Vietnam’s Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) will debut its commercial 5G services on Tuesday, making it the first mobile network provider in the country to offer such coverage nationwide.

While further details about its upcoming 5G network rollout remain unknown, Viettel has already allowed users to register for the first 5G plans through some internal channels.

Previously, 5G signals had been available in several areas across the Southeast Asian country, giving users a big thrill to experience the service.

After experiencing the 5G network over the past few days, Minh Tan, hailing from Binh Thanh District in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the average speed is around 300Mbps and can even reach 400Mbps in some places.

He elaborated that the high-speed 5G service made online gaming or video streaming a seamless Internet experience.

The 5G network offers speeds significantly faster than 4G, with theoretical speeds reaching up to 10Gbps.

In real-world conditions, 5G can deliver speeds of 1Gbps, making it 10 times faster than 4G.

Viettel offers 11 prepaid and 8 postpaid 5G packages, with plans starting at VND135,000 (US$5.4) per month for 4GB per day.

Its largest prepaid plan sells for VND480,000 ($19) per month, offering 20GB a day.

The highest-tier postpaid plan offers up to 50GB per day, priced at VND2 million ($80) monthly. Customers opting for this package will have 60 free minutes for on-net calls, 400 minutes for off-net calls, and 250 domestic text messages.

Users can choose a 5G data-only plan or a combo that includes voice calls, data, and other free 5G services.

In early July this year, Viettel and Supermicro from the U.S. signed an agreement to jointly support technology development, focusing on global solutions in 5G technology and AI.

As for VinaPhone, another major Vietnamese mobile network operator, it is offering free 5G trials to customers in 5G-covered areas.

From October 13 to November 15, VinaPhone subscribers with 5G-capable smartphones can join a free high-speed 5G trial, in which they will get 50GB of data for 30 days.

VinaPhone will send text messages to eligible subscribers to invite them to try out the free-of-charge service.

By the end of 2024, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group, the parent company of VinaPhone, is set to complete the installation of over 3,000 5G base stations, focusing on urban areas and major economic centers nationwide, according to a VinaPhone representative.

MobiFone, one of the largest telecom service providers in the country, revealed that it is working on a shared infrastructure model with other telecom providers that have compatible 5G frequency bands.

Early this month, MobiFone signed a memorandum of understanding with Ericsson, a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company, to jointly develop a 5G innovation center at MobiFone’s premises in Vietnam.

MobiFone will also launch 5G products and services to meet customer needs in the upcoming time, ensuring stable and fast connection quality, a MobiFone representative said.

5G technology is expected to unlock new services like smart cars, AI-driven features, and seamless online experiences.

Nguyen Ngoc Ngan, CEO at auto dealership NEG Vietnam, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that once 5G stabilizes, this technology will support many new features and utilities that are being tested for cars.

Ngan added that modern electric vehicles require network connections for various smart services, such as navigation, AI virtual assistants, autonomous driving, and entertainment software, expressing his belief that 5G will enable these services to grow further.

Anh Hong from 24hStore, a chain retailing digital products in Vietnam, said that 5G significantly enhances the Internet experience by enabling seamless 4K video streaming, online gaming, and participation in virtual reality and augmented reality applications.

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