Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has announced plans to completely turn off 2G services in the country by September 2026.
The MIC has laid out a roadmap, with a full shutdown of 2G services on land scheduled for September 16, 2024. However, 2G services will still be available in the Trường Sa (Spratly) and Hoàng Sa (Paracel) archipelagos until September 15, 2026.
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Telecommunication companies in Vietnam are being encouraged to advise customers to switch from 2G phones to 4G or 5G devices. The Vietnam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA) stated that the 900/1800MHZ band, currently used for 2G, will be repurposed for the country's 4G and 5G networks. Vietnam's 2G mobile network has been operational since 1993, but the number of users has decreased.
The MIC estimated that around six million people—less than five percent of the total population—were still using the network by the end of last year.
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Viettel has approximately 16 percent of its subscribers on 2G, while VinaPhone has around eight percent. The trend of phasing out 2G networks is not unique to Vietnam, as many countries are retiring this older technology to pave the way for 5G-Advanced and 6G.
In the UK, all major mobile operators have agreed to shut down 2G services by 2033, and in France, Bouygues Telecom plans to decommission its 2G network by the end of 2026. Japan, on the other hand, discontinued its 2G services as early as 2011.
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