Vietnam has 27.2 million 5G subscribers

Data from the Ministry of Science and Technology shows that by the end of the quarter, telecom companies had erected 60,034 5G base stations across Vietnam, expanding coverage to 93.4% of the population.

Vietnam launched commercial 5G services in October 2024, with military-run carrier Viettel leading the market before state-owned VNPT VinaPhone and MobiFone followed suit.

SIM cards from Vietnamese mobile operators. Photo by Trong Dat

Speaking at a ministerial media briefing in July, Nguyen Anh Cuong, deputy director general of the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority, said the country’s 5G rollout has been among the quickest worldwide.

In many developed economies, achieving 80% coverage typically requires two to three years, he said.

Domestically manufactured equipment accounts for a substantial share of the more than 60,000 base stations, highlighting local tech firms' expanding ability to build, manage, and optimize modern communications networks.

Speaking to VnExpress, Prof. Dr. Vu Minh Khuong, an associate professor of public policy at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said Vietnam's rapid rollout highlights the advantages of a "smart follower" strategy.

During the earliest rollouts, base transceiver stations cost roughly US$50,000 each (approx. VND1.28 billion).

Thus, early adoption would have required substantial capital expenditure, but waiting for the technology to mature allowed Vietnam to procure the equipment at a discount of around US$30,000 per base station while still rolling out networks quickly, he said.

"It proved to be a practical and well-timed approach."

The scale, signal footprints, and subscriber numbers tell only part of the story, and the real success hinges on the economic activity 5G stimulates in various industries, he said.

The broader impact would depend on how effectively high-speed mobile connectivity boosts workforce productivity and yields tangible savings for households and private enterprise.

Growing adoption confirms broader network access, but it does not automatically mean subscribers are willing to pay a premium or that new revenue models have taken hold.

Mobile data performance has improved considerably since commercialization. Ookla's Speedtest Global Index ranked Vietnam eighth worldwide in mobile download speeds in September with an average of 230.31 Mbps.

Average mobile internet speeds in Vietnam are up 40% from 2025, when the country stood 15th internationally at 160 Mbps.