On September 15, the Military Industry - Telecommunications Group (Viettel) officially stopped broadcasting 2G network nationwide according to the roadmap of the Ministry of Science and Technology.
According to Viettel, at the time of 2G signal shutdown, 99% of the network operator's customers had fully used both voice and data on the 4G/5G network. However, there are still about 750,000 subscribers who need to switch to 4G/5G voice.
So what do people who are using old devices need to do to avoid interrupting communication?
Check phones that support 4G voice
According to Viettel's instructions, for customers who already have 4G phones but it is not clear whether the device can make calls on the 4G network or not, users can compose a message KT to send to 191 for verification.
Users can also access Viettel's instructions page or call switchboard 198 to be instructed on how to turn on the 4G network voice feature according to each phone line.
This is a noteworthy step because phones with 4G support do not mean that in all cases users can make calls via 4G network if the necessary feature has not been activated.
For customers who are using phones that do not support 4G network calls, Viettel said that they can install the Vcall application as a temporary solution to maintain communication.
The network operator also implements a policy to subsidize phones with buttons that fully support the features of the 4G network.
For people who need to switch to using smartphones, Viettel cooperates with partners to implement a program to collect old phones and exchange them for new ones, reducing prices for some 4G/5G smartphone lines with call minutes incentives.
Phones that only support 2G will not be usable on land
One point users need to pay special attention to is that after the signal is turned off, devices that only support 2G technology will not be able to continue using Viettel mobile network on the mainland.
Specifically, at some islands and DK rigs, Viettel still maintains 2G network to serve national defense and security requirements and tasks.
Therefore, people working in these areas, if using devices that only support 2G, need to prepare 4G/5G phones when returning to the mainland to avoid interrupting communication.
According to Viettel, switching from 2G to 4G/5G also helps improve call quality. The call connection time on 4G is about 1-2 seconds, compared to 5-7 seconds on 2G. The call drop rate is also reduced by 59% compared to 2G.
In addition, the 4G/5G network uses a higher security mechanism than 2G, limiting the risk of devices connecting to fake broadcasting stations based on old technology.
