The state-owned telecom firm, the third company to be allowed to test after Viettel and Mobifone, can use 50 base transceiver stations each in Hanoi and HCMC.

In Hanoi, the tests will be mainly carried out around the pedestrian zone near the Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake, while in HCMC, it will be done in crowded tourist spots like the Notre Dame Cathedral and Nguyen Hue Street.

It will help assess the technology and market size before beginning full-fledged commercial operations, and the Ministry of Information and Communications has said the company needs to follow cybersecurity safety and privacy regulations.

The first 5G phone call in the country was made on January 17 using equipment manufactured by military-owned Viettel, which has been conducting non-commercial tests and installing equipment since last year.

The number of 5G subscriptions could hit 6.3 million by 2025 or 6 percent of all mobile subscriptions, technology conglomerate Cisco has forecast.

5G is said to offer speeds 100 times faster than 4G and will support new applications like remote medical procedures and autonomous driving.