According to experts, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is causing unprecedented changes, leading to the emergence of new business models and production methods.
The context of these global changes, Vietnam’s Government is determined to develop forward-thinking policies. Among those, 5G mobile network development is considered the backbone of the country’s pursuance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Accordingly, Vietnam defined 5G as network infrastructure for all sectors of the economy, not just for communication. It would be expanded, raising the working capacity of all sectors based on radiocommunication infrastructure.
5G offers massively improved data throughput, low-power networks to support Internet of Things (IoT) and much lower latency (the delay between sending and receiving signals) to enable clever remote-control scenarios.
5G also provides wireless connectivity for a wide range of new applications and use cases, including wearables, smart homes, traffic safety/control, critical infrastructure, industry processes.
As a result, it will also accelerate the development of the IoT.
On May 10, Viettel was the first telecom company in Vietnam to successfully test a 5G network.
Road to 5G
Not until the 5G mobile network was introduced in May had Vietnam run behind the world in telecom development. For example, Vietnam had the first 2G call in 1993, two years after Radiolinja, a Finnish GSM operator, had commercially launched 2G GSM in 1991. The same story goes with 3G and 4G networks, which were launched in Vietnam years after their introduction in the world. When 4G was introduced in Vietnam in 2017 by Viettel, 608 other mobile operators in 212 countries and territories had previously introduced it to their subcribers.
The first successful 5G call in Vietnam on May 10 made Vietnam one of the earliest countries to successfully test a 5G network, after the US, Australia, Japan and South Korea, Denis Brunetti, Head of Ericsson Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos affirmed.
“With 5G fifth generation (5G) technology being recently introduced, Vietnam can now be listed among leading countries in mastering high-tech application,” he added.
Denis Brunetti said Viettel and Ericsson acknowledged the importance of using 5G in applying and improving the benefits of Industry 4.0. It was expected to promote digitalisation in all sectors including production, agriculture, energy, healthcare and education.
With 5G fifth generation (5G) technology being recently introduced, Vietnam can now be listed among leading countries in mastering high-tech application
“By bringing 5G services to Vietnam early, Viettel and Ericsson have been building a foundation for Industry 4.0. 5G will provide important infrastructure to create momentum and allow Vietnam to attract more FDI in the hi-tech sector,” said Denis Brunetti.
Minister of Information and Communication Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed that 5G is an opportunity for Vietnam to boost its ranking in the world. Vietnam will bring 5G into commercial operation in 2020 and will be one of the first countries to deploy the latest network.
Vietnam will bring 5G into commercial operation in 2020 and will be one of the first countries to deploy the latest network.
“We want to be at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and develop the ICT sector, so that Vietnamese people and businesses can compete in the global economy. That’s why it is necessary to deploy 5G early. Vietnam will bring 5G into commercial operation in 2020 and will be one of the first countries to deploy the latest network. One of the applications in the first phase of 5G is smart factories. Viettel and other network providers must experiment to cover 5G in all hi-tech zones, national innovation centres and smart factories by 2020.” said Minister of Information and Communication Nguyen Manh Hung.
Previously, the ministry granted a licence to MobiFone to implement 5G experiments. In the coming time, the operator is set to launch pilot 5G network in Hanoi, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh Cities.
How to implement?
Telecom giant Viettel and Sweden’s Ericsson Group on May 10 successfully conducted the first call using fifth generation (5G) technology in Vietnam.
The call was part of Viettel’s 5G technical testing programme to evaluate the application of the technology in Vietnam.
Its network connection speed with end-use devices reached 1.5 to 1.7Gbps, surpassing the theoretical speed limit of the 4G LTE network and equal to that of commercial fiber optic cable.
“One of the applications in the first phase of 5G is smart factories. Viettel and other network providers must experiment to cover 5G in all hi-tech zones, national innovation centres and smart factories by 2020,” said Minister of Information and Communications.
Viettel and other mobile network operators are urged to speed up the pilot phase to ensure 5G coverage in hi-tech parks, innovation hubs and smart factories, among others.
“With the mission of pioneering a digital society in Vietnam, Viettel is confident in mastering modern technologies. In terms of transmission infrastructure, IoT technology based on 4G LTE-M and NB-IoT has been deployed by Viettel to become one of the first 50 operators in the world to deploy these technologies. Viettel is ready to apply artificial intelligence solutions to solve social problems. Viettel also builds the largest and most sophisticated network security team in Vietnam to protect the safety of users on the internet,” said Le Dang Dung, Viettel Group’s acting chairman and general director.
Viettel said it would continue to expand its experimental 5G network in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The experiment would help the Ministry of Information and Communication evaluate 5G technology based on coverage areas, capacity, maximum speed and compatibility with current infrastructure. The ministry would have a foundation to map out policies and roadmap for commercialisation of 5G in 2020.
Different from 2G, 3G and 4G, 5G is a breakthrough technology. The new-generation broadband mobile network redefines current technology and infrastructure.
“Different from 2G, 3G and 4G, 5G is a breakthrough technology. The new-generation broadband mobile network redefines current technology and infrastructure. It could be said that 5G is a mobile network of the future as it could offer far beyond what regular users ever ask for. In order to effectively exploit 5G’s advantages, we have been building a new business model,” said Le Dang Dung.
