30 May 2025
Viettel has successfully acquired a 700-MHz spectrum block for VND 1.95 trillion, marking a key step in strengthening its 4G and 5G networks. The license, valid for 15 years, grants rights to the B2-B2' band (713-723 MHz and 768-778 MHz), which the government has been attempting to auction for several years.
Viettel plans to leverage the band’s extensive propagation range to enhance indoor coverage in urban areas and extend coverage to rural, mountainous, and remote regions at lower deployment costs. The company aims to reach 99% of Vietnam’s population with coverage by 2030 and intends to deploy over 20,000 5G base stations in 2025.
Originally used for analogue television, the 700-MHz band has been available for mobile services since 2020 after Vietnam transitioned to digital broadcasting. Despite multiple auction attempts by the Ministry of Information and Communications, the spectrum remained unsold until Viettel’s recent win. The company participated in all three previous auctions.
Other spectrum blocks — B1-B1' (703-713 MHz and 758-768 MHz) and B3-B3' (723-733 MHz and 778-788 MHz) — are still available for future auctions.
