Military-run Viettel has officially launched its nationwide 4G campaign, becoming Vietnam’s first-ever provider of the fourth-generation wireless mobile telecommunications technology.
The company claims 95 percent of Vietnam’s population can now enjoy Viettel 4G, with 36,000 transmission stations installed across the country over the last six months.
More than 3,000 stations are located in Ho Chi Minh City alone, allowing the 4G network to cover every one of the city’s 24 districts including the island district of Can Gio.
Viettel boasts a speed band of 30 to 50 Mbps for its 4G service, seven to ten times faster than the current 3G.
The telecom company said it would provide different 4G data plans at prices 40-60 percent lower than 3G services, along with the ability for subscribers to exchange their current 3G SIM card to 4G at no cost.
Speaking at the launch ceremony on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam hailed Viettel for its effort in launching the 4G service nationwide with only six months of preparation.
Vinaphone and Mobifone, the country’s other two leading mobile carriers, are also working quickly to release their own 4G networks to the public.
Vinaphone is testing their network in certain cities and provinces, and is set to offer the 4G service in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and ten other provinces by the end of April. “By the end of 2017, Vinaphone will have countrywide 4G coverage,” one company representative said in late March.
The latest player, MobiFone, has plans to offer 4G in 53 out of 63 provinces and cities by the second quarter of this year.