Race before the G hour to turn off 2G waves in Vietnam

Users come to convert 2G Only phones to smartphones at FPT Shop - Photo: PHAM PHUONG

According to the schedule, 2G waves will stop broadcasting from 0:00 on October 16. At that time, all 2G Only subscribers will not be able to connect to the mobile network and of course will not be able to make calls or send messages.

There are still hundreds of thousands of 2G Only subscribers

According to the announcement of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Information and Communications, as of October 11, Vietnam still has 700,000 active 2G Only subscribers. Network operators have had to speed up the race to convert the remaining 2G Only subscribers to 4G before G-hour.

Viettel network said it has set up 10,000 device exchange points in communes nationwide and cooperated with retail chains (Viettel Store, The Gioi Di Dong...) to provide incentive programs such as giving away 4G data when buying 4G devices in installments.

Viettel also offers a policy of 50-70% discount on 4G smartphones priced from VND890,000 or more. When users purchase a 6 or 12 month long-term package, they will receive some 4G phones for free.

VinaPhone also informed that it has provided nearly 100,000 free feature phones so that customers can continue to use telecommunications services.

MobiFone said it has cooperated with retail chains to launch a preferential program to upgrade phones for customers: preferential discounts on phones, exchanging 2G phones for 4G phones, 0% installment payments, giving away free packages...

FPT Shop retail system also launched the program "Turn off 2G signal, change to 4G phone" with a policy of giving up to 600,000 VND to customers when changing from a used 2G phone to a 4G phone.

Continue to support 2G Only subscribers after signal shutdown

According to the network operators, up to the G hour, there are still hundreds of thousands of 2G Only subscribers that have not been converted. For example, Viettel has about 100,000 2G Only subscribers, VinaPhone also has 100,000, MobiFone has 34,000, Vietnamobile has 10,000...

According to the network operators, the remaining subscribers are mostly in rural, mountainous, remote and disadvantaged areas. Their target customers are often the elderly and those with little need to use the service. Therefore, it is very difficult to access and support the conversion.

For 2G Only subscribers who have not converted after 0:00 on October 16, the network operators said they will stop broadcasting but will still retain the customers' subscription accounts.

At the same time, continue to advocate and develop preferential policies so that people will continue to switch to 4G phones, ensuring the correct direction of the Ministry of Information and Communications on converting customers to the digital environment.

Turn off 2G to popularize smartphones

Turning off 2G is an important step for Vietnam to realize the goal of the National Digital Transformation Program by 2025, with a vision to 2030, to popularize 4G, 5G mobile networks and smartphones to every citizen.

In Vietnam, the Ministry of Information and Communications has proposed a roadmap to stop 2G technology in 2 phases: by October 15, it will stop providing services for 2G Only subscriber terminals; by September 2026, it will stop the entire 2G network, reserving resources for 4G and 5G networks.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chay-dua-truoc-gio-g-tat-song-2g-tai-viet-nam-20241015151700791.htm