After more than 30 years of operation in Vietnam, the 2G mobile network has been officially shut down nationwide after September 15, except in certain special areas such as the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos and offshore DK1 platforms.
Previously, starting September 16, 2024, telecommunications operators stopped providing services to end-user devices that supported only 2G. The nearly two-year transition period provided sufficient time for people to replace their devices, operators to expand 4G coverage, and the service ecosystem to gradually shift to newer technologies.
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, after more than three decades, 2G has fulfilled its historical role. The technology that once helped make mobile phones a widely accessible means of communication is no longer suited to the connectivity demands of the digital economy.
The 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands previously used for GSM will be reorganized and allocated to Public Land Mobile Telecommunications Systems (IMT).
From September 16, the 890–915 MHz and 935–960 MHz frequency bands will be reorganized and divided into blocks to support modern mobile telecommunications systems.
This has particular significance as demand for mobile data continues to grow. As users shift from traditional voice calls and SMS toward video, social media, e-commerce, digital banking, online public services and real-time applications, the value of the radio spectrum increasingly lies not in maintaining legacy technology, but in its ability to deliver greater data capacity and better service quality.
The ministry also said that the complete shutdown of 2G is intended to make more efficient use of frequency resources for newer technologies, improve 4G network quality, and optimize operators' operating and network deployment costs.
In the past, 2G phones primarily met basic needs such as voice calls and text messaging. Today, 4G/5G smartphones are becoming gateways for people to access the broader digital ecosystem, including electronic identification, digital payments, online banking, public services, e-commerce, education and telemedicine.
Therefore, the 2G shutdown is also part of a broader process of expanding people's ability to participate in the digital society. This is why regulators have required telecom operators not only to phase out the legacy technology, but also to ensure adequate 4G coverage as a replacement, assist users in upgrading their devices, and strengthen communication efforts targeted at different groups of subscribers.
Google translate