Phan Thao Nguyen, director of the International Cooperation Department under the MIC, speaks at the Vietnam FIBER Talk 2019 conference in Hanoi on October 17. (Photo the courtesy of FTTH Council Asia)

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Ministry of Information and Communication(MIC) will soon announce a roadmap for full termination of the secondgeneration network (2G) technology to release broadband support for 3G, 4G and5G.

The statement was made by Phan Thao Nguyen, director of the InternationalCooperation Department under the MIC, at the Vietnam FIBER Talk 2019conference, organised by FTTH Council Asia-Pacific and the Vietnam InternetAssociation (VIA) in Hanoi on October 17.

With the theme 'Fiber is the enabler of 5G, Smart city & IOT', VietnamFIBER Talk 2019 was a platform for discussions between domestic and foreignexperts in the telecommunication industry.

According to Nguyen, Vietnam has 132 million mobile phone subscriptions, ofwhich 3G and 4G subscriptions make up about half, with the other 50 percent 2Gusers.

“The Ministry of Information and Communications will soon announce a roadmap tocompletely switch off 2G technology and shift to 3G and 4G broadbandtechnologies,” Nguyen told the conference.

Nguyen added that the MIC will also begin work on 5G as early as possible,possibly at the end of this year, to enhance the performance of Internet ofThings (IoT).

"Vietnam does not want to be slower than other countries in the operationof its 5G broadband network," said Nguyen.

The ministry has granted test 5G frequencies to some large operators to trial5G services in some major cities.

The improvement of both landline broadband (fibre optic cable, copper cable)and wireless broadband (3G, 4G, 5G) transmission are crucial to the developmentof telecommunication infrastructure development and the prosperity of thecountry, Nguyen said.

He quoted the report of the World Telecommunication Union (ITU) as saying thatwhen a country increased the density of landline broadband usage by 10 percentannually, GDP can grow by 0.38 percent.

Vietnam has more than 14 million landline broadband subscribers out of a totalof more than 96 million people. Therefore, the rate of density usage is onlyabout 16 percent, showing great room for improvement, Nguyen said.

Regarding the 5G testing process, Viettel is the first and only networkprovider that has tested 5G services, Luong Pham Nam Hoang, Deputy Head ofLicensing and Market Department under the MIC's Authority ofTelecommunications, said.

With positive results in preparing 5G, Viettel aims to complete a 5Gbroadcasting station version 1 in 2019, test 5G station network by 2020 and beready in 2021.

“Two other large providers, MobiFone and VNPT, are expected to launch 5G testsin October and November this year, respectively,” he said.

Hoang said the Fourth Industrial Revolution is causing unprecedented changes,leading to the emergence of new business models and production methods.

The MIC has proposed policy incentives that would boost the digital transition.The incentives aim to encourage the completion of the 4G network and thenquickly move on to 5G to prepare for IoT.

DASAN Zhone Solutions (DZS) Vietnam’s Director Nguyen Dinh Quang told Viet NamNews that 5G, IoT and Smart City technologies are all inevitable trends thatradically and rapidly change the way people live and work.

“These technologies require the transformation in network infrastructure. It isa prerequisite that Vietnamese businesses need to fulfil,” Quang said.

“Many Vietnamese firms are aware of the importance of the fibre optic cable,but when deciding to convert their entire infrastructure from the traditionalcopper cable to fibre optic cable, many of them are still hesitant because theylack infrastructure and a well-trained workforce,” Quang said./. VNA

HCM City becomes first locality in Vietnam to get 5G service

The Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) announced on September 21 that it has started providing 5G service and put into operation the infrastructure of Internet of Things (IoT) in Ho Chi Minh City.  

Vietnam puts high hopes on 5G

Vietnam cherishes a ambitious plan to become one of the first countries trying 5G, called the ‘highway of the digital economy’.