Viettel to gift 4G phones to 700,000 2G subscribers

State-owned telecom giant Viettel will spend VND300 billion (US$12.2 million) to gift 4G phones to 700,000 of its subscribers who still use 2G devices.

The military-owned company announced Friday that the program, which aims to support a rapid switch to 4G networks, is meant for customers still using 2G phones who lack access to 4G devices due to their remote location or financial status.

It plans to gift feature phones but with added cloud phone features that allow the use of some OTT apps.

The program will run from now until the 2G network is shut down on Oct. 15, with eligible users getting a message instructing them to go to the nearest Viettel store or contact its local employees for support.

Viettel said it would prioritize subscribers in mountainous regions affected by recent storms, like Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Hoa Binh, Bac Kan, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Cao Bang, and Ha Giang provinces.

The Ministry of Information and Communications and telecom firms have been taking a number of measures to promote the shift from 2G. The number of 2G users declined from 11 million in July to three million now.

Viettel has the most 2G subscribers of any network operator, but has seen over eight million switch to 4G devices this year.

It recently installed over 6,000 new base stations nationwide to expand its 4G network coverage to 96% of the population, including four million new users in remote and rural areas.

Pulling the plug on 2G will promote the adoption of 4G, which can help familiarize people with digital and online public services, and free up resources for network providers to focus on developing 5G and 6G technologies.