Vietnam can turn off 2G signals by 2020: Is the end of the 'brick phone' coming?

At the High-Level Forum on Industry 4.0, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung said that the Ministry of Information and Communications is studying to turn off 2G waves in Vietnam in 2022 in order to save national resources and accelerate the transition. number.

In 1999, 2G wave technology appeared in Vietnam. However, until the present time, when the smartphone Internet and digital economic services have exploded, the 2G network has become outdated, the number of users has decreased sharply while consuming resources on national spectrum.

Turning off 2G waves not only saves resources and operating costs for carriers, but also helps accelerate the argument transfer process.

Currently in the world, many developed countries and leading in the field of telecommunications have turned off 2G waves for a long time. Some countries in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia have also been or are in the process of eliminating 2G waves.

How does turning off 2G waves affect users?

When the 2G signal is turned off, most basic phones ('brick phones') will stop working and cannot perform basic tasks like listening, calling, and texting. Affected users are those with low incomes who cannot afford smartphones, students and the elderly who cannot and cannot use smartphones.

However, these subjects also have many other options such as low-cost smartphones running Android, supporting 3G / 4G connectivity for only VND 1-2 million. Manufacturers have also launched many basic phones that support 3G, even 4G to suit the era.

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