Mobile carriers started to launch 5G testing and expand 5G coverage, enabling the advent of more 5G devices.

No data concerning 5G users and 5G smartphones are available on the market at the moment. Viettel, the mobile network with the widest 5G coverage, has more than 17,500 users in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, not including other provinces where Viettel has 5G coverage such as Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Binh Phuoc.

In addition to 5G-enabled smartphones made by Samsung, Oppo, Nokia, Xiaomi, ZTE, Realme and Huawei, Mr. Le Ba Tan, Deputy General Director of Viettel Network Corporation (VTNET) under Viettel Group, said, Viettel conducted tests for Apple iPhone. It is expected that, in April, Viettel will be the first operator to launch 5G services for iPhone 12 and future iPhone 13, which run on both physical SIM and eSIM.

In 2021, about 270,000 iPhone 12 and 200,000 iPhone 13 will be delivered to retailers in Vietnam by Apple, he said. Samsung will have about 700,000 5G-enabled devices in the year. In addition, devices from Chinese makers such as Oppo, Huawei and ZTE will have more than 70,000 more devices. So, a total of 1.5-2 million 5G smartphones will be released on the market.

VinaPhone Chief Executive said that the plan for 5G coverage expansion will depend on the availability of 5G devices.

Specifically, like other carriers, VinaPhone will give priority to step-by-step investment in key high-demand markets, such as some industrial zones, high-tech zones or geographic areas where people have high traffic demand for 5G-based applications and have enough 5G subscribers, Giang added.

If only relying on high-end 5G smartphones from Apple and Samsung, it will be difficult to have a strong surge in 5G smartphone market demand and therefore the number of 5G users will be very small, but only when the Chinese or Vietnamese 5G mid-range smartphone products are launched in the market, will 5G boom.

“I believe that 5G phones will grow at a relatively fast pace in the second half of 2021," Mr. Giang expected.

Mr. Le Ba Tan said, in addition to the five above existing provinces, Viettel will pilot 5G in nine more provinces, including Da Nang, Hai Phong, Can Tho, Quang Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Thai Nguyen, Thua Thien Hue, Binh Duong and Ben Tre.

“Terminals (5G smartphone) will grow faster than forecast," he said, adding that Viettel wanted to promote the expansion of 5G mobile network coverage in parallel with 4G network - the mainstream telecommunications network. The 5G network will be developed in a larger area to provide more customers.