ABC Communications (Holdings) has entered into a joint venture to set up paging services in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The company is required to put in an initial US$400,000 for its share of the project with Ho Chi Minh City Posts and Telecommunications. ABC deputy managing director Patricia Yeung Shuk-kwan said the company's investment would be used to buy equipment with a capacity to serve up to 5,000 subscribers. She said the Vietnamese would contribute capital and human resources. The paging services, to be operated under the name of ABC, are expected to be available in autumn, and to run for a 12-month introductory period. Ms Yeung said Vietnam's rapid economic growth, with seven per cent gross domestic product growth last year, had resulted in strong demand for personal telecommunications services. She said the terms of co-operation, including the shareholding in the venture, would be finalised after the introductory period. After that, ABC would be offered a 10-year co-operative agreement with the telecommunications authority, renewable for a further 10 years.
