Vietnam completed its nationwide 2G network shutdown on September 15, 2026, ending legacy service for an initial base of 18.2 million older connections. The migration clears radio spectrum across the country for faster data services.

State operator Viettel handled the bulk of the transition, moving nearly 8.6 million subscribers onto 4G and 5G voice services between January and September 2026. The carrier reduced its remaining unmigrated voice cohort from 9.3 million users at the close of 2025 to 750,000 by the deadline, bringing 99 per cent of its customer base onto modern data and voice protocols.

Getting users off legacy networks required cheap replacement handsets. Low-income subscribers in rural provinces faced steep replacement costs for smartphones, prompting Viettel to market basic 4G feature phones starting at 200,000 VND with handset trade-in options.

State funds filled the remaining equipment deficit. The carrier worked with the Vietnam Public-Utility Telecommunications Service Fund to distribute 400,000 4G handsets directly to low-income families and welfare beneficiaries. Viettel deployed field teams into remote communes alongside municipal digital task forces, swapping SIM cards manually and training older users on the new devices.

Phasing out 2G has stalled across emerging markets where low-cost hardware remains scarce. In India, Reliance Jio urged regulators in early 2024 to establish a concrete switch-off timetable, yet roughly 250 million Indian users remained bound to 2G feature phones without a mandatory national deadline. South Africa delayed its initial June 2024 termination target to late 2027 after retail point-of-sale card terminals, security alarms and fleet tracking hardware failed to switch in time.

Source link