HÀ NỘI — Military-run telecom giant Viettel has successfully secured the rights to use a key spectrum band in a move hailed as a critical step toward expanding nationwide 4G and 5G coverage.

The auction, held under the management of the Ministry of Information and Communications, saw Viettel bidding nearly VNĐ2 trillion (approximately US$78.4 million), aligning with the global average price for similar spectrum rights for the B2 – B2' block of the 700MHz band for the next 15 years.

This marks the fourth time Viettel has participated in the auction for the 700MHz band. The successful bid is seen as a strategic breakthrough, enabling the group to fulfil its ambition of providing mobile broadband access to 99 per cent of Việt Nam’s population by 2030.

With its superior propagation characteristics — long range and strong building penetration — the 700MHz band is especially suitable for extending coverage to remote, mountainous and rural areas, as well as highways and high-rise buildings in urban centres.

Technical studies suggest the coverage radius of this frequency band is 1.8 times that of the 1,800MHz band, allowing Viettel to significantly cut deployment costs while improving service quality in hard to access regions.

“The acquisition of the B2 – B2’ spectrum block is timely and strategically vital,” said Major General Tào Đức Thắng, chairman and general director of Viettel Group.

“It enables us to realise the Politburo’s Resolution 57 by building a high-speed, safe, and reliable digital infrastructure that connects citizens, government, and businesses, and accelerates the adoption of digital technologies across all aspects of life — from cities to rural communities.”

The 700MHz band has been designated by the Ministry of Science and Technology for the development of mobile information systems aligned with IMT-Advanced (4G) standards and future generations.

Viettel plans to use this spectrum to deliver high-speed, low-latency 4G and 5G mobile broadband services, supporting online learning, remote work, and digital entertainment. It also underpins a wide array of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including smart cities and agriculture and intelligent traffic systems.

The telecom group is set to mobilise all resources to rapidly deploy infrastructure compatible with the new spectrum. Viettel aims to operate more than 20,000 5G base stations by the end of 2025, paving the way for what it calls 'the best 5G network in Việt Nam'. — BIZHUB/VNS