Vietnam will commercialise 5G network in October using entirely domestically produced equipment, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).

Amidst the global trend of investment shifts, Hanoi is betting on new orientations and solutions to increase its appeal, expecting to open opportunities for international investors to venture further afield.

Fifth-generation mobile network technology has become a firm foundation for the ASEAN’s ongoing digital transformation in which Vietnam is among the most active participants.

Telcos, which ignored earlier advice on sharing infrastructure, have now changed their mind.

5G appears to be high on the Vietnamese government’s priority list, with the earliest of services set to be commercialized in mid-2020 following trials conducted through 2019.

Vietnam’s digital transformation is entering a new development period which is expected to lure increasing involvement among local and multinational corporations. 

The wait going to over, as domestic and international technology businesses are expected to soon benefit from new supporting policies, breathing new life into the burgeoning tech market.

Vietnam’s second largest telco is ready in terms of technology, technology and network structure for deploying commercial 5G network.

Vietnam’s telecommunication market is becoming more attractive to overseas investors, propelled by the government’s strategy to consider it a key driver for the country’s digital economy

Government officials say there is no credible evidence of a link between 5G and the virus.

As 5G has already gone live in several markets around the world, people are getting a first-hand experience of the technology. 

Analysts began issuing warnings about the saturation of the mobile phone market several years ago. However, mobile phone distributors are still thriving.

Compared with businesses in the US and Europe, the digital transformation process in Vietnamese enterprises is less risky and simpler.

Dozens of Vietnamese mobile phone brands once existed in the domestic market, but now only a few brands remain.

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) on March 2 announced a program on popularizing smartphones to 100 percent of the population.

Next week, the United States-based technology giant Qualcomm, the largest global supplier of smartphone chips, will launch its Hanoi office after over five years of presence in the country, showing its ambition to boost its footprint.

The mobile phone market is getting saturated and phone distributors must seek a new driving force for growth from other sectors.

If the government puts the new 2600 MHz frequency band up for auction, it will be able to collect VND6-8 trillion, a significant amount of money in the context of Covid-19 which is threatening economic growth.

Vietnam is not only a pioneer in experimenting with 5G, but also aims to be a manufacturer of 5G telecom devices that could be launched on the market as early as this year.

Both Viettel and Vingroup have stated they will commercialize 5G telecom devices by 2020.