Mobile phones have been fully adopted into Vietnamese culture. This industry is developing rapidly, and it is really easy to get a mobile at an affordable price.
Vietnam has around seven mobile operators but the three main ones are the following:
The government announced merger plans between VinaPhone and MobiFone in June 2012.
The packages offered by mobile phone companies are both prepaid and postpaid. Some mobile operators offer special contracts, for international students for instance, and all of them are available on their websites. To subscribe to one of those packages, people generally have to present a valid ID card.
It is also possible for expatriates who have unlocked cell phones to buy SIM cards. In this case, there is no need to establish a contract. The minimum price for a SIM card is less than US$3. It is possible to buy SIM cards in post offices and designated phone shops.
Getting a Vietnamese SIM card (and consequently a Vietnamese number), allows you to get all national incoming calls totally free of charge.
As for domestic calls within Vietnam, the country is divided into 3 zones, which each have their own tariffs:
For calls within the same zone:
For calls between Zones 1 and 2:
For calls between Zones 1 and 3 and Zones 2 and 3:
International calls:
USA
Peak: $1.04 USD
Off Peak: $0.86 USD
Europe, Australia and New Zealand
Peak: $1.14 USD
Off Peak: $0.94 USD