On November 30, 2020, in Hanoi, Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group officially launched its 5G trial service, becoming the first carrier to offer 5G to customers after technical test broadcasts.
Hanoi hosts the largest number of Viettel’s 5G base stations to date. On this 5G network, Viettel uses both imported equipment and devices developed and produced in-house.
Customers using 5G phones in central districts like Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, and Hai Ba Trung can instantly experience 5G without needing to upgrade their SIM cards.
Notably, during the trial period, Viettel offers unlimited free 5G data.
Current speed tests on Viettel’s 5G network show 1.2 to 1.5 Gbps, meaning users can download a 90-minute HD movie in just 30 seconds. This is dozens of times faster than 4G, allowing live sports streaming and high-graphics online gaming with zero lag for real-time experiences. Thanks to 5G, augmented and virtual reality applications like virtual tourism and shopping are expected to explode.
5G also plays a crucial role in remote medical diagnosis and surgery in Vietnam.
Before the Hanoi 5G launch, on September 21, 2019, Viettel announced 5G trial broadcasts in Ho Chi Minh City and deployed an IoT network with 1,000 NB-IoT stations covering the entire city. Then, on January 17, 2020, Viettel made its first 5G call using a base station device developed and produced by the company.
