A foreigner surfs the internet at a coffee shop in HCM City during the 2025 Lunar New Year holiday. — VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — Việt Nam has achieved a significant milestone by attaining the rankings of 37th in median mobile internet speed and 35th in fixed broadband speed globally in December 2024, marking its first entry into the top 40 for both categories.

The Speedtest Global Index from Ookla, an American firm that describes itself as a "global leader in network intelligence and connectivity insights," reported that mobile internet download speeds in Việt Nam reached an unprecedented 86.96 Mbps, a 60 per cent increase from September 2024, allowing Việt Nam to rise seven positions in the rankings.

The fixed broadband speed also improved, climbing to 159.32 Mbps, up from 136 Mbps in June 2024.

According to the Vietnam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC), the average mobile internet speed is currently 67.85 Mbps, while fixed internet speed is 130.91 Mbps, although upload speeds remain lower at around 25 Mbps.

The increase in internet speeds coincided with the rollout of 5G services by local telecom providers. By mid-December, Viettel reported that approximately four million users were subscribed to 5G, with speeds reaching 1.5 to 1.9 Gbps.

Việt Nam aims to provide 5G coverage to all provinces this year, with a goal of 99 percent population coverage by 2030.

Compared to other markets, Việt Nam’s mobile and fixed internet speeds surpass the global medians of 62.79 Mbps and 96.45 Mbps, respectively.

The UAE currently leads the world in mobile internet speeds with a median download speed of 453.87 Mbps, while Singapore tops the table for fixed internet speeds at 330.98 Mbps. — VNS