Vietnamese military-run telecom operator Viettel reviews spectacular uptake figures since launching its 5G cellular community in mid-October 2024. Inside two weeks, the agency attracted 3 million 5G customers, reaching 4 million in late December.
Whereas 5G has been out there in lots of Asian markets for a while, customers in Vietnam had been pressured to attend for his or her first style of the brand new expertise.
Viettel First to Market
The nation’s three largest cellular community operators (MNOs) had been awarded 5G-suitable spectrum within the first half of final yr. Since 2020, every has carried out wide-ranging industrial checks of the next-generation expertise.
In March 2024, Viettel was the primary to be awarded a 2500MHz-2600MHz spectrum license, with plans to deploy the expertise “as quickly as attainable.” Later that month, VNPT-VinaPhone received a license for 3700MHz-3800MHz spectrum. MobiFone adopted with a 3800MHz-3900MHz license in July.
In September, Nokia of Finland introduced a “main” settlement with Viettel to roll out 5G tools and modernize 4G infrastructure.
The venture covers 22 provinces throughout the nation. It makes use of Nokia’s 5G AirScale portfolio of options, which incorporates Nokia’s next-generation AirScale baseband options, Large MIMO radios, and Distant Radio Head merchandise. Based on Nokia, the tools was manufactured domestically.
By the community launch on October 15, Viettel claimed to have put in greater than 6,500 5G base transceiver stations, protecting all 63 provincial capitals, industrial zones, vacationer websites, ports, airports, hospitals, and universities.
Viettel’s 5G community boasts obtain charges between 700 Mbps and 1 Gbps, about ten instances quicker than 4G, with near-zero latency.
The agency’s 5G community boasts obtain charges between 700 Mbps and 1 Gbps, about ten instances quicker than 4G, with near-zero latency. It gives each non-standalone and standalone 5G architectures.
Viettel went on to launch 5G Open RAN infrastructure in November, with greater than 300 websites scheduled for deployment by the top of Q1 2025.
VNPT December Launch
On December 20, 2024, Viettel was joined within the 5G market by rival operator VNPT-VinaPhone, which is utilizing its 3.7GHz-3.8GHz spectrum to supply obtain charges of as much as 1.5 Gbps.
Like Viettel, VNPT VinaPhone is working with Nokia on its 5G rollout beneath a contract inked in October.
VNPT-VinaPhone is a completely owned subsidiary of Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), itself owned by the Vietnamese authorities.
Alongside its two most important opponents, the third 5G licensee, MobiFone, can also be a state-owned enterprise. It’s anticipated to launch 5G providers within the first half of 2025.
In October 2024, MobiFone signed an MoU with Swedish vendor Ericsson to collaborate on establishing a 5G Innovation Hub at MobiFone’s premises in Vietnam. The Innovation Hub will likely be utilized to develop new 5G use instances in collaboration with companions in Vietnam and different elements of the globe.
Aggressive Market
In 2010, Vietnam’s complete variety of cellular subscriptions exceeded 100 million, a milestone reached by simply eight different international locations worldwide at the moment.
Based on the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority, the variety of subscriptions has fluctuated lately, following makes an attempt by the authorities to crack down on SIM possession to make sure all customers are accurately registered.
Altering Fortunes
Vietnam’s Cellular Market
This led to a ten.8% contraction of the market in 2017. The subscription complete rebounded by 13.4% the next yr earlier than dropping by a median of two.0% in 2019-2021 as the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic led to full lockdowns, which hindered cellular operators’ offline gross sales and advertising actions.
As COVID-19 restrictions eased, development returned in 2022 earlier than a renewed try and crack down on SIM possession led to a 2.5% decline in subscriptions in 2023.
As of June 30, 2024, the market complete stood at 124.64 million subscriptions. Inhabitants penetration stays excessive, skyrocketing from solely 23% on the finish of 2006 to over 100% simply three years later. By mid-2024, it reached roughly 125%, though this is kind of in keeping with the regional common.
Based on TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Viettel, VNPT-VinaPhone, and MobiFone managed 95.8% of the market in mid-2024. At the moment, Viettel alone held properly over half of complete cellular subscriptions.
Viettel is a unit of Army Trade and Telecommunications Group, itself wholly owned by the Vietnamese authorities through the Ministry of Protection.
