The trial began on December 12, more than one month after the military-run giant received permission to proceed from the Ministry of Information and Communications.

In preparation for the trial programme, Viettel has installed nearly 200 broadcasting stations covering Vung Tau city, Ba Ria city and Long Dien district, all of which are located in the southern area of the province.

The speed has been reported to reach 40-80 Mb/s, about seven times higher than the average 3G speed, with some locations reporting speeds as high as 230 Mb/s, close to the LTE Advanced technology’s ideal download speed of 300 Mb/s.

Local residents will be offered replacement 4G SIM cards free of charge to enjoy 4G-based services such as watching high-definition videos, listening to music and accessing the news at much higher speeds.

In the first week of the trial programme (December 12-18), mobile users can also experience 4G services at major supermarkets and shopping centres in Ba Ria - Vung Tau and have the opportunity to win thousands of gifts.

Viettel Telecom’s General Director Nguyen Viet Dung said the trial of 4G services in Vung Tau indicates the company’s determination to become a pioneer in providing advanced technology for its customers benefit.

He added that the company is ready to roll out the new technology as soon as it is given the go-ahead.