3,000 5G transmission and reception stations will be deployed

This creates conditions for businesses to have the opportunity to develop industrial zones and areas with 4G traffic congestion, such as cities and densely populated areas.

On the afternoon of March 6th, at the Ministry of Information and Communications' regular press conference, Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha, Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Department (Ministry of Information and Communications), stated that according to reports from telecommunications businesses, Vietnam had 15 million 2G subscribers by September 2023. Recently, telecommunications businesses have submitted plans for Vietnam to complete the phasing out of 2G technology by September 2024. The Telecommunications Department continues to monitor and support these businesses. However, according to Mr. Nha, the actual number of 2G subscribers is not decreasing rapidly, only by 1% per month.

"Through monitoring, we've identified many reasons, primarily stemming from the fact that approximately 35,000 2G-only subscribers are still being activated each month. This is the main reason why the number of 2G subscribers isn't decreasing as quickly as expected," Mr. Nha shared.

A view of the Ministry of Information and Communications' regular press conference on the afternoon of March 6th. Photo: TB

Currently, the Telecommunications Department, together with businesses, has built a database to review and ensure that all 2G-Only subscribers will not be allowed to activate their services after March 1, 2024. After three days of monitoring, approximately 5,400 2G subscribers have been denied activation.

"Following the network operators' decision to prohibit new subscriptions for mobile phones that only support 2G technology and are not on the list of certified 2G phones published by the Ministry of Information and Communications, we hope the number of 2G subscribers will decrease rapidly...", Mr. Nha said.

This also means that subscribers using basic 4G technology with needs such as long battery life and simple functions will still be able to connect to the network normally. This addresses concerns for some users who only need basic phone services like making calls and sending text messages.

"We will also work with network operators to review and assess the current situation and consider additional solutions such as communication, network operators supporting the conversion of 2G to 4G subscribers, etc.," Mr. Nha shared.

Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Department Nguyen Phong Nha speaks at the press conference. Photo: TB

Regarding 5G network development, Mr. Nha stated that Vietnam has been testing 5G networks for many years. Currently, revenue from traditional telecommunications services is trending downwards. Traditional telecommunications services are gradually being replaced by rapidly developing OTT services. Therefore, the demand for speed, quality, and new services will certainly need to expand.

Mr. Nha also stated that in the first two years, businesses will deploy 3,000 5G base stations. This creates opportunities for businesses to develop industrial zones and areas experiencing 4G traffic congestion, such as cities and densely populated areas. Furthermore, 5G offers features like high speed and low latency, thus enabling network operators to discover new business opportunities and meet the evolving needs of society.

Also at the press conference, Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha stated that currently, 172 million subscribers in Vietnam have had their information standardized. However, spam and fraudulent calls still occur. The Department has recommended to the Ministry of Information and Communications, and the network operators have agreed, to halt subscriber development at some agencies. As a result, the number of subscribers will decrease by approximately 30%.
The Telecommunications Department is also proposing the development of several policies that would allow these subscribers to register online, opening up opportunities for network operators to develop new subscribers while ensuring accurate information and moving towards subscribers being registered under their own names.

TRAN BINH

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