Large mobile network operators like Viettel, VinaPhone and MobiFone have successfully tested 4G in Vietnam, attracting the attention of smartphone users.
The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) believes that 2016 is the time for Vietnam to launch 4G.
Vietnam has 136 million mobile subscribers, including 37 million 3G subscribers, while customers tend to set high demand for mobile internet speed.
Therefore, telcos provide 4G to satisfy society’s demand for broadband services, but also have to ensure high quality of services.
In theory, 4G networks in Vietnam will have maximum speed of 150 Mbps, or seven times higher than 3G. The experiments carried out by Viettel, MobiFone and VinaPhone show that the real speed could be up to 80 percent of the theoretical speed.
Mobile network operators reminded users that this is the average speed of the 4G network in Vietnam which users can obtain when their service package capacity is full.
When the capacity runs out, network operators will narrow the bandwidth and there will be no considerable difference between 3G and 4G.
The deployment of 4G technology in Vietnam in 2016 is foreseeable. However, the number of 4G smartphone models in Vietnam remains modest.
A network operator estimates that less than 5 percent of mobile subscribers are supported with connection to 4G. These are mostly high-end smartphone models, some mid-end models and models brought to Vietnam by travelers across border gates.
Though telcos are preparing for 4G deployment, manufacturers still have not sped up with plans to launch 4G products.
However, analysts say things are changing. Some models launched in late 2015 and in the first half of the year, mostly high-end models, support 4G connection.
Samsung’s products are the best known in the market. These include luxury ones such as Galaxy Note series and Galaxy S, mid-end ones such as Galaxy A, and normal models such as Galaxy J2 & J3.
Experts said that once 4G service is ready, smartphone manufacturers will have to adapt to the new circumstances by launching 4G smartphones. The production cost of 4G devices has been decreasing, while popular chipset series also have 4G support.
The 4G network chosen by Vietnamese network operators is the most common in the world. Therefore, the equipment price won’t be an obstacle to the popularization of 4G in Vietnam.
