Vietnam to phase out 2G and 3G services from 2022

According to foreign media, Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications recently issued a document stating that it will gradually phase out 2G and 3G technologies in the country starting in 2022. The new policy will take effect on July 1, and the policy stipulates that mobile communication terminal equipment manufactured or imported in Vietnam must support 4G technology. It is expected that from September 2024, MIC will no longer extend the license for 2G/3G technology.

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It is reported that more than 20 million mobile phones are sold in Vietnam each year, of which 60% are smartphones and 40% are feature phones. The new policy will have an impact on feature phones that only support 2G and 3G, forcing users to switch to 4G or 5G. The existing 25.6 million 2G/3G mobile phone users, whose average device life cycle is 3 years, will gradually withdraw from the market.

As 4G coverage deepens and 5G commercial scope continues to expand, 2G and 3G technologies lag behind, resulting in the inadequate use of limited spectrum resources. Therefore, more than 20 operators around the world have shut down their 2G networks, and many operators are also shutting down or planning to shut down their 3G networks. my country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also stated that the conditions for the withdrawal of 2G and 3G networks have gradually matured, and operators are encouraged to actively guide users to migrate and switch networks, and use limited frequency resources and network resources in the development of 5G and 4G mobile communication networks to reduce overall costs.