The number of 2G subscribers is not decreasing quickly, only 1% per month.

This data was given by Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha, Deputy Director of the Department of Telecommunications (Ministry of Information and Communications) at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Information and Communications on the afternoon of March 6.

Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha said that according to reports from telecommunications businesses, by September 2023, Vietnam will have 15 million 2G subscribers.

" Current telecommunications businesses have also submitted plans that by September 2024, Vietnam will complete the discontinuation of 2G technology. However, in reality, the number of 2G subscribers is not decreasing quickly, only about 1%/month ," said Mr. Nha.

Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha, Deputy Director of the Department of Telecommunications.

According to the Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Department, there are many reasons why the number of 2G subscribers is not decreasing as quickly as expected. The main reason is that mobile phones that only support 2G (2G Only) are still being connected to the network, about 35,000 units/month.

Mr. Nha stated that the Telecommunications Department has worked with businesses to build a database to review and request that all 2G Only subscribers after March 1, 2024 not be allowed to connect to the network. After 3 days of monitoring, about 5,400 2G subscribers were not allowed to connect to the network.

" After the network operator did not allow new connections with mobile phones that only support 2G technology and are not on the list of 2G phones certified by the Ministry of Information and Communications, I hope the number of 2G subscribers will continue to decrease rapidly ," said Mr. Nha.

The Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Department emphasized that this also means that with 2G Only phones that have been in circulation in Vietnam for a long time and have a certificate of conformity, users can still install a new SIM to connect to the network normally.

" We will also work with network operators to review, evaluate the current situation and consider additional solutions such as communication, network operators supporting the conversion of 2G subscribers to 4G, using public funds, requesting the Department of Information and Communications to support people to switch to smartphones... ", Mr. Nha shared.

Regarding 5G development, Mr. Nha said that Vietnam has been testing 5G networks for many years, and traditional telecommunications service revenue has also shown a downward trend.

In addition, traditional telecommunications services are gradually being replaced by OTT services, which are developing very quickly. Therefore, according to Mr. Nha, the demand for speed, quality, and new services certainly needs to be expanded.

" The infrastructure comes first, then new services come along. The businesses consulted said they really want to deploy this 5G network ," said a representative of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

According to Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha, the direction of the Minister of Information and Communications is that in the first 2 years, enterprises will deploy 3,000 5G stations. This is a condition for enterprises to have the opportunity to develop industrial parks, areas where 4G traffic is congested.

In addition, Mr. Nha said that 5G has features such as high speed and low latency, and network operators will find new business opportunities to meet the development needs of society.

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