Viettel Group announced it has officially won the Ministry of Information and Communications’ auction for the 2500-2600 MHz band for 5G usage in Vietnam.
Under the new spectrum licence, Viettel will have rights to the 2500-2600 MHz band for the next 15 years, and can use the band for both 4G and 5G services.
No financial details were disclosed, although earlier media reports have said the starting price for the 2500-2600 MHz band was VND3.9 trillion (US$158 million).
The MIC kicked off an auction for the 3700-3800 MHz band on Thursday, and is expected to hold a third auction for the 3800-3900 MHz on March 19. The starting price for both of those bands is VND1.89 trillion. According to VNEconomy, each bidder is only allowed to win one band.
Viettel said the 2500-2600 MHz band would give it an advantage over the other two bands, as it offers slightly wider coverage. Viettel also said that 5G devices it has researched and produced support the 2500-2600 MHz band. According to Viettel, only 17% to 20% of devices in Vietnam currently support 5G connectivity.
Viettel said it plans to launch the national 5G network “in the shortest possible time.” Earlier, Nguyen Van Son, director of Viettel Telecom's Mobile Centre, told the state Vietnam News Agency that Viettel plans to focus its 5G deployments in locations where there is both high demand and a high concentration of 5G-compatible devices, such as “industrial zones, export processing zones and innovation centres.”
An October 2023 report from VNMedia said that the 2500-2600 MHz auction winner will be required to deploy at least 3,000 5G broadcasting stations using the band within two years after they receive the licence. They must also commit to launching commercial 5G services using the band within the first 12 months.
VNA reports that the MIC has set a target to provide 5G coverage to 99% of the population by 2025, with minimum data speeds of 100 Mbps.