When it comes down to it, being Capitalist is a lot like being a pirate or a Viking -- you pillage and plunder a town until the wealth runs dry, and then move on to the next town. Wireless operators operate on the same principle, milking growth from home markets until they saturate, and then move on to emerging markets.
Russian wireless operator VimpelCom
VimpelCom is hoping to take advantage of Vietnam's relatively low penetration rate -- 32% by CEO Alexander Izosimov's estimate -- and add more customers. If VimpelCom can replicate the success it has experienced in tapping growth in smaller markets such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the company has a better chance of keeping up the brisk 50%+ revenue growth rate it has seen over the last several years.
VimpelCom isn't alone, either. While behemoth China Mobile
While China Mobile is steering clear of saturated markets such as Europe and the United States, other operators are braving the developed regions. Leading South Korean wireless services provider and Motley Fool Global Gains recommendation SK Telecom
In fact, it's hard to find any sizeable operator that doesn't have its hands in other markets. AT&T
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