Viettel Group announced that it has officially won the Ministry of Information and Communications’ auction for the 2500-2600MHz band for 5G use in Vietnam.
Under the new spectrum license, Viettel will have rights to the 2500-2600 MHz spectrum for the next 15 years and will be able to use the spectrum for both 4G and 5G services.
Financial details were not disclosed, but previous media reports said the starting price for the 2,500-2,600MHz band was VND3.9 trillion (US$158 million).
MIC began the auction for the 3700-3800MHz band on Thursday and plans to hold the third auction for the 3800-3900MHz band on March 19th. The starting price for both bands is VND1.89 trillion. According to VNEconomy, each bidder can only win his one band.
Viettel said the 2500-2600 MHz band has an advantage over the other two bands because it has slightly wider coverage. Viettel also said that the 5G devices researched and manufactured by the company support the 2500-2600MHz band. According to Viettel, currently only 17% to 20% of devices in Vietnam support 5G connectivity.
Viettel said it plans to launch a nationwide 5G network “in the shortest possible time.” Earlier, Viettel Telecom’s mobile center director Nguyen Van Son told state-run Vietnam News Agency that Viettel would focus its 5G deployment on areas with high demand and a high concentration of 5G-enabled devices, such as “industrial areas.” He said he plans to do so. , Export Processing Zone and Innovation Center. ”
According to VNMedia’s October 2023 report, auction winners in the 2,500-2,600 MHz band will be required to deploy at least 3,000 5G stations using the spectrum within two years of obtaining a license. It must also commit to launching commercial 5G services using this band within its first 12 months.
VNA reports that MIC has set a goal of providing 5G coverage to 99% of the population with a minimum data speed of 100 Mbps by 2025.
