ETL to launch 3G in Laos next month

ETL will be the third operator in Laos to launch 3G

ETL will provide 3G Internet access for notebooks and tablets via 3G USB dongles and 3G SIM cards for mobile phones and tablets.

ETL (Enterprise of Telecommunications Lao) will officially launch their 3G service in August after having spend 6 month preparing the network. The company claims that the new 3G service will make a wider range of media and information services available to customers through their mobile phones and tablets, however there was no information available on what kind of media and services they will provide.

Lao Telecommunications Company (LTC) and StarTelecom Co Ltd (Unitel) also provides 3G in Lao both.
With ETLs 3G launch VimpelCom Lao Co Ltd (formerly Tigo) remains the only operator in Laos without 3G.
No particular 3G service or content has been made available in Laos since the introduction of 3G.

ETL expects to attract an additional 220,000 mobile phone customers this year. Company Director General Mr Khammouane Xomsihapanya reported in March this year that ETL had over 985,000 mobile phone customers, up 3.6 percent from 2009, an increase of about 3 percent and around 3,500 Internet customers, up 156 percent from 2009.

ETL has 10 branches and six service units, 914 mobile phone base stations, and a network that services cities, rural villages and overseas locations. It now holds about 37 percent of the market share in the Laos telecommunications sector, with mobile phone service covering 5,683 villages in 143 districts, or about 65 percent of all villages nationwide. Income is expected to rise to 453 billion kip (US$56.4 million) and the contribution to national revenue to climb to over 79 billion kip (almost US$10 million) this year.

Laos currently has four operators: LTC, ETL, Unitel and VimpelCom Lao Co Ltd.