Hutch rocks Hanoi with GSM network launch

Emerging markets spin off Hutchison Telecommunications International (HTIL) said Wednesday that it will launch its GSM network in Vietnam on Thursday, April 9.

Vietnamobile, which is a partnership between Hutchison Telecom and local operator Hanoi Telecom, will offer GSM services in 64 provinces in Vietnam.

Until recently, Hutchison Vietnam ran a CDMA network owning a miniscule share of the local market, and prompting the partnership with Hanoi and a switch to GSM.

The Vietnamese market is dominated by GSM players Viettel, MobiFone and VinaPhone, with smaller CDMA-based offerings from S-Telecom and EVN Telecom.