Viettel 5G network has 5.5M subscribers

On Feb. 28 Viettel Telecom announced that it had 5.5 million 5G users as of early February, spread across the nation’s 63 provinces but 40 percent of them in Hanoi or HCMC. Da Nang and Can Tho cities and Binh Duong Province round off the top five.

In Oct. 2024 Viettel became the first carrier to launch a 5G network. VinaPhone set up its 5G network at the end of December but has yet to reveal user statistics. MobiFone has also acquired 5G frequencies, and is planning an official launch this year.

Viettel Group's headquarters. Photo by Viettel Telecom

One reason for the increase in 5G users is the offer of discounts on service packages. Viettel’s cheapest package, originally priced at VND135,000 (US$5.28), was discounted to VND50,000 during the Tet holidays, attracting many new users. It said 10 percent of its postpaid users are now 5G subscribers, and pay a minimum of VND200,000 a month.

"In 2025 our 5G network will expand to rural districts where many subscribers live," Viettel Telecom deputy CEO Nguyen Trong Tinh said. "We aim to reach 10 million 5G users this year."

5G deployment has been a boon for Vietnam’s Internet speed rankings. As of Dec. Vietnam ranked in the world’s top 40 for mobile network speeds for the first time, according to Ookla data. A survey done by a mobile carrier showed that after 5G deployment users tended to use mobile data more than Wi-Fi.