Time to turn off 3G signal in Vietnam

A representative of the Department of Telecommunications ( Ministry of Information and Communications ) said that there is currently a plan to turn off 2G and 3G waves in Vietnam.

Vietnam has a roadmap to turn off 2G and 3G waves. Photo: Viettel

On July 18, VietNamNet Newspaper in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (Ministry of Information and Communications) organized a discussion "2G shutdown, what do people need to prepare?". According to the roadmap for stopping the 2G mobile network in Vietnam that the Ministry of Information and Communications has just issued, from September 16, 2024, no services will be provided to subscriber terminals that only support 2G standards, except for the case of providing services to subscriber terminals connected to the 2G network for the purpose of transmitting and receiving data between devices (M2M) or providing services in the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos, and DK platforms. Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha - Deputy Director of the Department of Telecommunications said that 2G technology (30 years old) and 3G (nearly 20 years old) are currently outdated technologies. 4G, 5G and soon 6G technology are the next evolution of mobile networks and offer optimization options including faster speeds, larger capacity and operational efficiency. "After stopping 2G technology, by September 2028, 3G technology will be completely stopped" - Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Department said.

Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha - Deputy Director of the Department of Telecommunications (far right) spoke at the seminar. Photo: Khanh An

According to Mr. Nha, stopping 2G technology brings benefits to people, society and businesses. For people using devices that only support 2G, the network operator will support them through financial support to buy smart terminals, and support data usage packages with more modern features suitable for new technology. By using smart devices, users have the opportunity to access many new services, including online public administration services, cashless payments, and access to information through applications when accessing the Internet. For businesses, turning off 2G technology and in the near future 3G will help reduce operating costs. It is expected that the increase in mobile data traffic when 2G technology is stopped will help increase revenue for telecommunications enterprises, while increasing revenue for enterprises providing content services, telecommunications application services and creating new opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to produce and supply terminal equipment supporting new technologies. For the State, not exploiting networks using outdated technology and high energy consumption will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, gradually deploying mobile networks using energy-saving technology. To implement the roadmap to stop 2G technology, the Ministry of Information and Communications has requested mobile network operators to deploy 4G network infrastructure to ensure coverage to replace 2G radio transceiver stations that have been turned off in all areas where the signal is turned off; focusing on developing infrastructure in remote areas, borders and islands. Implement the telecommunications infrastructure development plan to ensure that by 2025, 100% of villages with low signal and national grid electricity coverage will have 4G mobile broadband.

As of May 2024, the number of 2G only subscribers is more than 11 million, accounting for about 9% of the total number of mobile subscribers nationwide. Currently, according to the plan to stop 2G technology, mobile businesses have reported that the number of 2G only subscribers by September 2024 is expected to decrease to 0 or account for less than 5% of the total number of mobile subscribers of the business.

Laodong.vn

Source: https://laodong.vn/cong-nghe/thoi-diem-tat-song-3g-tai-viet-nam-1368084.ldo