A VNPT engineer performs maintenance on a network station in HCM City. Photo VNPT

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese largest mobile network operators locked horns in a bidding war for the right to the country's 5G 3700-3800 MHz, designated as C2, according to the Authority of Radio Frequency Management under the Ministry of Information and Telecommunication (MIC).

The starting price for the frequency band for a 15-year period of use is VNĐ1.95 trillion and the winner must deploy a minimum of 30 per cent of the committed number of transceiver stations within the first two years. In an earlier development, an auction originally planned for frequency 3800-3900 MHz, designated as C3, was called off due to a lack of qualified bidders.

Previously, on March 8, 2024, an auction session for the frequency 2500 - 2600 MHz, designated as B1, was held successfully as Viettel won the bid by shelling out VNĐ7.5 trillion. Viettel, after winning the previous bid, will not be taking part in other auctions for 5G bands.

Some forecasts indicated that by 2030, 5G will bring in US$1.5 billion in revenue for Vietnamese network operators. By 2025, 5G can contribute up to 7.4 per cent to Việt Nam's GDP growth.

All eyes are on VNPT, one of the leading mobile networks besides Viettel and today's most likely bid winner. Two other large networks in the country are MobiFone and Vietnamobile.

According to representatives of VNPT, the company has been working around the clock to prepare and implement a comprehensive strategy for developing a digital ecosystem of products and services to maximise the power of 5G.

VNPT said it will provide 5G services such as Cloud, IoT, AI, Machine Learning and Data Analytics in the industrial sector, supplying a variety of IoT applications and digital services to the public. — VNS