MobiFone launches 5G service with Vietnam’s cheapest plan

The company said users with 4G SIM cards but 5G-compatible phones can access the service immediately without changing their SIM cards.

At the launch on Wednesday, MobiFone unveiled six data plans.

Three cost VND200,000 per month and offer 6–8 GB of data a day. Other options are priced at VND135,000 and VND159,000 for 6–7 GB. The VND80,000 plan, the cheapest 5G package in the country, includes 1 GB per day and free YouTube access. A free trial package, TN5G, offers 30 GB of free data for 15 days.

While MobiFone has not disclosed full coverage details, it said the initial rollout would focus on central areas of major cities and provinces.

"MobiFone will continue to expand its coverage, aiming to bring 5G to every commune in all 63 provinces and cities nationwide."

A 5G sign is seen at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 28, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Yves Herman

Its network runs on both standalone and non-standalone 5G architectures in the 3,800–3,900 MHz band. This spectrum, in theory, enables faster speeds than bands used by other operators.

MobiFone claimed its 5G speeds reach up to 1.5 Gbps, or 10–15 times faster than 4G.

According to data from i-Speed, a testing platform managed by the Vietnam Internet Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the network’s average download speed is 284.89 Mbps and upload speed is 53.37 Mbps, both higher than the national average.

In comparison, Viettel’s 5G achieved speeds of 400 Mbps for download and 120 Mbps for upload during its Oct. 15, 2024, launch. VNPT matched Viettel’s upload rate and reached download speeds of 1.9 Gbps in Hanoi on Dec. 20, 2024.

For business customers, MobiFone said it would roll out over 100 digital solutions across eight priority sectors: manufacturing, smart cities, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, transport, and tourism.

It has already deployed 5G services including AI surveillance cameras for smart cities and private 5G networks for domestic firms.

With MobiFone’s entry, all three of Vietnam’s top mobile carriers offer commercial 5G services.