On December 29, 2018, the Ministry of Information and Communications issued Circular No.48/2017/TT-BTTTT regulating connection fees for voice calls from local land-based fixed telephone networks to the National land mobile phone network and connection fees for voice calls between two national land mobile communications networks. The Circular took effect on May 1, 2018.

Accordingly, Circular No.48/2017/TT-BTTTT regulates the connection fee for voice calls as follows:

1. If a landline network subscriber calls a mobile number, the mobile network operator will be paid 320 VND per minute.
2. For connection between mobile networks, the charge rates shall be determined on a case-by-case basis: In case of calling the subscribers of the Viettel network, the outgoing mobile phone network shall have to pay Viettel 400VND per minute; By calling MobiFone, VinaPhone, Vietnamobile, Global Mobile Telecommunications, the mobile network will have to pay 440 dong per minute.
3. The above-mentioned connection charge rates shall cover the connection charge rates paid to enterprises when they are indirectly connected via domestic long-distance networks but exclusive of value added tax.

The Ministry of Information and Communications requires telecommunication enterprises to provide voice and cellular telephone connection services of the mobile networks and local networks to publicize price information and post up prices strictly according to the provisions of the Law on Telecommunications, Law on price and related guiding documents.

In general, it can be seen that compared with the previous circular regulating the cost of voice calls between two mobile communications networks, the new charge stipulated in Circular No. 48/2017/TT-BTTTT have been reduced 20%. Thus, the Circular is significant in promoting the development of mobile communication services, contributing to the implementation of the policy of modernization, application of information technology in Revolution 4.0 set by the Government.