The option of turning off 2G waves to promote the implementation of the goals in the National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with a vision to 2030, has been approved by the Prime Minister and VNPT is ready...
The program aims to popularize 4G/5G mobile networks and smartphones to every Vietnamese citizen. This will be a revolution to promote e-government, digital economy, digital society... quickly and is also an important driving force for Vietnam to develop faster and stronger.
When 100% of people use smartphones, it will promote richer digital services, more data services will be used, network operators will have more revenue and new development opportunities.
To prepare for the roadmap to turn off 2G waves, the Ministry of Information and Communications has also promptly issued the "National Technical Regulation on Terrestrial Mobile Terminal Equipment" which officially took effect from July 2021, requiring mobile terminal equipment manufactured and imported into Vietnam to support 4G technology or higher.
On September 27, 2022, the Ministry of Information and Communications also issued an official dispatch on the roadmap and plan to stop 2G technology. September 2024 is also the expiration date of mobile telecommunications service business licenses and 2G radio frequency licenses for network operators, which will also be the official time to turn off 2G waves in Vietnam.
To date, Vietnam still has about 15 million 2G subscribers. To promote the transition to 4G, the Ministry of Information and Communications said it will coordinate with network operators and local authorities to deploy many solutions with network operators to support people in making the transition. In particular, the Public Telecommunications Fund will allocate funds to support subscribers who are poor households, in remote areas, to convert their devices from 2G to 4G with about 400,000 devices. The fund is currently conducting statistics on households in need of support.
Being a pioneer in applying 2G technology in Vietnam for decades, VNPT has also pioneered the successful application of 5G technology in Vietnam, leading the national digital transformation process. Therefore, VNPT has continuously invested and upgraded technology over the years to meet the actual needs of people in each stage.
Since 2015, when 2G still accounted for about 60% of network traffic, VNPT has determined a strategy and developed a plan to turn off 2G waves, deploy 2G problems combined with 3G and 4G deployment. In the past 2 years, VNPT has proactively turned off individual stations that generate no or very little traffic.
To do this, VNPT has combined both technical activities and propaganda for subscribers in the area and proceeded to turn off the signal of about 10% of 2G private stations. VNPT has developed a plan and solutions to commit to converting all subscribers and devices to only support 2G networks by September 2024 according to the direction and orientation of the Ministry of Information and Communications.
VNPT has also prepared specific scenarios to support customers who are still facing difficulties in accessing new technology such as the elderly and users in rural and island areas.
“Following the policy of the Ministry of Information and Communications, VNPT is now ready to turn off 2G waves. We have also fully prepared plans to support people and customers to optimally switch to 4G and 5G devices, so that no people or customers are left behind in the process of national digital transformation,” said a VNPT representative.
KIM THANH
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