On June 7th, Hanoi Telecom had the opportunity to welcome Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. Nguyen Huy Dung, and leaders of relevant agencies for a visit and working session. On this occasion, Hanoi Telecom proposed to the Ministry of Information and Communications to facilitate the re-allocation of the 900 MHz band for enterprises currently using it after the 2G shutdown and to consider auctioning the 850 MHz band.
During the meeting, representatives from Hanoi Telecom shared their goal of becoming a diversified conglomerate, engaging in various sectors such as telecommunications, information technology, education, media, and green energy.
Ms. Nguyen Hien Phuong, Deputy General Director of Hanoi Telecom, also expressed her desire for the Ministry of Information and Communications to facilitate the re-allocation of the 900 MHz band for enterprises currently using it after the 2G shutdown.
In addition, the Ministry of Information and Communications is also considering auctioning the 850 MHz spectrum to provide additional bandwidth for mobile network operators.
Also during the meeting, Ms. Nguyen Hien Phuong proposed to the Ministry of Information and Communications to review the contribution to the Universal Service Fund and take into account the market share of network operators. She also suggested considering online registration for new subscribers and reviewing telecommunications franchise fees.
Mr. Raymond Ho, CEO of Vietnamobile, shared that Vietnamobile is currently conducting trials of the fastest online subscriber registration application (ekyc online) with an accuracy rate of over 96%, meeting the new regulations of the Telecommunications Law. Mr. Raymond Ho is confident that this will help customers access the network’s services quickly, especially since there are few telecommunications service providers due to business establishments.
In response to Hanoi Telecom’s proposal, a representative from the Universal Service Fund (USF) mentioned that the fund’s revenue level still follows the regulations of the 2009 Telecommunications Law. However, starting from July 1, 2024, when the new Telecommunications Law comes into effect, the maximum revenue rate will be set at 1.5% of the total revenue.
Mr. Tran Dang Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Information Security, stated that cyberattacks are currently widespread and sophisticated, targeting telecommunications companies as well. Failure to protect their data could result in significant losses for these enterprises. Therefore, he recommended that Hanoi Telecom implement measures to ensure the security of customer data.
Regarding Hanoi Telecom’s proposal on frequency allocation, a representative from the Radio Frequency Management Department informed that the Ministry of Information and Communications has already announced the frequency plan for the 900 MHz band into three blocks, as proposed by Vietnamobile. After September 16, 2026, this frequency will be put up for auction. As for the 2300 MHz band, if it remains unsold after the auction, the Ministry will proceed with the auction according to the regulations of the Radio Frequency Law.
Adding to this discussion, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuc, Director of the Telecommunications Department, affirmed that the Ministry will not re-license the 900 MHz band to any enterprise if there are still 2G Only subscribers on the network after September 15, 2024. Therefore, Vietnamobile must take decisive measures to transition all 2G subscribers to 3G or 4G usage. Regarding telecommunications franchise fees, under the new Telecommunications Law, it may be possible to divide the fees into smaller tiers to support businesses.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuc suggested that Hanoi Telecom has an advantage as a high-standard data center and could attract investment partners to establish large data centers to serve customers. The Ministry of Information and Communications will support by introducing potential locations for Hanoi Telecom to establish these data centers.
Regarding the proposal for online mobile subscriber registration, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuc stated that the Telecommunications Law, effective from July 1st, will allow online subscriber registration with the condition that the network operators must connect to the population database of the Ministry of Public Security.
During the meeting, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. Nguyen Huy Dung, highly praised Hanoi Telecom’s contributions to Vietnam’s telecommunications sector and shared the difficulties and challenges faced by this enterprise. The Ministry values the contributions of foreign investors, especially in the high-tech sector. Vietnam is committed to establishing a fair and transparent legal framework for investors.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Huy Dung emphasized that the Government and the Ministry are very concerned about tackling the issue of spam SIM cards and require businesses to seriously implement measures in accordance with the law. The Ministry expects Hanoi Telecom to proactively address this issue.
Mr. Pham Ngoc Lang, Chairman of Hanoi Telecom, stated that Hanoi Telecom entered the telecommunications market quite early and has been a strong driver of competition in the Vietnamese telecommunications market. He also proposed that the Ministry of Information and Communications implement mechanisms and policies to facilitate foreign investment, as these are important drivers for the development of Vietnam’s telecommunications sector.
