Hanoi Times – Vietnam will benefit greatly from the implementation of Third Generation (3G) technology next year, according to GSMA, a global association for the mobile phone technology.

“Mobile Broadband should boost economic growth and create jobs by narrowing the digital divide between those who have access to high-speed Internet and those who don’t,” said Ricardo Tavares, GSMA’s senior vice president for public policy.

At a seminar on 3G held earlier this week by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MTC) and GSMA, Tavares said mid-2008 is the perfect time for Vietnam to start implementation of 3G as most mobile phone operators are finalising their preparations for the technology.

“Mobile phones have brought voice communications to hundreds of millions of people in Asia not served by fixed lines. Now is the time to bring about 3G ... to give these people access to high-speed Internet and other multimedia services,” he said.

MTC’s Deputy Minister Le Nam Thang said the Vietnamese Government has created favorable conditions for telecom companies to apply 3G and the ministry hopes to test telecom firms 3G readiness early next year.

The government in October instructed MTC to grant licences to telecom firms to provide 3G and Wimax services.

Vietnam ’s telecom sector expects to reach a turnover of US$6-7 billion in 2010, which promises a sizeable market for 3G.

The price of 3G-enabled cell phones will be reduced slowly in the time ahead to make the service more accessible for average Vietnamese incomes.

Mobile phone operators with 3G would provide more value-added services such as real time video telephone, video streaming and high-speed Internet.

3G WCDMA/HSPA technology is hugely popular around the world, representing around 68 percent of 3G networks.

According to GSMA, the association represents more than 700 GSM mobile phone operators in 218 countries and territories worldwide.