Researches on 5G chip production at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. Photo courtesy of Viettel Group
Vietnam will commercialise the 5G network in October using entirely domestically produced equipment, the Ministry of Information and Communications said.
On January 17, the first video call using a 5G connection on a gNodeB transceiver, researched and produced by Viettel, was successfully implemented, meaning that Vietnam has officially mastered 5G network technology.
Vietnam is one of the few countries that can produce 5G equipment. The ministry will facilitate directing Vietnamese businesses to invest in research and production of 5G equipment towards commercialising 5G products this year.
Vietnam is building a roadmap to abolish the 2G mobile phone technology from 2022 and is implementing bidding and licensing of the 2.6GHz mobile band to improve network quality and the speed of mobile services.
The ministry said telecom infrastructure has seen an important change in frequency infrastructure. Implementing 5G in Vietnam has advantages as Vietnamese electronics and telecommunications businesses have produced lots of equipment and infrastructure, whereas before foreign manufacturers were relied upon.
The ministry’s Department of Information and Technology said the development of the 5G network has been one of the key orientations to upgrade digital infrastructure, serving national digital transformation. To implement this orientation, one of the important solutions is Vietnam needs to research and master the design and manufacture of chips and 5G network equipment.
Deputy minister Phan Tam said the government launched the “Make in Vietnam” strategy to help the country escape the middle-income trap. The country aims to produce chipsets for 5G network and internet of things (IoT) equipment. The government has offered preferential policies for the production as it is a high-tech area. Many Vietnamese firms such as Viettel, FPT and Vingroup have been studying to produce such equipment.
A representative from Viettel said the group has approved an estimated 500 billion dong ($21.6 million) for the development of Microcell 5G and investing 200 billion dong into a 5G lab.
Another representative from VinSmart said the company built a lab for research and development of 5G mobile phones and telecom equipment.
A representative of FPT said the state needs to provide supports to local firms such as corporate tax exemptions and personal income tax at high-tech parks, he added.
VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
