Vietnam has witnessed a remarkable leap in its mobile internet speed, climbing 26 places in the global rankings, just a year after its first successful 5G spectrum auction.

According to Mr. Le Van Tuan, Director of the Radio Frequency Department (the Ministry of Science and Technology), this achievement marks a pivotal step towards Vietnam's ambitious goal of developing a modern digital infrastructure with ultra-wide bandwidth, extensive coverage, and safety.  Vietnam aims for 5G to cover 99% of the population by 2030, with an average speed of 100 Mbps by 2025.

The spectrum auction, held in March 2024, saw Viettel securing the 2.5–2.6 GHz band, while VNPT and MobiFone acquired the 3.7–3.8 GHz and 3.8–3.9 GHz bands, respectively. The auction concluded with sustainable pricing, fostering network deployment and growth in the mobile sector.

As a result, Vietnam's mobile internet speed has significantly improved, as reflected in Ookla's global rankings. 

To achieve high-speed, widespread 5G coverage, it is crucial for operators to get access to both mid-band and low-band spectrums. Operators require at least 100 MHz of mid-band spectrum to deliver high-quality 5G services. Vietnam has meticulously planned its spectrum roadmap, reallocating radio systems to ensure 660 MHz of mid-band spectrum is available (90 MHz at 2.3 GHz, 190 MHz at 2.6 GHz, and 380 MHz at 3.8 GHz). This was no easy feat, as it involved transitioning the 2.6 GHz band from Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) to Time Division Duplex (TDD) configuration and reallocating the C-band to accommodate 5G needs.

The reallocation of the 700 MHz band was also essential for extensive 5G coverage, especially in urban areas. Vietnam's prior completion of the digital television transition freed up this band, proving effective in expanding 4G and 5G coverage, particularly in rural areas and along major transportation corridors. The provision of 100 MHz mid-band and 2x10 MHz in the 700 MHz band has significantly enhanced Vietnam's mobile broadband performance.

Despite Vietnam's relatively late commercialization of 5G compared to other countries, it has made substantial progress within a year. According to Ookla's August 2025 report, Vietnam's average mobile download speed reached 152.17 Mbps, nearly tripling from 56.95 Mbps in August 2024, propelling the country to 16th place globally. Viettel ranks among the top three global operators for mobile internet speed, while VNPT holds the second position worldwide for 5G download speed.

The cost of spectrum directly impacts network investment and service quality. International studies indicate that when spectrum costs exceed 10% of an operator's annual revenue, network investment declines, leading to deteriorating service quality. Conversely, when spectrum costs remain below 5%, operators continue to invest heavily, resulting in improved service quality. Vietnam adjusted its starting price policy based on this research, significantly reducing the starting price to ensure spectrum costs remain moderate. Currently, spectrum costs for Vietnamese operators account for about 6% or less of their annual revenue. Vietnam has proposed an APT report on spectrum cost to share these lessons and encourage other countries to adopt reasonable pricing models.

Vietnam's spectrum auction policy aims to create a competitive and rapidly developing 5G market, as demonstrated in three key aspects.

First, Vietnam auctioned both the 2.6 GHz and 3.8 GHz bands, rather than limiting to one band. The different values of these bands, particularly the 2.6 GHz band, which supports both new 5G deployment and 4G improvement, spurred strong competition among operators vying for these valuable 100 MHz blocks.

Second, to qualify for participation, operators were required to commit to network deployment obligations, including deploying a certain number of gNodeB and eNodeB stations (with 2.6 GHz) within the first two years. These conditions ensure that winning operators fulfill coverage and quality objectives.

Third, spectrum transfer is restricted for the first five years post-auction. This policy prevents speculative bidding and ensures that operators genuinely invest in network deployment rather than treating spectrum as a tradable asset.

In addition to having adequate and reasonable spectrum, operators must deploy a large number of gNodeB stations to provide high-speed, wide-coverage 5G services. Vietnam has introduced financial incentives to encourage rapid network deployment. According to the National Assembly's Resolution 193/2025/QH15 on piloting special mechanisms and policies to drive breakthroughs in science and technology, including the application of sandbox models and financial incentives for specific sectors like 5G network development and satellite internet services, operators that have deployed over 20,000 new gNodeB stations in 2025 will receive a "reward" equivalent to 15% of equipment purchase costs. This policy has strongly motivated operators to quickly expand their 5G networks after winning the auction, thus contributing to Vietnam's impressive rise in the global mobile broadband rankings.