More than 11 million 2G-only mobile subscribers will be turned off with the deadline being September 16.

Vietnam will begin blocking signals for non-compliant 2G mobile phones as part of its broader plan to fully phase out the 2G service this year, according to the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority (VTA) under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).

Vietnam Telecommunications Authority said that approximately 498,000 mobile phone subscribers had verified their information, leaving nearly 1.17 million SIM cards two-way locked.

The total number of customers registering for and using the Mobile Money service reached more than 1.1 million by the end of March.

Customers using Mobile Money, a freshly-approved pilot project, may be charged a certain fee, according to the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

With a sharp drop in revenue from traditional telecommunications services, carriers are rapidly transforming their digital strategy.

After telecoms carriers conducted commercial 5G trials in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, many provinces have sent recommendations to the Ministry of Information and Communications to allow the carriers to deploy 5G in their urban areas, industrial zones and key areas.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam urged mobile network operators to further simplify procedures for mobile number portability (MNP) services to create convenience for users to switch networks.

As part of plans to catch up with developed economies, Vietnam is looking to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR), with 5G service one of the key steps.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung has directed the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA) and network operators to stop the supply of pre-activated SIM cards.

The Ministry of Information and Communications will grant a 4G LTE licence in the second half of this year, Deputy Minister Phan Tam said at a meeting on April 27.