Viettel network upgrades push Vietnam’s fixed and mobile internet speeds higher, with 5G speeds rising sharply

Global fixed internet speeds averaged 118.76 Mbps for downloads and 59.02 Mbps for uploads, while mobile internet averaged 107.26 Mbps download and 15.01 Mbps upload. Vietnam’s fixed and mobile performance has improved steadily, helping the country rise in international rankings.

Vietnam’s fixed broadband climbs to top global tier

In February, Vietnam’s fixed internet averaged 288.76 Mbps download and 262.36 Mbps upload, moving up one place to become the ninth fastest fixed broadband globally. Vietnam’s fixed speeds are nearly 2.5 times higher than the world average.

In Asia, Vietnam ranks fifth, behind Singapore (first), the United Arab Emirates (second), and Hong Kong (third). Within Southeast Asia, Vietnam is second only to Singapore.

5G median jumps sharply in early 2026

For 5G, i-Speed data from the Vietnam Internet Association (VNNIC) shows the median speed rose by about 50% in one month. The median increased from 391.05 Mbps in December 2025 to 594.81 Mbps in January 2026, which is near 10 times the former 4G speed.

Viettel’s 5G speed reached 617 Mbps. The report cites practical download examples of a 10 GB 4K movie in about 2–3 minutes and a 1 GB file in 10–20 seconds. As a result, Vietnam’s overall 5G index rose to nearly 600 Mbps on the i-Speed chart.

Operator-level 5G speeds and mobile network growth

According to VNNIC, in January 2026 VNPT’s 5G speed was around 311.11 Mbps and MobiFone’s around 187.57 Mbps. In February 2026, nationwide mobile network speeds increased by about 33.31% for downloads and 28.1% for uploads.

Viettel led mobile performance in February with 234.65 Mbps download and 47.73 Mbps upload. VNPT ranked second with 72.28 Mbps download and 29.07 Mbps upload, followed by MobiFone with 55.1 Mbps download and 23.81 Mbps upload.

For 5G specifically, Viettel remained the fastest at 575.2 Mbps down, compared with VNPT at 304.84 Mbps and MobiFone at 172.38 Mbps.

What is driving the improvement

The progress is attributed in part to Viettel’s infrastructure expansion, adding more than 23,500 5G towers in 2025 to bring the total to over 30,000. The company also emphasizes the 2,600 MHz band to balance speed and coverage, targeting capacity constraints in dense urban areas.

To sustain performance, Viettel developed AI-based monitoring and optimization tools to manage network quality in real time. The tools analyze KPIs, detect interference, and adjust coverage to maintain stable speeds and latency even as traffic fluctuates.

Efficiency and network expansion plans

At MWC 2026, Viettel Networks Deputy General Director Le Quang Hieu said AI supports operating cost optimization through energy management at base stations and data centers, and helps build a self-operating network to maintain efficiency as the network grows.

In Vietnam, Viettel is currently the only operator deploying 5G Standalone, with nearly 30,000 towers by end-2025. The company plans to add about 20,000 more in 2026 to reach 98% population coverage.