The final months of 2024 have been witnessing major events in Vietnam's telecommunications market. After more than 30 years of operation, the 2G network was shut down on October 16 to make way for new technologies. Just a day earlier, the Viettel Group officially launched the first commercial 5G network in Vietnam, marking the beginning of a new competitive race among domestic telecom providers.

At the time of its launch, Viettel's 5G network already covered the centres of all 63 provinces and cities nationwide. Notably, all the 5G radio devices, transmission networks, and core networks in use were produced entirely by Viettel itself.

5G growth doubles 4G

According to Viettel Telecom, just two weeks after its launch, Viettel’s 5G network has already attracted 3 million users, concentrated primarily in major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Hai Phong, accounting for 50% of all subscribers. Compared to Viettel’s 4G network, which reached 3 million users within a month of its commercial launch seven years ago, 5G has approximately double the user growth rate.

Explaining the strong appeal of 5G, Nguyen Van Son, Director of Viettel Telecom’s Mobile Centre, noted that Viettel's 5G network speed in many areas ranges from 300-500 Mbps, significantly faster than 4G, while offering data services at half the price per unit. Moreover, users do not need to change SIM cards or purchase new plans; they only need a 5G-compatible device to immediately experience the 5G network. This simplicity has led many to quickly try and then commit to 5G packages. Even though subscription to a 5G plan is not mandatory, Viettel recorded hundreds of thousands of registrations for 5G plans in the past two weeks, with most customers switching to enjoy the superior speed and special offers.

Globally, 5G has been widely deployed since 2020-2021, with approximately 800 telecom networks (around 40% of providers) having launched 5G. However, even in leading countries like the US, the Republic of Korea, and India, 5G coverage has only reached about 50% that of 4G. In Vietnam, Viettel has not only launched 5G but has also achieved extensive coverage across the centres of all 63 provinces, operating 6,500 base stations, which is roughly 40% of Viettel's existing 4G infrastructure.

Experts predict that 5G will serve not only individual users but also open possibilities for real-time services, with promising applications expected in the future. Thus, 5G is seen as a new driver with the potential to revitalise the long-saturated domestic telecom market. The other two major carriers, VinaPhone and MobiFone, are also actively moving to join this new competitive race.

Specifically, Vinaphone launched a programme allowing customers to experience high-speed 5G for free in covered areas from October 13 to November 15. The network has also confirmed it is actively installing 5G infrastructure and base stations nationwide. According to its plan, the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) aims to complete over 3,000 VinaPhone 5G base stations by the end of 2024, ensuring robust, stable, and continuous coverage, particularly in urban areas and major economic hubs across the country. Meanwhile, MobiFone is also focusing on its own 5G deployment, preparing for a commercial launch. Users are expected to start experiencing MobiFone’s 5G service beginning in November, positioning it to compete in the expanding 5G market alongside Viettel and Vinaphone.

A challenging path ahead

According to Hoang Duc Thanh, Deputy Director of Viettel's Global Technical Centre, global 5G networks are primarily based on two architectures: 5G NSA (non-standalone) and 5G SA (standalone). The NSA setup relies on existing 4G networks, whereby signals transmits over 4G infrastructure, and data transfers use both 4G and 5G. This makes NSA more of an "upgrade" to 4G, enhancing user experience with higher speeds but without revolutionary improvements. However, NSA deployment only requires upgrading the 4G core, making it a more accessible option.

Therefore, 95% of telecom operators that have deployed 5G are relying on NSA architecture. Only 5% of operators (including Viettel) are ready to pioneer 5G deployment on both SA and NSA platforms simultaneously.

"True 5G must be applied on an SA platform, as its high speed and low latency can provide entirely new services to customers. Most operators are also gradually shifting to SA to offer new services that increase telecommunications service revenue. For Viettel's 5G deployment locations, both SA and NSA technologies are deployed simultaneously, with SA fully integrated into the infrastructure — from radio, transmission, to the core network — to offer new services to customers right from the launch,” Thanh affirmed.

5G is the technology for the future, which is expected to open many new directions for the telecommunications industry. However, deploying 5G also brings numerous difficulties and challenges for network operators. Firstly, the investment cost for 5G is very high, estimated to be about 4 to 5 times higher than for 4G, and it takes longer to deploy. Additionally, the size and weight of 5G equipment are typically 1.5 to 2 times larger than 4G; power consumption is also about 2.5 to 3 times higher, requiring operators to upgrade transmission towers at higher costs and install three-phase power for 5G stations to operate. Furthermore, the number of 5G-capable devices in Vietnam is still limited, currently accounting for only about 15% of total devices, primarily in urban areas. This means that widespread 5G deployment may not yield immediate benefits, especially in rural areas.

In addition, 5G uses a higher frequency band than 4G (Viettel’s 5G operates at a 2.6GHz band, while 4G uses a 1.8GHz band), which results in higher signal attenuation and reduces the coverage area by about 15-20%. This is why Viettel’s initial 5G coverage was not extensive, though pioneering in providing commercial 5G service is still considered an important milestone for telecommunications technology in Vietnam. In the future, as infrastructure expands and is optimised, the 5G experience will become increasingly stable, facilitating the attraction of more customers to this new technology.