Vietnam is planning to phase out its 2G network services by December 2023 in order to develop more advanced telecommunication technologies. The Authority of Telecommunications, under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), has held meetings with telecom service providers in Vietnam, who have committed to disabling 2G-only devices by the end of this year.
The 2G mobile network, which was first introduced in Vietnam in 1993, has become outdated and is unable to meet the growing demands of users or keep up with the advancements in telco services. The complete switch-off is intended to optimize frequency reserves for the development of more modern telecommunication technologies, such as 4G and 5G networks.
The MIC has also provided guidance to telco service providers on creating roadmaps and plans for discontinuing 2G services and assisting users in transitioning to 4G and 5G.
According to data from service providers, there were over 26 million 2G mobile subscriptions at the beginning of 2023, accounting for 20% of the total 126 million mobile subscriptions nationwide. However, this number has decreased to around 23 million as of August this year.
With the shutdown, the MIC aims to reduce the number of 2G mobile subscriptions to approximately 6 million, which is less than 5% of the total, by the end of 2023. The goal is to completely shut down 2G services in 2024. This move follows the footsteps of other countries like Japan in 2011, Singapore in 2017 and China in 2021, which have already phased out their 2G networks.
According to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association, as of October 2022, 142 telco service providers in 56 countries and territories have made plans to discontinue 2G and 3G networks, with 51 of them already shutting down 2G services.
