MobiFone, one of Viet Nam's top three main mobile network providers, has officially been granted a license from the Information Ministry to provide 4G services, the carrier recently announced.

MobiFone, another Vietnamese mobile operators, has been allowed to provide 4G services. (Photo from MobiFone’s website)

In July this year, MobiFone ran a pilot program to launch 4G services in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Mobile users could either purchase a new 4G SIM card or sign up for data packages costing VND120,000-600,000 per month ($5-26).

A spokeperson from the teleco said that it has completed a plan to implement 4G services on a larger scale, pending comments from the ministry.

Before Mobifone, Viettel and VinaPhone received permission to offer 4G services in October.

Viettel, the dominant force in Viet Nam’s mobile market with more than 120 million users, began a test run of the service in Vung Tau Province, while VinaPhone, a network operated by Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), has been trialing its own services in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern resort island of Phu Quoc.

The licenses granted to the three network operators will be valid until September 2024.

Deputy Minister of Information Phan Tam said that 2016 is a “good time” to launch 4G services in Viet Nam and 2017 will witness “strong development” of the technology.

The ministry has set a target of ensuring 95 percent of Viet Nam’s population will have access to 3G and 4G services by 2020.

(Source: VNExpress International)