The number of 2G subscribers is not decreasing rapidly, only by 1% per month.

These figures were provided by Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha, Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Department ( Ministry of Information and Communications ), at the Ministry of Information and Communications' regular press conference on the afternoon of March 6th.

According to Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha, based on reports from telecommunications companies, Vietnam had 15 million 2G subscribers as of September 2023.

" Currently, telecommunications companies have also submitted plans for Vietnam to complete the phasing out of 2G technology by September 2024. However, in reality, the number of 2G subscribers is not decreasing rapidly, only about 1% per month ," Mr. Nha said.

Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha, Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Department.

According to the Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Department, there are many reasons why the number of 2G subscribers is not decreasing as quickly as expected. The main reason is that mobile phones that only support 2G (2G Only) continue to be subscribed to, at a rate of approximately 35,000 devices per month.

Mr. Nha stated that the Telecommunications Department, together with businesses, has built a database to review and require all 2G-Only subscribers to be prohibited from reactivating their service after March 1, 2024. After three days of monitoring, approximately 5,400 2G subscribers were found to be ineligible for reactivation.

" Following the network operators' decision to prohibit new subscriptions for mobile phones that only support 2G technology and are not on the list of certified 2G phones published by the Ministry of Information and Communications, I expect the number of 2G subscribers to continue to decline rapidly ," Mr. Nha said.

The Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Department emphasized that this also means that users of 2G-only phones that have been circulating in Vietnam for a long time and have received conformity certification can still insert new SIM cards to activate their network normally.

" We will also work with network operators to review and assess the current situation and consider additional solutions such as communication, network operators supporting the conversion of 2G to 4G subscribers, using public funds, and requesting the Departments of Information and Communications to support people in switching to smartphones... ", Mr. Nha shared.

Regarding 5G development, Mr. Nha stated that Vietnam has been testing 5G networks for many years, and revenue from traditional telecommunications services has also shown a downward trend.

In addition, traditional telecommunication services are gradually being replaced by OTT services, which are developing very rapidly. Therefore, according to Mr. Nha, the demand for speed, quality, and new services will certainly need to expand.

" The approach is that infrastructure must come first, then services can follow. Businesses consulted have indicated a strong desire to deploy this 5G network ," a representative from the Ministry of Information and Communications said.

According to Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha, the directive from the Minister of Information and Communications is that in the first two years, businesses will deploy 3,000 5G base stations. This will create conditions for businesses to have the opportunity to develop industrial zones and areas where 4G traffic is currently congested.

Furthermore, Mr. Nha believes that with features like high speed and low latency, 5G will provide network operators with new business opportunities and meet the evolving needs of society.

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