Foreign mobile phone giants such as Nokia and Samsung have been making positive moves in the Vietnamese market, while domestic companies have hesitated.
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Workers assemble mobile phones at Samsung's factory in Bac Ninh Province
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Samsung recently announced that its Bac Giang-based factory had exported US$2 billion of goods since operations began in 2009, and it expected that figure to reach $3 billion this year.
Foxconn has also resumed operations at its Vinh Phuc plant and Nokia is planning to open a new plant in Bac Ninh Province with an investment of $280 million.
"The Nokia deal is important. Attracting investment from Nokia will bring many benefits in terms of labour, employment and competitiveness to the province," said Nguyen Nhan Chien, vice chairman of the Bac Ninh Province People's Committee.
Meanwhile, domestic manufacturers seem to have gone quiet.
Thuan Phat Imoso Joint Stock Company started the construction of a mobile and motherboard plant in Ha Noi's Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park in 2007, with an investment of $70 million. The company initially planned to open four factories in 2009, but eventually ended up with just one, at the end of 2010.
In response to local press, the Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park Management Board stated that it had urged the company to accelerate the implementation of the project, and would also consider scaling down the project to suit Thuan Phat Imoso.
In another case, Vina-Mobi Viet Nam Joint Stock Company was scheduled to open a cellphone factory in Da Nang in 2004 with an investment of $25 million, but the project was withdrawn in 2007 due to slow deployment.