenants. Many households have also installed wifi transmitters for their own use.

According to family.net - NM