New virtual mobile network Pottel targets int’l tourists in Vietnam

New player targets travel SIM market

Pottel’s travel SIM service is designed to help foreign visitors get connected soon after arriving in Vietnam, with a simplified activation process and data packages tailored to different usage needs and lengths of stay.

The service particularly targets short-term travelers who need Internet access for navigation, communication, bookings, and other activities during their trips.

Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) provides the technical network infrastructure, while Vietnam Post develops the Pottel brand, products, distribution network, and customer service.

Before Pottel entered the market, Vietnam already had five MVNO players: iTel of Indochina Telecom, Wintel of Masan Group, Local of ASIM Telecom, Vnsky under VNPAY, and FPT SIM of FPT Retail.

Earlier, under a license issued by the Authority of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Science and Technology in December 2025, Vietnam Post was authorized to establish a nationwide terrestrial public mobile telecommunications network without using its own radio-frequency spectrum.

The licensed services include voice calls, text messaging, transmission for machine-to-machine connectivity, and Internet access.

Small market, fierce competition

Vietnam’s traditional mobile market is already saturated, leaving limited room for newcomers to compete.

Pottel’s arrival not only adds another name to the MVNO segment but also reflects a broader push by companies with large distribution ecosystems into niche telecommunications services.

According to Mordor Intelligence, Vietnam’s MVNO market was valued at an estimated US$233 million in 2025 and is projected to reach $285 million by 2030.

Subscriber numbers are forecast to rise from 3.95 million to 4.7 million over the same period.

Despite that growth, MVNOs still account for only a small share of Vietnam’s mobile market.

Government data showed that the country had about 2.65 million MVNO subscribers in 2023, equivalent to 2.1 percent of the total. Vietnam aims to raise the share to five percent by 2028.

However, the figure remains modest compared with the more than 120-130 million mobile subscriptions nationwide.

Competition is also intense.

Revenue generated by MVNO subscribers is also generally lower than that of traditional mobile operators, at around VND50,000-70,000 ($1.9-2.7) per month compared with VND150,000-200,000 ($5.7-7.6).

Infrastructure leasing can account for 60-70 percent of MVNO costs, putting further pressure on profit margins.

A key reason is that major mobile network operators such as Viettel, VNPT/VinaPhone, and MobiFone already have extensive coverage and continue to offer low-cost data packages, leaving MVNOs with increasingly little room to compete on price.

Vietnam Post said its entry into telecommunications is part of a strategy to expand its digital ecosystem.

While its postal network has traditionally handled the physical flow of goods, telecommunications will allow the company to expand into data, information, and connectivity services.