Viettel Group announced the launching of 5G commercial trial, becoming the first network operator in Vietnam to provide 5G services to customers after a period of technical tests.
Customers using 5G-enabled cell phones in the downtown of Hoan Kiem District, Ba Dinh District and Hai Ba Trung District can now enjoy 5G service without SIM card upgrade. During the trial period, Viettel will provide unlimited 5G data free of charge, enabling customers to experience the advantages of the fifth generation of mobile technologies in term of speed and connectivity.
Viettel’s 5G base transceiver stations use Non-Standalone Access (NSA), technology currently used by 5G carriers such as SK Telecom, KT (South Korea), Verizon (the U.S.) and Vodafone (the U.K). Besides improving the coverage, this technology increases capacity and reduces interferences. The improved bandwidth helps to increase 5G speed by tens of times while reducing the latency by 10 times compared to 4G.
All of Viettel’s 5G antennas are 64T64R type (64 transmitters and 64 receivers) that double both radius of coverage and capacity compared to 4T4R antennas (4 transmitters and 4 receivers) commonly used in Vietnam.
Initial tests show that Viettel’s 5G speed reachs 1.2 – 1.5 Gbps. Customers using Viettel’s 5G services can download a 90-minute HD movie in just 30 seconds (tens of times faster than 4G services), watch live football, or play online games with lag-free experiences. It is lso anticipated that Viettel’s 5G will fuel AR/VR applications.
Following Hanoi, Viettel will continue to expand its 5G network for commercial tests in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh.