Viet Co. Metfone cheat Khmer customers of promised "iPhones" ... what do you expect from a CHEATING Vietcong company?

CHEATING Metfone is owned by the Viet army

Angry Cambodians demand iPhones after competition "system error"

Dec 7, 2011
DPA

Phnom Penh - Two dozen Cambodians staged a protest after a leading mobile phone company texted them they had won iPhones and then refused to hand over the prizes, citing a technical error, media reports said Wednesday.

Metfone, Cambodia's largest mobile phone company with more than 6 million subscribers, texted dozens of subscribers telling them they had won Apple's latest model, the iPhone 4S, but when the winners, who had each paid 30 cents to enter the contest, came to claim the phones, Metfone refused to honour the claims, The Phnom Penh Post newspaper said.

One winner, Oung Sopheak, said he would not leave until he received his prize.

[Vietcong] Metfone’s major fibre expansion

Buddhist monks walk past a shop selling Metfone top-up cards on Street 240 in Phnom Penh yesterday. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)

Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Tom Brennan and Don Weinland
The Phnom Penh Post

Metfone has claimed to control more than 80 percent of Cambodia’s fibre-optic network, allowing it to reach every commune in the Kingdom.

The firm said it contributed 16,000 kilometres of fibre-optic backbone to Cambodia’s total of about 20,000 kilometres, citing a February report from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. The last 20 percent was split between Telecom Cambodia and Cambodia Fibre Optic Communication Network Company (CFOCN), the company said.

Metfone, which is owned by Viettel, a subsidiary of the Vietnamese military, claimed its cable deployment, all of which has been done since the company received an investment licence in 2006, was “13 times as high as the total national optical backbone developed by the whole country during previous 10 years”.

Kigdom of Wonder No More: We proudly feature Vietnamese companies and stores

Some countries, such as China, proudly feature US stores. No Sir, not in  the Kingdom of Wonder, we proudly feature Vietnamese owned stores and buildings.

Metfone Co. building. Metfone belongs the Vietnamese army

Metfone building and a partial view of Cambodia's largest supermarket

Cambodia's largest supermarket ... the Viet Nam supermarket

The [Vietnamese] Metfone ISP discriminates against KI-Media?

17 June 2011
Originally posted at http://learn4khmer.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/metfone-vs-kimedia/
Translated from Khmer by Ossdey
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

As we already know, the Metfone Co. is a rather popular phone company because it provides reasonable Internet access price. In the past, this company was accused by its Internet users because it is biased against the www.ki-media.blogspot.com, however, this issue was rejected by both the government and the Metfone Co. which claimed that there is no policy against shutting down this website.

However, recently, I also expressed in my various opinions that this website should not continued to be closed, but that it should change its domain name. Regarding this issue, I am not certain if thing is happening as what I complained about because I do not use Metfone as my ISP. Coincidentally today, during my lunch, I decided to use my laptop with the Free WIFI access provided by the restaurant. I proceeded to check the KI-Media website, but to my surprise, when I accessed KI-Media, I ended reaching the everyday.com.kh website instead.

Immediately, it occurred to me that Metfone must have been the Internet service provider for the restaurant. So I decided to ask an employee of the restaurant and the person confirmed to me that it was indeed the Metfone ISP. I attempted to open the KI-Media website several times, but the problem remains the same.

Therefore, you wonder if the Metfone Co. is really discriminating against KI-Media or not? For one thing, we know that Metfone is Vietnamese investment company.

KI-Media is popular website that usually openly criticizes the government. Earlier on, it was blocked once already, but numerous users complaints about [this blocking]. Currently, all websites hosted by blogspot can be accessed normally, with the single exception for KI-Media because when you try to reach ki-media.blogspot.com, the user is automatically transferred to everyday.com.kh instead.

Now, there is no need to worry about this company anymore, even if a website is blocked, you can still access it normally by using one of the following proxy server websites:

1. http://www.hidemyass.com
2. http://www.anonymizer.com
3. http://www.wujie.net
4. http://www.ultrareach.net
5. http://surfshield.net
6. http://www.guardster.com/subscription/proxy_free.php
7. http://anonymouse.ws/anonwww.html
8. http://www.browser-x.com
9. http://www.spysurfing.com
10. http://www.xerohour.org/hideme

These proxy server websites can open any blocked websites, for example, at my workplace, all access to Facebook has been blocked and cannot be accessed, but by the using the proxy server above, you can access any website you want.

Viet army's Viettel (and Merde-fone) settle in the Viet colony of Nambodia

Merde-fone ad in Sihanoukville

Viettel wins Cambodian hearts and minds

May, 17 2011
VNS (Hanoi)

KI-Media Note: Merde means excrement in French. Metfone had been rebaptized "Merde-fone", courtesy of Heng Soy

Viettel's MetFone boldly went where no firm had gone before – the Cambodian countryside. The move ushered in a telecom revolution. Pham Hoang Nam reports.

One day in late 2008, new graduate Tevy Lim chanced upon a recruitment notice from a new telecom company that said it wanted to offer services to all Cambodians, even those living in remote areas.

She decided to apply, mostly out of curiosity to see how long the company, MetFone, could survive in a market where seven big international operators were already present.

She tells Viet Nam News an interesting story about her job interview when she was asked by the interviewer if she believed MetFone could grow. She promptly replied "Impossible".

Wing partners with Metfone for money transfers

Thursday 23 September 2010
Telecomparer.com

ANZ's subsidiary Wing Cambodia, which provides mobile money transfer services, has partnered with mobile operator Metfone. Following the agreement, the service will be available for Metfone customers and the companies are discussing making Wing services available via Metfone's 190 stores, the Phnom Penh Post reports. Other Wing partners include Mobitel, Beeline, and Excell. Recently, Mobitel has launched its own mobile transfer service as well, following a USD 5 million grant from the GSM Association.

Facebook Being Blocked In Cambodia?

Thursday, 08 July 2010
By Tharum Bun
Eurasia Review

Cambodian Internet users today confirmed they're unable to access world's popular social networking site Facebook. The inaccessibility happens to subscribers of Metfone, which is owned by the Vietnamese military subsidiary Viettel.

Users get a message of 'Request timed out' when a user tries by pinging facebook.com, despite the connection being configured to use Google DNS or Open DNS. However, using freely available web proxies along with OpenDNS to access the site works.

According to Facebookers, a site that provides information about Facebook users, there are currently nearly 10,000 in Cambodia using the site every day.

Currently, other ISPs are not affected by this issue. Metfone users have to go through Facebook site via this IP address: 69.63.181.11, while those with WiCam access the site via 69.63.189.11.

Late last year, bloggers in Vietnam reported on the issue when many leading Internet Service Providers began blocking Facebook. Vietnamese blogger Huy Zing detailed in his blog post, FAQ on Vietnam block of Facebook.

Cambodia is the Vietnamese Militrary Viettel's war trophy?

Viettel prospers in Cambodia market

26-09-2009
VNS (Hanoi)

HA NOI — Viet Nam’s Military Telecom Corporation (Viettel) is now the largest telecommunications service provider in Cambodia, after launching its Metfone mobile service network in the Kingdom six months ago.

Metfone currently accounts for 60 per cent of all ADSL services and 50 per cent of the fixed phone market. It has 2 million mobile subscribers, ranking second among nine mobile service providers in Cambodia.

To facilitate the Cambodian people’s access to fundamental telecommunications services, Metfone has reduced its mobile service charges from 11 cents per minute to 9 cents per minute, and expects to adjust it down even further in the near future.

Additionally, Metfone is the sole provider of all telecommunications services in Cambodia, with its product distribution network covering even the most remote and isolated communes. It is also the sole provider of wireless fixed phone services, with nearly 20,000 subscribers in the country.

Along with business development in Cambodia, Viettel has invested US$5 million to carry out a three-year programme to introduce the internet to schools, subsidised 50 per cent of wireless fixed and mobile phone charges for poor people and sponsored an online television system, connecting the Government to localities across the country.

Metfone is expected to earn revenue of $50 million this year and provide 3G services in Cambodia early next year.

Metfone is also expected to have 2.6 million mobile subscribers and 3,000 transceiver stations covering all 24 provinces and cities of Cambodia, and the ability to provide affordable, high-quality services for customers by 2010.

Viet military-run telco installs 1,100 base transmission stations in Cambodia

Viettel installs 1,100 base transmission stations in Cambodia

Tuesday, 14 April 2009
TeleGeography

Viettel Cambodia, a subsidiary of Vietnam’s military-run telecoms service provider Viettel, has increased mobile coverage in Cambodia through the installation of 1,100 base transmission stations (BTSs), VietNamNet has reported. The cellco, which launched commercial services in Cambodia under the name Metfone in February 2009, said it would increase the number of BTSs in the country to more than 3,000 by the end of the year with the aim of providing coverage to the whole of the country. Metfone claims to be the only operator in Cambodia to charge for calls on a per-second basis and according to VietNamNet signed up 500,000 subscribers during a three-month trial period, which began in late 2008.

Free Vietnamese army eavesdropping service to go with that Metfone mobile phone?

Viettel inaugurates mobile phone network in Cambodia

February 20, 2009

Nhan Dan Online - Viettel opened its Metfone mobile phone network in Cambodia on February 19.

The Viettel ot the permit to carry out the project in June 2007. It has thus far successfully installed over 1,000 broadcasting posts and 5,000 kilometres of optical cable line, covering all of the Cambodian provinces and cities.

This year, the company planned to increase the number of broadcasting posts and the length of the optical cable line to 3,000 posts and 10.000 kilometres respectively in order to meet the Cambodian customers’ demand.

The Metfone mobile phone network has now attracted 500,000 subscribers.

Metfone is currently offering the lowest charges against other mobile phone networks in Cambodia.

The same day, Viettel announced its US$5 million fund to provide free internet service for 1,000 schools in Cambodia.