Viettel to test 5G broadcast in Laos

Its Laos subsidiary, Unitel, will be the first network operator in the country to broadcast 5G, Viettel said in a release Tuesday.

Unitel has been active in Laos for 13 years and is now the biggest network operator here with over 3 million subscribers, which accounts for 56 percent of the country’s telecom market.

Viettel’s Myanmar unit, Mytel, tested its 5G broadcast in Yangon in August, while its unit in Cambodia, Metfone, did so in Phnom Penh in July.

Viettel, the largest network operator in Vietnam, also tested its 5G broadcast in Ho Chi Minh City last month with plans to launch the technology commercially next year.

5G is said to offer speeds 100 times faster than 4G, which is primarily used for smartphones and other similar devices. 5G is also expected to support new applications like remote medical procedures and autonomous driving.