Thai Khang, journalist, VietNamNet: Our readers want to be informed about how state agencies will ensure smooth communications when shutting down 2G.

Nguyen Duc Thong, Vietnam Public-Utility Telecommunication Service Fund: Under Decision 2269 dated December 31, 2021 approving the program on providing telecom services for public interest by 2025, poor and near-poor households receive support for  one of two terminal devices, either tablets or smartphones. 

As many as 400,000 tablets will be provided so that poor students can study online, and 400,000 smartphones will be provided to help accelerate digital transformation. 

In 2022, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) instructed the fund to launch the program on distributing smartphones to both implement the shift from 2G to 4G and help poor households with smartphones when 2G is shut down. However, it has been difficult to implement because the number of smartphones approved for the program is not enough for 1.9 million poor and near-poor households throughout the country.

MIC has submitted to the Prime Minister a plan to support smartphones rather than tablets to be sure that all poor and near-poor households can receive support. The ministry is drafting a decree that guides the implementation of the Law on Communications regarding telecommunications services in the public interest. Once the decree is issued, the fund will have a complete legal framework to better implement the program.

Thai Khang, VietNamNet: Could you please tell us about the roadmap for turning off 3G in Vietnam?

Nguyen Phong Nha, AOT: During the process of building policies, mobile network operators all said that stopping the old technologies of 2G and 3G is inevitable. However, what we need to do is carry out the shift in a way which least affects  subscribers. Therefore, there should be a roadmap of ‘soft switching’ which would be implemented in various phases.

2G technology, for example, will be stopped in a two-stage roadmap. As for 3G, users still can use the technology, but only until to September 2028 at the latest.

Viettel has stopped 3G, while other telecom carriers including VinaPhone and MobiFone are turning off 3G. Wherever 3G traffic no longer exists and 3G subscribers are no longer online, they will stop broadcasting in that areas. 

However, in the immediate time, they would still maintain 3G to be sure that users with 3G terminals, or subscribers using 4G devices without VoLTE, can still use the network.

Stopping 2G and 3G at the same time and maintaining a relatively long roadmap for the switching (from now to 2028) will allow users to shift to new technology step by step. This will also allow network operators to have time to arrange their resources and optimize their network use.

The policy has been applauded by network operators and I hope that the switch will succeed.

Dang Khoa, Journalist, Viettimes: I would like to know if traffic congestion will occur in September, when 2G subscribers rush to shift to 4G at the same time?

Nguyen Phong Nha, AOT: VinaPhone will build 55,000 BTS from now to September. MobiFone and Viettel also have made heavy investments in resources, workforce and service quality.

From the angle of state management agencies, the switch must ensure benefits and the interests of both subscribers and telcos. With the regulations, subscribers can feel secure about service quality.

Le Dac Kien, VNPT VinaPhone: There won’t be any big problem, because this group of customers has low demand. VinaPhone is ensuring that 4G coverage won’t be smaller than 2G coverage.

Bui Son Nam, MobiFone: When 2G is shut down, subscribers just need to replace their terminal devices with 3G support devices to use the services as usual. MobiFone can say for sure that we absolutely can commit to provide services at high quality, provided that users have suitable devices.

Nguyen Trong Tinh, Viettel Telecom: We shut down 2G on a trial basis last June in 14 districts. The shutdown will be implemented in accordance with a roadmap. It is expected that there will be only 1 million 2G subscribers by September. We believe that no traffic congestion will occur in September.

VietNamNet