Vietnam set to pioneer 5G services to benefit business

The latest in wireless technology, 5G promises users faster download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections. With high throughput, ultra-low latency and low power connectivity, 5G promises speeds up to 50 times faster, 10 times more responsiveness, and much lower power connectivity than 4G.

5G is considered the most important infrastructure for the Internet of Things. Heralded as a revolution in network speed, latency and coverage, 5G opens up massive business opportunities in a wide range of fields such as virtual reality, intelligent manufacturing, smart cities, immersive education, digital health care and driverless cars.

Currently, about 131 operators around the world have announced their investment in the development of 5G technology. Mobile tech leaders such as Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei and ZTE have developed 5G service base-transceiver stations (BTS). As of September 2019, only about 10 countries had commercialized 5G, including the Republic of Korea, Japan, China, the US, Australia, the UK, Spain, Sweden, Norway, and Russia.

In 2019, Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications licensed operators to begin 5G trials in several major cities, and many businesses plan to develop core technologies for 5G networks, including chips and devices. The launch of 5G services will help Vietnam move up in global telecom rankings.

Susie Armstrong, senior deputy president of engineering at Qualcomm, said 5G development in Vietnam is divided into two phases - testing in 2019 and official commercialization as planned by the Ministry of Information and Communications in 2020. According to Armstrong, 5G development in Vietnam is faster than in the US or Japan. In terms of technology and engineering, Vietnam is fully capable of testing and commercializing 5G, which will become a strategic tool to create new business models and sectors, she said.

Naveen Menon, president of Cisco Systems in ASEAN, said conditions are ripe for deployment of 5G services. The rate of mobile data usage is growing rapidly, while businesses are seeking to take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution, underpinned by artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, 3D printing and robots in order to promote their growth. Successful application of these technologies depends largely on the telecommunications network’s platform and connectivity. The deployment of 5G services will help increase revenues of Vietnamese telecom operators, Menon said.

5G network development is considered the backbone of Vietnam’s pursuit of the fourth industrial revolution, creating a strong push for economic sectors. For example, in the agricultural sector, Vietnam has the opportunity to switch from old to new production models with outstanding output and productivity.