Internet service providers join hands against bill defaulters

The 10 biggest players, Viettel, VNPT, MobiFone, FPT Telecom, SPT, CMC Telecom, HTC-ITC, Indochina Telecom, Netnam, and VTC Digicom, have agreed that when any of their subscribers do not pay Internet bills, the information would go to a common database to be blacklisted by all the rest of them.

They said there are people who fail to pay Internet bills and promptly sign up with a different service provider, and the industry's agreement was to prevent that.

Nguyen Phong Nha, deputy head of the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority, said the law allows businesses to share information with each other about customers who fail to pay bills.

There are 40 businesses providing Internet services and all the rest should join hands as well, he added.

The agreement will be trialed until Dec. 31 before officially taking effect.