4G Wave to Hit Vietnam

Currently, five telecom firms, including VNPT, Viettel, FPT Telecom, CMC and VTC, are testing 4G mobile networks. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, they will test 4G technology for one or two years to evaluate this technology and user demand in Vietnam. More specifically, Viettel - the largest mobile operator in Vietnam - will be the first to allow customers to test 4G-based services like VOD HD (high-definition video on demand), IPTV HD (high definition Internet protocol TV), video conference and others.

 

With allocated bandwidth of 10 MHz for test, the Viettel 4G network reaches the maximum download speed of 71.6 Mbps and upload speed of 23.19 Mbps. According to this carrier, speed, latency and setup indexes completely meet service quality requirements and have highest speed. FPT Telecom and Vietnam Computing and Data Communication Centre VDC which is assigned to test 4G by VNPT, said 4G test results are very positive and completely satisfy high-speed data transmission services.

 

According to telecommunications experts, well-known LTE (Long-Term Evolution), UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), and IEEE 802.16m (WiMAX II) are considered pre-4G technology. These will be base technologies for building 4G standards in the future. Mr Bui Quoc Viet, Director of the Information and Public Relations Centre under the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), said VNPT is testing WiMax, a 4G-like technology, quite well and successfully, but many other factors must be taken into account before launching, like customers, market and technology. “With the current telecommunications infrastructure, it is not difficult to deploy but user demand is a concern,” he noted.

 

Vietnamese mobile networks are supplying 3G services at the speed of 7.2 Mbps - 14.4 Mbps. In reality, in places where there are many users like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, these speeds just meet basic access demands. According to some market researches, users currently mostly use video service, music and image services and they tend to look for higher quality services like high-definition (HD) standards and this is the market for 4G services.

 

4G-enabled services include videoconferencing, HDTV, broadband internet access and online entertainment. With the above speeds, users can download a movie in just 5 or 6 seconds and send 100 songs in just 2.4 seconds. Tests show that 4G enables data transfer speed at 1 Gbps in static state and 100 Mbps in dynamic state. Therefore, according to telecom experts, 4G enables the transmission of data, audio and animation images with the highest, sharpest quality and in the shortest time.

Previously, when 4G technology was tested, many technology experts expressed concerns about terminals and beyond. When 3G technology was launched, many were concerned that not all mobile users in Vietnam could afford 3G terminals and service fees. These concerns are no longer the question. 3G tariffs are just a few dollars a month. And now, 4G- integrated terminals are many and prices are not high for users with real demand. So, experts said, 4G testing is necessary in the country, but we need to consider the right time to launch. The Vietnam Internet Association said the presence of 4G will boost internet connectivity in Vietnam, not rule out existing technologies.