The World Mobile Broadband and ICT Summit 2022 was recently held in Hanoi to discuss the modernisation of telecommunications infrastructure and digital content services, toward creating a digital economy and society. At the summit, experts exchanged and shared methods for management, investment, and product development on high-tech telecommunications platforms. As per reports, the event was co-organised by the International Data Group (IDG) in Vietnam and the Radio and Electronics Association of Vietnam. The organisers also honoured outstanding mobile broadband, Internet, and cloud computing service providers in Vietnam in 2022.
Addressing the event, the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications (MIC), Pham Duc Long, stated that following the advancements in information technology, telecommunications infrastructure is now transforming into digital infrastructure. MIC aims to master broadband infrastructure, 5G equipment infrastructure, and made-in-Vietnam technology platforms, Long added. Regarding digital transformation, infrastructure development, and platforms, he said Vietnam should create a digital institution. The country also needs industry breakthroughs and should promote best practices in the synthesis of practical experiences of related units in Vietnam and when studying other countries’ experiences.
According to statistics of the MIC’s Authority of Telecommunications, in 2021, Vietnam had 70.9 million mobile broadband subscribers, accounting for 57.23% of total mobile subscribers and representing an increase of more than 4% compared to 2020. In 2022, the authority aims to have 85% mobile broadband subscribers per 100 people. It hopes that 100% of adults will own a smartphone and 75% of households will have installed fibre-optic Internet. According to the Department of Telecommunications, as of October 2021, the country had more than 18.8 million fixed broadband Internet subscribers. Around the same time, Vietnam had 71 million mobile broadband subscribers, with 89.81% prepaid and 10.19% postpaid.
Earlier this month, OpenGov Asia reported that Vietnam is among the countries with the most affordable mobile Internet. As per data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the fixed Internet unit price/per capita income of Vietnam is equal to about 41% of the world average. Further, the mobile Internet unit price/per capita income of Vietnam is equal to one-third of the world average. According to statistics from 155 countries on the average mobile Internet access fee for 1GB of data, Vietnam ranked 10th with US$0.57/GB. Like fixed broadband rates, Vietnam is among the countries with the lowest mobile Internet access charges in the world. On average, download/upload speeds in Vietnam reached 78.34/69.41 Mbps, placing it 59th out of 138 countries. This is considered a good rank, compared to the world at 113/62 Mbps. Vietnam’s fixed broadband Internet speed growth in the past 12 months reached 50%, increasing from 42.07 Mbps to 64.67 Mbps. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is ranked higher than the Philippines (67th) and Malaysia (77th) but lower than Thailand (36th) and Singapore (18th).
