Compared to the 4G network launched more than 7 years ago, the user growth rate of 5G is twice as high, accordingly, the milestone of 3 million Viettel 4G customers was achieved after 1 month of official commercialization.
Explaining why 5G attracts so many users
With the view of deploying a 5G network for everyone, customers do not need to change SIM or buy a package, but only need a 5G-supported device to be able to experience Viettel's 5G network immediately.
The “do nothing” feature is the first reason why users quickly learn, try or decide to buy a 5G package to use. This is also the strategy that Viettel believes will help the business achieve the goal of each person having a super-speed connection, similar to what Viettel has done to popularize mobile services or smartphones before.
Viettel Telecom said that although it is not mandatory to activate the package, the system has recorded hundreds of thousands of 5G package registrations in just the past 2 weeks. Most customers switched to using 5G packages to experience superior speed and enjoy special offers from Viettel. At the same time, in case customers move to an area with only 4G signal, they can still use the service normally.
Currently, Viettel offers 11 prepaid packages and 8 postpaid 5G packages designed with costs equivalent to 4G packages, but with double the capacity and free premium content. With the 5G network, for the first time Viettel offers large capacity packages of up to 50GB/day, allowing customers to access mobile internet almost "unlimitedly". Therefore, after a short time of provision, many customers with 4G devices have quickly recognized this advantage and registered for the package to use. The packages most chosen by users are Prepaid packages: 5G135, 5G150, 5G160; Postpaid: N200, N250, N300.
To help customers access 5G packages more easily, Viettel also launched the Viettel 5G Hub service registration portal (http://hub.vietteltelecom.vn). Here, customers are advised on suitable 5G packages, along with many discount policies and free months of use for accompanying services.
Important step forward for Vietnam's telecommunications industry
5G is a new technology, widely deployed around the world from 2020-2021. In the early stages of provision, network operators around the world prioritize deploying 5G in areas with developed social life, focusing on customers who own 5G devices and have high demand for Internet access.
It is noted that pioneering countries in 5G deployment such as the UK, US, Japan, South Korea, etc. also focused on 5G coverage in urban areas, then gradually spread to rural areas. The number of 5G stations deployed in the first year was only 20% to 50% of the number of 4G stations. After 5 years of deployment, the current 5G network coverage is only equivalent to 60-80% compared to 4G.
In the UK, when 5G first launched in 2019, EE only covered 16 cities, including the first four capital cities to get 5G coverage: London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester. When it first launched, the first 1,500 stations that EE upgraded to 5G accounted for only 25% of the total data on the entire network, but covered only 15% of the UK population.
In Vietnam, Viettel is the first network operator to deploy 5G and has covered the capitals of 63 provinces/cities - places where 5G will be widely applied such as administrative agencies, tourist areas, hospitals, seaports, airports, universities with the number of stations equivalent to 18% of the 4G network at the time of launch (6,500 5G stations compared to 36,000 4G stations).
5G uses a higher frequency band than 4G (5G uses 2.6Ghz, 4G uses 1.8GHz), the attenuation on the 2.6Ghz frequency is greater than the attenuation on the 1.8Ghz frequency, so 5G has a narrower coverage area than 4G by 15 - 20%.
That is the reason why 5G coverage was not widespread at the beginning of its launch, but pioneering the provision of commercial 5G networks is still considered an important step forward in telecommunications technology in Vietnam.
In the coming time, when the infrastructure is expanded and optimized, the 5G experience will become more and more stable. The deployment of 5G not only serves individual users but also opens up the potential for developing real-time services, promising to create many breakthrough applications in the future./.
