Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam now has more than 13 million 4G users after over a year of the service's deployment, accounting for about 30 percent of thetotal number of mobile phone subscribers, according to the Ministry ofInformation and Communications (MIC).

The 4G data users were mainly in cities and towns. Mobile data traffic in 2018reached 136,934 subscribers per month, double that of 2016, the MIC said at ameeting on broadband development in Hanoi on July 26.

However, the data traffic for 4G network on broadband 1800 MHz has been lowcompared with demand, affecting 4G speed. The average speed of Vietnam’sinternet was 75th in the world.

Therefore, the MIC planned to auction the 2.6 GHz band so telecom services providers canboost the speed of their 4G network.

Four telecom businesses have registered for the auction.

At the meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, representatives ofministries and relevant sectors discussed difficulties related to the processand the procedures for deploying the 2.6 GHz band auction and determiningreserve price, while proposing measures for the effective implementation of 4Gin Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vu Dai Thang said the losses ofbusinesses and society for the slow implementation of 4G network were biggerthan State budget collection from licencing.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Hong Hai expected thatministries and sectors will join hands to grant licences to businesses as soonas possible, while stressing “We can not accept a 4G network that ispoor quality now.”

A representative from the Ministry ofNational Defence said the licence on 2.6 GHz broadband deployment will notonly resolve difficulties for telecom providers but also ensure information innational security and defence activities.

Representatives from the ministries ofFinance and Justice said there are no difficulties in term of laws andregulations relating to granting licences for 2.6 GHz broadband.

The licencing or auction followsregulations of the Law on Radio Frequencies. Issues relating to financialduties were also stipulated.

Delegates agreed that relevant authoritiesshould work together closely to to licence the 2.6GHz band as quickly as possible in order to help telecoms operators to deploy the 4G network, inaccordance with the provisions of law.

According to the MIC, by the end of 2016,the ministry had licenced five enterprises (VNPT, Viettel, Mobifone,Vietnamobile and Gtel) to deploy 4G on the 1800 MHz band.

Up to now, all except for Gtel have officially offered 4G services to users. Inparticular, VNPT and Viettel have deployed 4G on the 1800 MHz band withbandwidths of 10 MHz, 15 MHz and 20 MHz, while Mobifone deployed a 10 MHzbandwidth.-VNA