The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has awarded the country’s fifth 4G licence to Vietnamobile, a joint venture between Hanoi Telecom and Hong Kong’s Hutchison Asia Telecom.
The country’s fourth largest mobile operator, Vietnamobile has a 3.5% market share, with around 5 million subscribers. While the company has not details its plans to build out its 4G network, it has been reported that Hutchison Asia Telecom will deliver further investment to ensure that Vietnamobile remains competitive in the market.
In October 2016, the MIC awarded 4G licences to four mobile operators: Gtel, Mobifone, Viettel and Vinaphone. While the latter three operators – Vietnam’s top three – have deployed 4G services, Gtel has yet to announce its 4G rollout plans. The operator is the country’s smallest with 3.9 million subscribers.
Military-run Viettel launched its 4G offering in April this year, claiming that it had deployed 36,000 base stations which would provide coverage to 95% of the population. The operator leads the market with 53 million subscribers and a 36% market share. It has around 600,000 4G subscribers.
