07 October 2024

Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has delayed its planned shutoff of 2G mobile networks by a month to mid-October as communities struggle to stay connected in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yagi.

Under a roadmap issued by the MIC in July, telcos were scheduled to stop providing services to all 2G-only phones starting 16 September, with the exception of M2M 2G devices, as well as Vietnamese offshore platforms and the coastal archipelagos of Truong Sa (Spratley Islands) and Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands), which can continue to use 2G services for another two years.

However, the MIC has now pushed back the shutdown deadline to 15 October at the request of telcos as they struggle to keep people connected in the wake of the massive impact of Super Typhoon Yagi.

Yagi hit Hai Phong and Quang Ninh provinces in northern Vietnam on 7 September with winds up to 203 km/h, according to the Indo-Pacific Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre. As of Monday, the death toll was at 292 with 38 people still missing.

Another reason for the 2G shutoff postponement also seems to stem from the fact that around 1.8 million 2G-only subscribers have yet to switch to 3G or 4G services.

The 2G shutoff will still happen next month as part of its plan to free up the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands for other services, including 4G and 5G in the immediate term and potentially 6G in 2030. The MIC also intends to ditch 3G for the same reason, by September 2028.