12 July 2024
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 16 September 2024. However, 2G services will still be available in the Trường Sa (Spratly) and Hoàng Sa (Paracel) archipelagos until 15 September 2026.
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 5% of the total population, were still using the network by the end of last year.
