Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) has announced that it will re-auction two "diamond spectrum blocks" within the 700MHz frequency band for 4G and 5G mobile communications.

The frequency bands up for auction this time are: 703–713MHz paired with 758–768MHz (B1–B1), and 723–733MHz paired with 778–788MHz (B3–B3). The first auction held last year failed to proceed due to insufficient registrations, making this the second attempt. The starting price is set at 19.55 trillion Vietnamese dong (approximately US$76.8 million). The auction will adopt an on-site bidding format, with a minimum bid increment of 20 billion Vietnamese dong (around US$764,800).

Interested bidders must submit qualification documents within 30 days and pay a deposit of 1 trillion Vietnamese dong (approximately US$39.3 million). Viettel, Vietnam's telecom giant which won the B2–B2 band (713–723MHz paired with 768–778MHz) in the May auction, is barred from participating in this round of bidding.

The spectrum usage term is 15 years. Under MST's latest auction plan, the winning bidder must officially launch mobile services using the B1–B1 and B3–B3 bands within one year of obtaining the license. Within two years of license acquisition, the operator must construct and put into operation no fewer than 2,000 new mobile base stations, with 30% of them required to be operational within 12 months of getting the license.

Moreover, at least 650 of these base stations must cover Vietnam's maritime and island areas; full coverage must also be achieved for all national expressways completed by 2030.

Previously used for analog television broadcasting, the 700MHz band has now been reallocated to 4G and 5G mobile communications. With a coverage radius roughly 1.8 times that of the 1800MHz band, it can help operators cut infrastructure costs and enhance network performance.