The rules give businesses greater discretion over the publication of quality standards for telecommunications services that are not subject to mandatory quality declarations. — Photo courtesy of MoST

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Science and Technology has consolidated rules on telecommunications service quality, giving businesses more autonomy, shortening administrative processing times and shifting regulators towards digital data sharing and post-inspection.

The consolidated regulation, issued on August 25 under Document 10/2026/VBHN-BKHCN, is part of a broader Government drive to decentralise administrative procedures, accelerate digital transformation and reduce compliance costs for businesses as telecom services become increasingly important to the digital economy.

Under the new rules, the authority to receive declarations of telecommunications service quality has been decentralised from central agencies to provincial authorities.

Businesses can submit applications at the one-stop service unit of the provincial-level People’s Committee where their headquarters are located, by post or online through the National Public Service Portal and the VNeID electronic identification application.

Processing time has been cut to two working days from receipt of a complete and valid application.

The changes are expected to reduce travel, administrative and staffing costs for businesses, particularly those operating across multiple provinces and cities, while allowing them to bring new services to market more quickly.

It also reduces reporting requirements for businesses, replacing some periodic reports with electronic data sharing among regulatory agencies.

The ministry's Telecommunications Authority will build and manage a specialised database and share information with local regulators through online systems, according to the regulation.

The move is intended to reduce the burden of preparing reports and prevent businesses from having to submit the same information to multiple Government agencies.

It also reflects a broader shift towards data-driven public administration, in which regulators can use interconnected databases for monitoring rather than repeatedly requesting information from businesses.

More autonomy, but continued oversight

The rules give businesses greater discretion over the publication of quality standards for telecommunications services that are not subject to mandatory quality declarations.

For such services, companies can publish their applicable standards on their websites and are responsible under the law for the information disclosed.

The approach is designed to reduce unnecessary administrative intervention while giving businesses greater responsibility for the quality commitments they make to customers.

However, greater autonomy will be accompanied by continued regulatory oversight.

Quality measurements must comply with national technical regulations, known as QCVN, while regulators will strengthen post-inspection to ensure businesses comply with their declared service quality standards.

The framework is intended to balance easier market access and business operations with protection of telecommunications users’ legitimate interests.

A Viettel Telecom transaction office in Lào Cai Province. Việt Nam accelerates investment in digital infrastructure, including 5G networks, data centres, cloud computing and next-generation digital services. — Photo courtesy of Viettel Telecom

Greater transparency

The consolidated regulation also requires greater transparency from State management agencies.

Quality measurement plans, service quality assessment results and other information subject to disclosure will be published on regulatory agencies’ websites, allowing businesses to monitor regulatory activities and helping reduce overlapping inspections and quality measurements by different agencies.

Public access to quality assessment results is also expected to give users more objective information about telecommunications services and strengthen competition in the market.

Greater competition could encourage telecom operators to invest in infrastructure, improve network quality and enhance customer experience rather than focusing primarily on compliance with administrative requirements.

Shift towards post-inspection

The regulatory changes come as Việt Nam accelerates investment in digital infrastructure, including 5G networks, data centres, cloud computing and next-generation digital services.

This new framework represents a shift from pre-inspection towards post-inspection, from paper-based administration towards digital data management and from discretionary approval systems towards greater business autonomy coupled with accountability.

Under the Government’s approach, businesses are placed at the centre of administrative services, data is used as a management tool and practical effectiveness is emphasised, according to the policy direction reflected in the regulation.

By reducing compliance costs, simplifying procedures and clarifying responsibilities between different levels of government, the changes are expected to support investment, technology adoption and improvements in telecommunications service quality.

They are also intended to contribute to Việt Nam’s development of modern digital infrastructure and support the country’s broader goals for a digital economy and digital society. — VNS