Vietnamese military-run telecom operator Viettel experiences 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 obtainable in lots of Asian markets for a while, customers in Vietnam had been compelled 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 12 months. Since 2020, every has performed wide-ranging business assessments 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 doable.” Later that month, VNPT-VinaPhone gained 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 gear and modernize 4G infrastructure.
The challenge 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. In line with Nokia, the gear was manufactured domestically.
By the community launch on October 15, Viettel claimed to have put in greater than 6,500 5G base transceiver stations, overlaying 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 occasions quicker than 4G, with near-zero latency.
The agency’s 5G community boasts obtain charges between 700 Mbps and 1 Gbps, about ten occasions quicker than 4G, with near-zero latency. It affords 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 below 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 essential 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 might be utilized to develop new 5G use instances in collaboration with companions in Vietnam and different components of the globe.
Aggressive Market
In 2010, Vietnam’s whole variety of cellular subscriptions exceeded 100 million, a milestone reached by simply eight different international locations worldwide at the moment.
In line with the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority, the variety of subscriptions has fluctuated in recent times, 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 whole rebounded by 13.4% the next 12 months 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 to crack down on SIM possession led to a 2.5% decline in subscriptions in 2023.
As of June 30, 2024, the market whole 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 according to the regional common.
In line with TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Viettel, VNPT-VinaPhone, and MobiFone managed 95.8% of the market in mid-2024. Presently, Viettel alone held effectively over half of whole cellular subscriptions.
Viettel is a unit of Navy Trade and Telecommunications Group, itself wholly owned by the Vietnamese authorities through the Ministry of Protection.
