One of the benefits of turning off 2G signals is to promote 100% of Vietnamese people to use smartphones. At that time, people will have access to diverse digital services, while creating a high-quality digital environment for the national digital transformation strategy in the 4.0 industrial revolution. The transition to 4G also helps users access high-speed Internet and conveniently use convenient online services in education, healthcare, payment, entertainment…
Up to now, major network operators have turned off 2G and 3G signals in areas with low demand, and prepared the necessary conditions to be ready for this roadmap.
Mr. Nguyen Trong Tinh, Deputy General Director of Viettel Telecom, said that turning off 2G waves is a very correct policy, consistent with the trends and needs of customers and society in the current period. “This is an important turning point in the development of telecommunications infrastructure in Vietnam as well as the key to opening a digital life, a digital future with many new utilities and opportunities for people,” Mr. Tinh emphasized.
Turn off 2G waves to develop a new generation of Vietnamese mobile networks, meeting digital transformation
2G (also spelled 2-G) is the abbreviation for second generation mobile telecommunications network technology (or it can be called cellular wireless network technology). The 2G network was commercially deployed based on the GSM standard in Finland by the network operator Radiolinja (now part of the telecommunications company Elisa Oyj) in 1991.
2G technologies allow different carriers to provide services such as text messages, picture messages and MMS (multimedia messages). All text messages sent over 2G are encrypted using a digital signal, allowing data to be transmitted in such a way that only the intended recipient can receive and read the message.
With 2G technology, digital signal transmission creates lighter wave energy and uses smaller transceiver chips, saving more space inside the device, allowing developers to create Mobile devices are smaller, lighter, and have more technology than before.
At the time of deploying the 2G network in Vietnam in 1993, 95 – 97% of the world’s telecommunications networks were still analog and companies continued to produce these devices. The “leapfrog” created many difficulties for Vietnam’s post and telecommunications industry at that time. However, it is also thanks to this choice, along with the determination to overcome and overcome difficulties of the Government and businesses that have created great leaps in the development of Vietnam’s telecommunications industry. Steps to make Vietnam one of the countries with the largest proportion of people using mobile networks in the world.
However, along with the requirements of the times, the process of world economic integration, the achievements of science and technology have in turn developed stronger and more optimal mobile network technologies, bringing Better experiences for users, especially smooth Internet support on smart devices.
Not only applying the world’s technological achievements in applying 3G and 4G waves, Vietnam is also one of the first countries to pioneer in researching and successfully applying 5G networks in the world. These are also mobile networks that are commonly used by people today, meeting the requirements of the national digital transformation process that is taking place strongly and comprehensively in all ministries, localities, and governments. field of social economy. Using old 2G devices can no longer meet the requirements of turning each person into a “digital citizen” in the current era of global digitalization.
Turn off 2G signal, poor and near-poor households are supported with smartphones
According to the plan, by September 2024, there will be no more pure 2G subscribers (2G Only) on Vietnam’s mobile network.
According to Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha, Deputy Director of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Information and Communications, the roadmap for stopping 2G technology is being developed and deployed by telecommunications enterprises based on the orientation of stopping old technology. Accordingly, it is expected that by September 2024, there will no longer be 2G Only subscribers on the mobile network. From September 2024 to September 2026, the 2G system will be maintained to provide voice and texting services for subscribers using 3G and 4G Non-VoLTE devices.
In particular, Mr. Nguyen Phong Nha emphasized: “Social resources to support smartphone conversion will be mobilized, with priority given to poor and near-poor households: through organizations, businesses, societies and associations. Poor and near-poor households will receive smartphone support through the VTCI Vietnam Service Fund.”
The world is also gradually turning off 2G and 3G signals
According to a recent survey on the Reddit forum about turning off 2G signals, in the world there are 105 countries planning to turn off 2G waves in the near future, 129 countries have not yet implemented it, 102 countries have done it successfully and is promoting other mobile networks.
In 2010, Japan was the first country to put an end to the 2G network. Next, in 2011, Korean carrier KT Corp also turned off 2G waves and SK Telecom only applied it from July 2023.
In the US, AT&T discontinued service on its 2G network in 2017, while Verizon closed its 2G network around 2020. T-Mobile said it will turn off its 2G GSM network on April 2, 2024….
China’s three largest carriers, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, are also in the process of turning off 2G and 3G networks and converting customers to 4G or 5G networks.
According to research from companies and network operators around the world, 2G networks have simple login and connection procedures, so they are considered “outdated” and contain many vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can take advantage of. to distribute spam messages, fake messages… to user devices via 2G network waves with fake BTS stations, causing a lot of damage to users.
Besides, in terms of network technology development, maintaining 2G waves is taking up “space” of the frequency band that could be used for developing 5G, 6G networks… Therefore, it is required to turn off 2G networks today. It becomes more urgent than ever to ensure the rights of both people and businesses.
