According to Ookla’s latest global rankings, Viettel and VinaPhone are among the world’s fastest mobile networks. The Vietnamese Telecommunication Authority attributes this success to the nationwide shutdown of 2G and 3G services and strong investments in 5G infrastructure.

Three key factors push Vietnam’s mobile Internet speeds to global top tier

In its “World’s Fastest 5G Network” and “Fastest Mobile Network” reports for Q1 and Q2 2025, Ookla - owner of the Speedtest platform - ranked Viettel among the top three fastest mobile networks globally, while VinaPhone placed second in 5G speed.

In the most critical category - Fastest Mobile Network - Viettel scored 82.56, securing third place worldwide, just behind UAE's e& (88.05) and Qatar’s Ooredoo (87.05). Viettel even surpassed Singapore’s Singtel (82.53).

In the Fastest 5G Network category, VinaPhone ranked second with 78.11 points, trailing only e& of the UAE at 81.94.

Speaking at the Ministry of Science and Technology's regular press conference, Nguyen Phong Nha, Deputy Director General of the Authority of Telecommunications, attributed Vietnam’s leap in mobile Internet speed to several factors:

First, Vietnamese carriers have rapidly expanded 4G and 5G networks after receiving spectrum licenses. Second, the country discontinued 2G services, reducing bandwidth burdens. Third, with 3G phase-out underway, outdated data devices are being replaced, enabling service providers to upgrade equipment and improve user experience.

Vietnam awarded “World’s Fastest Mobile Network” by Ookla

Ookla officially recognized Viettel with the title "World’s Fastest Mobile Network," one of the most prestigious categories in the Speedtest Awards. The award is based on the comprehensive Speed Score, in which Viettel achieved an impressive 82.56 points - placing it alongside global telecom giants like UAE’s e& and Qatar’s Ooredoo, and ahead of others like Singapore’s Singtel and South Korea’s SK Telecom.

The award's credibility lies in Ookla’s robust methodology, which assesses performance across all mobile technologies (3G, 4G, 5G) and relies on devices equipped with modern chipsets. This means it reflects real-world user experiences, from high-speed 5G zones in urban centers to 4G-covered suburban and rural areas, and even legacy 3G zones still maintaining essential connectivity.

Rather than isolated 5G test points, the award values seamless and stable high-speed service across platforms - truly measuring daily user experience.

Ookla’s ranking is built on millions of user-initiated Speedtest results and calculates Speed Scores based on download speed (70%), upload speed (20%), and latency (10%).

To be eligible for regional or global awards, a provider must account for at least 3% of test samples in a region and have won a national Speedtest award in the same period.

In February, Vietnam’s official iSpeed platform - operated by the Ministry of Science and Technology - reported that Viettel led with an average 5G speed of 226.27 Mbps, followed by VinaPhone at 157.17 Mbps. The national 5G average was 187.58 Mbps.

Vietnam targets 20,000 5G base stations in 2025

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Duc Long stated that to accelerate 5G development, the ministry has instructed telecom firms to ensure that by 2025, the number of 5G stations reaches at least 50% of 4G stations.

Vietnam aims to reach 68,457 5G base stations by the end of 2025 - 57.5% of the current 4G count - covering 90% of the population, with a goal of reaching 99% by 2030.

Nguyen Anh Cuong, Deputy Director General of the Authority of Telecommunications, revealed that to encourage 5G deployment, the government will subsidize 15% of investment costs in 5G equipment. Following this announcement, Viettel and VNPT promptly registered for the support program to accelerate national 5G rollout.

Viettel Telecom affirmed it will meet the target of deploying 20,000 5G stations by the end of 2025, aiming to become the country’s most extensive 5G provider.

Cuong added: “I believe the current 5G deployment progress is very positive. In a short period, telecom companies have managed to organize network planning, equipment bidding, and station installations. So far, 5G coverage has reached 26% of the population - an impressive milestone. By year-end, with current momentum, we expect 5G coverage to reach about 90% of the population, with the number of stations reaching half that of 4G. This target is within reach.”

Thai Khang