The Government has approved a telecom development master plan that sayspreparations to introduce 4G technology will begin this year.
Critics,however, say it should be reconsidered since the existing 3G capacityhas yet to be fully utilised and 4G devices could be too expensive in apoor country.
Four years ago the Ministry of Information andCommunications licensed five operators — FPT Telecom, VNPT, Viettel,CMC, and VTC — to pilot 4G services.
The country's major telecom service providers are ready to launch 4G services.
Thethree biggies, Viettel, MobiFone, and Vinaphone, have successfullytested their 4G services in some big cities and can scale up in a jiffy.But though they have been investing in large 4G networks since latelast year, they continue to have misgivings.
"Mobile phoneservice providers are still investing in digital content for 3G," Do VuAnh, head of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Corporation'stelecommunications department, told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated SaiGon) newspaper, indicating they are still focused largely on 3Gservices.
Viettel successfully pilot 4G technology in Laos andCambodia through its Unitel and MetFone networks, but is undecided aboutwhether to scale up.
A Viettel executive said, "Vietnamese people's incomes are not enough for them to buy equipment that support 4G."
Besides, investment in 3G was massive but its capacity had not been fully exploited yet, he said.
"Mostcustomers now opt for the cheapest 3G packages, and if 4G technology isdeveloped, the situation will be like building more highways when thereare few vehicles."
The service providers could upgrade to 3.5Gor 3.9G and still meet the demands of mobile data services rather thanmoving up straight to 4G, he said.
Do Vu Anh said, "Vietnam's 3Gservices are probably the cheapest in the world, but there are only 30million subscribers or 30 percent of the total number of mobile phonesubscribers.
"The potential of 3G in Vietnam is [still] huge."
DeputyMinister of Information and Communications Le Nam Thang said theministry would begin to issue licences for 4G networks in 2016.
"Atfirst, 4G will be launched in big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City,and Da Nang where people have big demand and are able to afford."
ThieuPhuong Nam, General Director of Qualcomm Vietnam, agreed it was a goodtime to issue licences because 4G-related equipment would become cheaperand cheaper.
"2017-2018 will be the time to launch 4G because atthat time the number of 3G subscribers will be 50-60 percent, a goodlevel for shifting to 4G.
"Government has made good long-term and master plans for bandwidth usage."
Thereare around 500 million 4G subscribers around the world. The technologyis developing rapidly and most 4G subscribers can use both 3G and 4Gservices.
4G services are much cheaper than 3G and 2G.
The switch from 2G to 3G involved moving up from basic mobile phoneservices like calling and messaging to broadband with digital content.-VNA
Critics,however, say it should be reconsidered since the existing 3G capacityhas yet to be fully utilised and 4G devices could be too expensive in apoor country.
Four years ago the Ministry of Information andCommunications licensed five operators — FPT Telecom, VNPT, Viettel,CMC, and VTC — to pilot 4G services.
The country's major telecom service providers are ready to launch 4G services.
Thethree biggies, Viettel, MobiFone, and Vinaphone, have successfullytested their 4G services in some big cities and can scale up in a jiffy.But though they have been investing in large 4G networks since latelast year, they continue to have misgivings.
"Mobile phoneservice providers are still investing in digital content for 3G," Do VuAnh, head of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Corporation'stelecommunications department, told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated SaiGon) newspaper, indicating they are still focused largely on 3Gservices.
Viettel successfully pilot 4G technology in Laos andCambodia through its Unitel and MetFone networks, but is undecided aboutwhether to scale up.
A Viettel executive said, "Vietnamese people's incomes are not enough for them to buy equipment that support 4G."
Besides, investment in 3G was massive but its capacity had not been fully exploited yet, he said.
"Mostcustomers now opt for the cheapest 3G packages, and if 4G technology isdeveloped, the situation will be like building more highways when thereare few vehicles."
The service providers could upgrade to 3.5Gor 3.9G and still meet the demands of mobile data services rather thanmoving up straight to 4G, he said.
Do Vu Anh said, "Vietnam's 3Gservices are probably the cheapest in the world, but there are only 30million subscribers or 30 percent of the total number of mobile phonesubscribers.
"The potential of 3G in Vietnam is [still] huge."
DeputyMinister of Information and Communications Le Nam Thang said theministry would begin to issue licences for 4G networks in 2016.
"Atfirst, 4G will be launched in big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City,and Da Nang where people have big demand and are able to afford."
ThieuPhuong Nam, General Director of Qualcomm Vietnam, agreed it was a goodtime to issue licences because 4G-related equipment would become cheaperand cheaper.
"2017-2018 will be the time to launch 4G because atthat time the number of 3G subscribers will be 50-60 percent, a goodlevel for shifting to 4G.
"Government has made good long-term and master plans for bandwidth usage."
Thereare around 500 million 4G subscribers around the world. The technologyis developing rapidly and most 4G subscribers can use both 3G and 4Gservices.
4G services are much cheaper than 3G and 2G.
The switch from 2G to 3G involved moving up from basic mobile phoneservices like calling and messaging to broadband with digital content.-VNA
