Another Vietnamese telco steps into 4G market

By Bui Hong Nhung   October 18, 2016 | 03:36 am PT
Another Vietnamese telco steps into 4G market
MobiFone, another Vietnamese mobile operators, has been allowed to provide 4G services. Photo from MobiFone’s website.
MobiFone is the latest network to connect with the country's widening bandwidth.

MobiFone, one of Vietnam's top three main mobile network providers, has officially been granted a license from the Information Ministry to provide 4G services, the carrier announced on October 17.

In July this year, MobiFone ran a pilot program to launch 4G services in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Mobile users could either purchase a new 4G SIM card or sign up for data packages costing VND120,000-600,000 per month ($5-26).

The teleco said that it has completed a plan to implement 4G services on a larger scale, pending comments from the ministry.

Before Mobifone, Viettel and VinaPhone received permission to offer 4G services in October.

Viettel, the dominant force in Vietnam’s mobile market with more than 120 million users, began a test run of the service in the southern coastal province of Vung Tau, while VinaPhone, a network operated by Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), has been trialing its own services in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern resort island of Phu Quoc.

The licenses granted to the three network operators will be valid until September 2024.

Deputy Minister of Information Phan Tam said that 2016 is a “good time” to launch 4G services in Vietnam and 2017 will witness “strong development” of the technology.

The ministry has set a target of ensuring 95 percent of Vietnam’s population will have access to 3G and 4G services by 2020.

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