While the number of new land line phones fell by 58 per cent during the period, new mobile accounts increased by 18.4 per cent, the ministry said.

The total number of telephone subscribers nationwide grew to 135.9 million by the end of the first half of the year, an increase of 23 per cent. Of this figure, 15.2 million were landline subscribers, a decline of 1.8 per cent from a year earlier, while the total of 120.7 million mobile subscribers represented an increase of 2.8 per cent over the previous year.

The country also had 4.4 million internet subscribers and 32.4 million internet users by the end of June, increases of 26 per cent and 10.4 per cent, respectively, the ministry said.

Despite gains, the mobile phone market has witnessed markedly slower growth this year compared to previous years, acknowledged the deputy head of the ministry's telecommunications department, Nguyen Xuan Tru.

Tru attributed what growth there was in the market not to new subscribers but mostly to existing subscribers who switch network operators in response to discount and promotion offers.

Tru said the department would increase its oversight of this prepaid market as well as on abuse of promotions and rate discounts in order to ensure the sustainable development of the telecommunications market.

New mobile subscriptions in Vietnam have skyrocketed in recent years, reaching 19 million in 2006, 25 million in 2007, 74 million in 2008, 98 million in 2009 and 120 million in 2012.

Source: VNS