At a forum titled "5G Commercialization and Applications in Smart Industries," organized by the Vietnam ICT Press Club on December 26, representatives from major telecom companies shared updates on the progress of 5G commercialization in Vietnam.

Viettel leads with rapid subscriber growth

According to Mr. Le Ba Tan, Technical Director of Viettel Group, the company launched its 5G mobile network in October 2024.

“We gained 3 million 5G subscribers within two weeks of the launch, and after two months, this number has grown to 4 million. These 4 million subscribers account for 70% of 5G-enabled devices within the coverage area of our 6,500 5G BTS stations,” said Mr. Tan.

Over the two-month period, the average 5G subscriber consumed approximately 21GB of data per month - 1.7 times more than the initial usage rate. Usage is expected to rise further in 2025.

Currently, Viettel has around 10 million customers equipped with 5G-capable devices, out of its total 66 million customer base. This leaves room for an additional 6 million potential 5G subscribers.

For corporate clients, Viettel is prioritizing industries with significant 5G needs, such as industrial zones, airports, and ports.

So far, only a small number of enterprises have adopted 5G. Viettel is collaborating with approximately 100 businesses to trial and develop tailored digital solutions.

The telecom giant has also established two 5G laboratories in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. These facilities allow developers to test 5G applications and prevent issues like signal interference or protocol mismatches, ensuring that new IoT and 5G innovations are well-suited for the Vietnamese market.

VNPT and MobiFone ramp up efforts

VNPT, the most recent entrant in 5G commercialization, began offering 5G services just one week ago. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Khanh, Deputy Director of VNPT's Technology Division, emphasized the significance of this milestone for the company.

“The commercialization of 5G demonstrates VNPT's commitment to delivering new value to the government, businesses, and individual customers,” said Mr. Khanh.

He added that 5G, combined with cloud, AI, and big data, will form a comprehensive suite of products and services to support various economic sectors and society as a whole. “This is an opportunity for VNPT to explore new business horizons,” he stated.

Meanwhile, MobiFone is accelerating its preparations for 5G commercialization after securing a C3 spectrum license.

“We aim to launch 5G commercial services in the next few months,” said Mr. Nguyen Tuan Huy, Head of Digital Transformation at MobiFone.

Mr. Huy also highlighted the potential of 5G to drive opportunities for Vietnam while acknowledging the challenges involved. “Vietnam needs to raise public awareness about the benefits of this technology to fully realize its potential,” he concluded.

Trong Dat