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VN — VnExpress

Mobile Coverage Costs in Mountainous Areas Are Double Those in the Lowlands

Devices2 min read

Mobile phone networks in Son La, a mountain province in Vietnam, still have dead zones. Viettel says building towers there costs about twice as much as in the lowlands, and it plans to fill most of the gaps this year.

What happened

Viettel's Son La director, Nguyen Chi Cong, said high building costs are the main reason many mountain provinces still have weak or no mobile signal. The steep land, spread-out villages, and poor roads, power, and links make building networks slow and expensive. He spoke at a meeting between Son La's leaders and Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology on October 23.

Key numbers

  • Building a base station (BTS) and broadband in the mountains costs about 100% more than in the lowlands, on average.
  • In 2026, Viettel Sơn La plans to build 246 base stations.
  • The work will cover 55 villages and 293 settlements with 50 or more people.
  • Viettel aims to cover 100% of weak-signal areas in Son La this month (October).
  • About 100,000 mountain residents are expected to gain connection.

Why the gap exists

Few people live in each village, so early profits from a new tower are small. Still, the company says the network is needed for digital change and a digital economy. Between 2021 and 2025, Son La worked with phone companies to cover 534 weak-signal villages. That was 16.5% of all villages covered nationwide in the same period, but dead zones remain. In September, Son La also received satellite internet equipment for 36 sites, provided with Starlink Vietnam and a six-month free data plan.

Why it matters

Reliable phone and internet service helps students learn, families get health and government services, and local people sell goods online. The province asked the government to let it use the public telecom fund to pay for towers and fiber. The minister agreed to help, saying the work is costly but "we cannot not do it."

What to watch

  • Whether Viettel reaches 100% coverage of weak-signal areas in October.
  • Whether the Ministry approves use of the public telecom fund for towers and fiber.
  • Progress toward covering 100% of villages with mobile broadband in 2026.
  • Whether fiber coverage reaches 80% of households by the end of 2028.
  • How satellite internet is combined with fiber and mobile networks in the hardest areas.

Glossary

Viettel
A large Vietnamese telecom company that builds and runs mobile and internet networks.
BTS
Base transceiver station: a mobile phone tower that sends and receives signals.

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