Viettel Telecoms, an affiliate of the military-run Viettel Group, has announced that it successfully tested the first standalone 5G network (5G SA) in Vietnam.

The tests were completed after three months receiving 5G frequency licenses from the Ministry of Information and Communications.

It was an important step for the company to officially commercialize the 5G network.

Unlike the 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) network developed on the 4G network infrastructure, the 5G SA network is a more advanced and completely independent version that helps improve flexibility, scalability and provision of many new services. 

In the world, it usually takes 1 to 2 years for network operators to complete the construction of a commercial 5G SA network.

By the end of the first quarter of 2024, only 58 out of 175 countries and territories worldwide that are commercializing or testing the 5G network have successfully tested the 5G SA network.