Under the national digital transformation program of 2025-2030, Vietnam will phase out the 2G network and universalize 4G/5G.

This will be a revolution to build an electronic government, digital economy and digital society rapidly, and an important driving force for Vietnam to grow faster and stronger. Once all Vietnamese use smartphones, this will diversify digital and data services, helping telecom carriers have more revenue and new development opportunities.

MIC said to prepare for the 2G shutdown, on July 1, 2021, national regulations on terminal devices for terrestrial mobile information took effect, which means that since that day all terminal devices produced in Vietnam or imported into Vietnam must be supported with 4G or higher technologies.

According to MIC, VoLTE is the technology that allows calls with high quality on 4G, bringing new higher-quality experience to customers. 

AOT has recently reached an agreement with mobile network operators, phone manufacturers and manufacturers’ representatives and suppliers on checking and issuing the systematic software version for 4G-supported smartphones which remain nearly brand new, and updating them with VoLTE.

Since July 1, 2021, all newly produced smartphones must be integrated with 4G, with VoLTE enabled by default.

In July 2022, HMD Mobile Vietnam, the manufacturer holding a large feature phone market share said that Nokia’s feature phones with 2G network onoy have become nearly unavailable on retail channels.

It said that after more than one year since Decree 43 took effect, the number of 2G mobile phones with a keyboard has dropped sharply, while the number of sales of Nokia’s 4G mobile phones with a keyboard has been increasing rapidly.

To date, large telecom carriers have shut down 2G and 3G networks in areas with low service demand.

September 2024 

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Duc Long said 2G will no longer be available from September 2024. The frequency licenses granted to mobile network operators to run 2G network will expire by that time. MIC will re-plan frequencies and the 1800MHz and 1900MHz wavebands will no longer serve 2G Only machines.

Long said 2G network may still be maintained for more time, not to serve 2G mobile phones, but some 4G phones.

A report found that in Vietnam about 15 million 4G smartphones cannot use VoLTE, i.e high-quality voice service and messages on 4G, and have to use 2G and 3G.

In general, the usage cycle of a terminal device is three years. In 2020, MIC released the decision on prohibiting the import of 2G phones, and phones of this kind in use are imported through unofficial channels. As such, 2G phones in Vietnam are at the end of their usage cycle and will be replaced soon.

To protect people’s benefits when shutting down 2G, MIC has instructed its local  information and communications departments to carry out an inspections to discover, prevent and handle the illegal import, distribution, circulation and trade of terrestrial mobile information terminal devices.

The departments have also been requested to program the inspection tours at branches of retail chains, and individual retailers and business households in their localities, to be sure that 2G Only and 3G Only do not exist.

The agencies also have the responsibility of working with the market surveillance forces, customs and police to examine and prevent the trade and circulation of 2G Only and 3G Only mobile phones.

MIC is considering applying a more serious measure – locking and preventing 2G models to join mobile networks, but only accepting 2G mobile phones now in use.

The solution is expected to help prevent feature phone smuggling and imports to Vietnam, which may affect the 2G shutdown plan.

Network operators, localities ready

To date, large telecom carriers have shut down 2G and 3G in some areas with low demand. In addition to offering preferences to customers in data charges, the carriers have prepared low-cost 4G smartphones, used for texting and calling only, to serve groups of customers who have demand for the products.

VNPT said that the shutdown of 2G will help reduce operation costs for mobile network operators, while the frequencies can be reserved for new technologies to better serve customers.

Thai Khang