Mozambique, an African country, has a population of 23.4 million people. This almost 800,000s.q.km nation locates in the southeast of Africa. Regarding Africa, one could imagine a big tree called Adansonia digitatawith with huge shade, which symbolizes African countries and their people. Such a tree also presents in Mozambique. This African nation is among poor countries in the world. It has been left behind in the field of telecoms by various African countries. However, since 2011 when Viettel, a military telecommunications group, opened its representative company, Movitel, here, something has changed in this country. Movitel has become the third telecom provider in Mozambique.

Truong Viet Hung, 27, is among the youngest staff of Movitel in Mozambique. He is the head of a Movitel’s branch in Chokwe town, over 150km from the capital, Maputo. Hung is also the only Vietnamese of the branch’s staff who are responsible for offering telecom services for 35,000 peoples in seven districts in Gaza Province. Movitel’s young staff in Mozambique, like Hung, is not unusual.

In 2011, Movitel was licensed to operate and build a telecom infrastructure in Mozambique. To date, with 1,800 base stations and 12,600km fibre optic cable, Movitel has built a sustainable telecoms infrastructure in Mozambique which consists of 70 per cent of the telecoms infrastructure there. In this picture, two workers, a Vietnamese and a Mozambican, are erecting a fibre optic cable pole in Kombulastsci town, Tete Province, 1,700km from the capital.

Movitel has built the biggest distribution network in Mozambique with 50 stores and 25,000 selling spots in districts. On average, one or two Movitel’s staff offer direct telecom services to their consumers in each commune.

In three weeks, from April 24th to May 14th, 2012, Movitel has attracted 415,000 subscribers. Mozambicans are eager to queue in front of a Movitel’s agent to register as subscribers.

In order to offer services directly to each person, even the poor in remote areas, Movitel has opened mobile agents which sell SIM. In comparison with the two other telecom service providers in Mozambique, Movitel’s package cost is more attractive, especially for the poor. In the picture is a mobile agent in Madamba, bordering with Malawi.

The wisest thing of the pioneer is “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” with an aim to win the hearts of the local people. Therefore, on May 12th, 2012, a ceremony to wish Movitel well took place with traditional rites and the enthusiastic participation of various peoples in Tete.

Along with doing business, Movitel has also offered training courses and created jobs for local people. Many Mozambicans have been recruited into Movitel. In the picture, Movitel’s staffs in an Answering Centre in Maputo are answering customers’ questions. Recently, Movitel’s 27 Mozambican staffs have been trained in Viettel’s Human Resources Training Centre in Vietnam.

On May 14th, Colonel Nguyen Manh Hung (L), Viettel’s Deputy CEO and Major-General Pham Quang Vinh, Head of the Department of Planning and Investment under the Defence Ministry, arrived in Maputo in preparation for the opening ceremony of Movitel in Mozambique.

In the afternoon of May 15th, a press conference to announce the opening ceremony of Movitel and Viettel’s official business in Mozambique was held. This event drew the participation of a large number of Mozambican and international reporters. Various questions were raised. Regarding the question whether Movitel would be pleased to share telecom infrastructure with a new telecom service provider in the future if they would like to do business in Mozambique, Ms. Safura, Movitel’s CEO nodded. However, she was afraid of possible difficulty because their technology could not interact with advanced technology offered by Movitel.

The brand name Movitel has been spread in Mozambique. In the picture, a T-shirt with Movitel’s logo is being sold on the street in Maputo.

On the evening of May 15th, an inauguration ceremony of Movitel, full of Mozambique’s traditional colours, was held in the Capital of Maputo.

The inauguration ceremony drew the participation of the political circle of Mozambique. Mozambique’s President, Prime Minister and 18 Ministers attended the event. Mozambican President Armando Emilio Guebuza (third from the left) pressed the button to inaugurate Movitel in Mozambique.