MobiFone's staff install 5G equipment. — Photo courtesy of MobiFone

HÀ NỘI — Many provinces have requested the Ministry of Information and Communications to direct corporations to urgently assess the demand, feasibility, and investment efficiency to deploy 5G coverage in their provinces.

The Việt Nam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA) said enterprises including Viettel, VNPT, MobiFone had officially tested commercial 5G services from November last year.

However, based on the needs of the market, telecom businesses are focusing on coverage in big cities such as Hà Nội and HCM City which have dense populations and the highest percentage of people having 5G terminals nationwide and some localities with industrial parks such as Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang.

The 5G trial plan depended on the strategy and production and business plan of each enterprise, said VNTA.

This is not the first time that provinces and cities have petitioned for 5G coverage. The department of information and communications of many provinces such as Phú Thọ, Đắk Lắk and Bình Phước last year also asked the ministry to direct telecom corporations to urgently approve and direct provincial departments to develop 5G networks in industrial parks and residential areas.

VNTA said that on the basis of test results and proposals of enterprises, the Ministry of Information and Communications would study and grant licences to enterprises to deploy 5G mobile network.

It is expected that priority will be given to deployment in industrial parks, high-tech parks, and concentrated information technology parks to deploy breakthrough innovative digital technologies.

The authority also suggested that the departments of information and communications actively co-ordinate with mobile businesses in the area and the authority to identify areas that need to be prioritised for infrastructure investment to develop 5G to develop plans for telecommunications infrastructure development in the area to ensure feasibility. 

This would direct and guide mobile businesses to prioritise infrastructure investment to provide mobile services using 5G technology. — VNS