Vietnam begins official phasing out of 2G services
Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications has announced a total shutdown of the 2G network in the country from September 16.
This means that services will not be provided for end-user devices that support only GSM standards or only 2G-supported phones.
The only exception will be in cases where services are provided for end-user devices connecting to the GSM network to transmit and receive data between devices (M2M).
Services may also be provided for 2G phone users in the areas of the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos and the DK1 platform, Vietnam Plus reports.
All subscribers using 2G phones will therefore lose connectivity by the end of September 15.
This will free up frequency resources for more advanced telecommunications technologies.
Vietnam started blocking signals for 2G-only mobile phones in March this year as part of a larger plan to officially phase out the enter 2G service by September.
The Vietnam Telecommunications Authority (VTA), in line with this, directed all mobile operators to stop accepting subscribers with phones that support the services except those on the Ministry of Information’s list of conformity certification.
The move aligns with the development goals of both network providers and the country.
It will also provide room for the government to focus on introducing more advanced and efficient technologies including 3G, 4G and 5G.
