VNPT, the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group, emerged as the successful bidder in the auction held on Tuesday afternoon, securing the rights to Việt Nam’s 5G 3700-3800 MHz, designated as C2 band block.

Talking to Hà Nội Mới (New Hà Nội) newspaper, a representative from VNPT said that winning the auction for the C2 band block is significant. This victory enables VNPT to explore various options for selecting network equipment, ultimately leading to the most cost-effective and efficient deployment of 5G in Việt Nam.

Along with the 3700-3800 MHz, VNPT owns the 1800 MHz which will be a great advantage in promoting 5G network in the coming future as well as creating a premise for developing 6G network.

The bidding is the first step on deploying 5G in Việt Nam. After winning the bid for 3700-3800 MHz, VNPT will hasten preparations for the successful commercialisation of 5G.

At the same time, VNPT will promote cooperation with other network operators to optimize the resource and give customers the best experience with 5G services.

VNPT said that the company has been working around the clock to prepare and implement a comprehensive strategy for developing a digital ecosystem of products and services to maximise the power of 5G.

VNPT said it will provide 5G services such as Cloud, IoT, AI, Machine Learning and Data Analytics in the industrial sector, supplying a variety of IoT applications and digital services to the public.

According to the Authority of Radio Frequency Management under the Ministry of Information and Telecommunication (MIC), the starting price for the frequency band for a 15-year period of use is VNĐ1.95 trillion and the winner must deploy a minimum of 30 per cent of the committed number of transceiver stations within the first two years. In an earlier development, an auction originally planned for frequency 3800-3900 MHz, designated as C3, was called off due to a lack of qualified bidders.

Previously, on March 8, 2024, an auction session for the frequency 2500 - 2600 MHz, designated as B1, was held successfully as Viettel won the bid by shelling out VNĐ7.5 trillion. Viettel, after winning the previous bid, will not be taking part in other auctions for 5G bands.

Some forecasts indicated that by 2030, 5G will bring in US$1.5 billion in revenue for Vietnamese network operators. By 2025, 5G can contribute up to 7.4 per cent to Việt Nam's GDP growth. — VNS