Viettel has officially secured the rights to use the highly coveted 700 MHz spectrum band - known as the “diamond band” - after successfully bidding VND 1,955,613,000,000 (approx. USD 76.8 million). The license grants the telecom giant access to the B2 – B2’ block for the next 15 years.

This marks the fourth time Viettel has participated in auctions for the 700 MHz band. The newly acquired spectrum is seen as a strategic asset, enabling the company to reach 99% of Vietnam’s population by 2030.

Thanks to its superior propagation characteristics, the B2 – B2’ block not only enhances coverage across rural, mountainous, and remote regions but also allows signal penetration into buildings and other hard-to-reach areas in urban zones.

Technically, the coverage radius of the 700 MHz band is 1.8 times greater than that of the 1,800 MHz band. This enables Viettel to significantly reduce deployment costs and save trillions of VND compared to using higher-frequency bands in difficult areas, all while improving user experience.

The band is designated by the Ministry of Science and Technology for mobile communications under IMT-Advanced (4G) and future standards.

Viettel’s Chairman Tao Duc Thang emphasized: “Securing the B2 – B2’ block of the 700 MHz band is crucial and timely for Viettel to realize the goals of Resolution 57 by the Politburo. It lays the groundwork for a high-speed, safe, and reliable digital infrastructure that connects citizens, authorities, and businesses, accelerating the application of digital technologies across society.”

Using this spectrum, Viettel plans to roll out high-speed, low-latency mobile broadband services via 4G/5G, supporting online learning, remote work, IoT applications, and smart infrastructure initiatives such as smart cities, smart agriculture, and intelligent traffic management.

Viettel will concentrate its resources to immediately integrate the new spectrum, aiming to deploy over 20,000 5G base stations by December 31, 2025.

The Radio Frequency Department highlighted that the successful auction of the 700 MHz spectrum represents a pivotal milestone in implementing Resolution 57, which outlines Vietnam’s roadmap to develop its digital technology industry by 2030, with a vision toward 2045.

The auction not only advances Vietnam’s telecommunications infrastructure but also ensures nationwide high-speed Internet, 5G/6G mobile networks, fiber-optic systems, and robust satellite data transmission capabilities.

It specifically supports extending coverage to rural, mountainous, island, and remote regions, while improving in-building service quality in urban areas.

Thai Khang