5G coverage has reached approximately 26% of Vietnam's population.
5G is gradually becoming a part of the digital lives of Vietnamese people, with the network now covering approximately 26% of the population. This is a significant step forward, paving the way for new technological applications and promoting digital transformation nationwide.
Vietnam's leading telecommunications operators, including Viettel, VNPT (VinaPhone), and MobiFone, are entering a phase of accelerated deployment of 5G mobile networks, with a total of approximately 11,000 base stations already installed nationwide.
Although this figure only represents 7.7% of the current 4G coverage area, it has helped bring 5G to approximately 26% of Vietnam's population, a significant step in the nation's digital transformation journey.
Viettel leads the 5G infrastructure race.
As the largest mobile network operator in Vietnam, Viettel continues to play a leading role in the expansion of the 5G network. To date, Viettel has provided services to approximately 6 million 5G subscribers and aims to increase this number to 10 million by the end of 2025.
This company plans to deploy an additional 20,000 5G base stations in 2025. The goal is not only to increase coverage but also to improve data transmission speeds by more than 2.5 times compared to the current rate.
This will create a solid foundation for Viettel to meet the demands of high-bandwidth applications such as virtual reality/arrival (VR/AR), cloud gaming, smart industry, and smart city services.
Not to be left behind, VinaPhone currently serves approximately 3 million 5G subscribers. The network operator is focusing on expanding coverage in city centers, airports, parks, administrative complexes, and public places with high user traffic.
Notably, VNPT has partnered with numerous international technology partners such as Nokia, Ericsson, and M1 (Singapore) to further explore the potential of 5G in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, network application programming interfaces (APIs), high-capacity data transmission, and vertical service integration.
The combination of infrastructure expansion and technological collaboration is helping VinaPhone become one of the pillars in the nation's comprehensive digitalization plan.
Meanwhile, MobiFone currently has approximately 2.5 million 5G subscribers and is focusing on expanding coverage in major cities and key provinces and cities. The network's upcoming plan is to deploy an additional 10,000 5G base stations, with the long-term goal of covering all communes nationwide – an unprecedented achievement in previous mobile network deployments.
This move shows that MobiFone is not only targeting the vibrant urban market but is also reaching out to rural areas and underserved regions, contributing to the goal of nationwide 5G普及.
The government is stepping up its support policies, aiming to achieve 90% coverage of the population by the end of 2025.
In its role of providing direction and coordination, the Ministry of Science and Technology, along with other relevant agencies, is urgently promoting the commercialization of 5G networks nationwide in 2025.
In addition, the Ministry also aims to promote the rapid development of 5G networks, striving to deploy at least 50% of 4G base stations as 5G base stations by 2025. It is projected that by the end of 2025, the number of 5G base stations could reach over 68,000, equivalent to 57.5% of the current 4G base stations.
At the same time, ensure 5G coverage reaches 90% of the population, with a minimum transmission speed of 100 Mbps – a standard sufficient to serve data-intensive applications in manufacturing, education, healthcare, and smart transportation.
According to Resolution 193 on “Piloting special mechanisms and policies to create breakthroughs in science and technology development and digital transformation.According to a resolution of the National Assembly, telecommunications companies will receive financial support of up to 15% of equipment investment costs if they complete the installation and commissioning of at least 20,000 5G base stations before the end of this year.
This is seen as a crucial boost to accelerate infrastructure deployment, especially in the context of 5G technology becoming an essential foundation for all socio-economic activities.
