Since July 2021, 2G only phone models have been stopped from being licensed for import into Vietnam. Therefore, non-compliant devices can be understood as hand-carried, smuggled, smuggled into Vietnam through unofficial channels... and put into consumption in the domestic market after that time. Devices imported before July 1, 2021, which have been granted a certificate of conformity, can still be used normally until the 2G signal is cut off nationwide.
2G network is a mobile technology developed in Vietnam since 1993. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, in recent years, security vulnerabilities of the 2G network have been increasingly exploited by cybercriminals, especially the spread of spam messages and scams via text messages.
In addition, 2G is also the reason that hinders the deployment of stronger mobile connections such as 4G/5G/6G. Therefore, implementing a solution to prevent 2G mobile phones from being certified as conforming is an activity to implement a roadmap to stop 2G technology, popularize smartphones to promote the digital economy and digital society.
Recently, network operators such as Viettel, VinaPhone, MobiFone have proactively notified customers, recommending them to quickly check whether their SIM and phone support 3G, 4G, 5G or not to make the earliest conversion.
Although in reality, most people now use smartphones and touch phones with 3G, 4G, 5G technology, however, a part of the people are using 2G "brick" phones, mainly concentrated in rural areas or used by the elderly. Therefore, the official cutting of signals for non-compliant 2G phones also makes many people wonder.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Mui, a restaurant owner in Truong Thi Ward (Vinh City) shared: I am over 60 years old this year, for the past ten years I have been using a "brick" phone, my children bought a touch phone but it was too difficult to use so I did not use it. I only use the phone to make calls, so when there was information about cutting off 2G waves for substandard phones, I was quite worried, not knowing if my phone met the standards or not, if it was on the list of phones to be stopped or not...
Mr. Ngo Quang Tu, Dien Chau district, wondered: Like me and some people in the countryside are still using "brick" phones, the advantage of this type of phone is that it is very cheap, only a few hundred thousand dong, so it is not a pity to lose it. The most important thing is that brick phones are easy to use, easy to maintain, and repair. For people who only need to make calls or send messages like me, a phone like this is enough. However, if the phone I am using is on the list of non-compliant phones, or has its signal blocked, I am willing to buy a replacement phone, learn how to use it...
Nghe An is a locality with many difficulties, people in rural and mountainous areas are still using 2G "brick" phones quite a lot. In fact, the transition to using smartphones is still facing some obstacles, mostly because the elderly, farmers, and freelance workers find it difficult to learn how to use them. Besides, the cost to buy a smartphone is currently at least a few million VND, which is a big barrier for families with difficulties.
Currently, network operators in Nghe An have widely publicized the policy of cutting off signals for non-compliant 2G phones to customers, and at the same time, announced information on contact points for resolving customer complaints. People who have questions about 2G phones not being connected to the network should call the customer care center of the mobile company for support and guidance.
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