Viettel moved Vietnam’s 2G users to 4G with free phones

Vietnam wanted to retire 2G and free spectrum for faster networks, but millions still relied on cheap feature phones. A shutdown risked making basic connectivity unaffordable for poor and rural users; affordability, digital skills, and weak connectivity kept 2G relevant.

Viettel chose to make the migration an adoption program rather than just a network switch. It offered discounted data plans months before shutdown, sent staff to remote villages, and spent 300 billion dong ($12.2 million) to give 4G feature phones to 700,000 of its 2G subscribers. The familiar form factor let users move to 4G without having to learn a smartphone.

The approach delivered a measurable transition: Vietnam’s 2G base fell from more than 18 million in January 2024 to 143,000 in November, and the shutdown went ahead. The remaining challenge was that access to a working phone did not automatically mean digital literacy, as one recipient still did not know whether she could use the internet.

Viettel helped move 700,000 customers to 4G phones; Vietnam cut 2G subscribers from over 18 million in January 2024 to 143,000 by November.

The network deadline created a forcing function, but the cost of a replacement phone could have turned a technical upgrade into exclusion.

Viettel addressed the binding constraint—device affordability—instead of assuming coverage alone would change behavior.

A 4G feature phone preserved the familiar calling experience while opening a path to newer services.

Village-level outreach and discounted plans made the migration operational, not merely regulatory.

When an infrastructure upgrade threatens low-income users, pair the hard cutoff with an affordable bridge, local outreach, and a familiar product.

The shutdown joined a global shift away from 2G, while South Africa later scrapped its deadlines after concerns that about 20 million people could be excluded. Viettel’s model showed how an operator can make a forced technology transition workable in practice, but it also exposed a second gap: a connected device is not the same as digital capability.