On October 25, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam issued the Draft Circular on the Allocation Plan for Radio Frequency Channels in the Fixed Service in the 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz Bands.

Click this link to view the original draft and the comment period is until December 25, 2024.

On October 21, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) of Vietnam issued a public consultation on the proposed revision of Circular No. 08/2021/TT-BTTTTT. The Circular updates the specification for license-exempt radio equipment, and the proposed amendments will add the 5925 – 6425 MHz band to wireless local area networks (WLAN/RLAN).

The proposed revisions also outline power and spurious emission limits for Wi-Fi indoor and outdoor use in the band 5925 – 6425 MHz to prevent interference with existing licensed systems. The power limit for indoor use is 200 mW EIRP, while the power limit for outdoor use is 25 mW EIRP. These restrictions are often used in other countries to protect existing systems.

Click on this link to view the original public consultation, and the comment period is until 21 December 2024. The circular is expected to enter into force by the end of February 2025.

On October 25, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) of Vietnam issued Circular No. 13/2024/TT-BTTTT, along with the National Technical Regulation on Electromagnetic Compatibility of Terrestrial Mobile Radio Equipment and Terrestrial Radio Trunks QVCN 100:2014/BTTTT. The effective date of the regulation is January 1, 2025, from January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025, applicants can choose between QVCN 100:2015/BTTTT or QVCN 100:2014/BTTTT, and the latest standard must be used after June 30, 2025.

Click on this link to view the original text of the Circular and QVCN 100:2014/BTTTT regulation.

Against the backdrop of concerns about cyber information security and personal data disclosure risks, on August 23, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) of Vietnam conducted a public consultation on the draft national technical regulations (QCVN 135:2024/BTTTT) on basic cybersecurity requirements for surveillance cameras. The main contents are as follows:

• Scope: Surveillance camera equipment using Internet protocol;
• Interested parties: manufacturers, importers;
• Product and cargo description: video cameras, digital cameras that can be connected via an Internet protocol to perform partial or full surveillance and recording;
• Compliance measures: compliance certification and declaration of conformity;
• Recommended HS codes: 8525.60.00, 8525.81.10, 8525.81.90, 8525.82.10, 8525.82.90, 8525.83.10, 8525.83.90, 8525.89.10, 8525.89.90;
• • ETSI EN 303 645 v2.1.1 (2020-06) "Network; Cybersecurity for the Consumer Internet of Things: Benchmark Requirements";
  • ETSI TS 103 701 v1.1.1 (2021-08) Network; Cybersecurity for the Consumer Internet of Things: A Conformance Assessment of Benchmark Requirements"; Consumer IoT Cybersecurity: Conformance Assessment;
• This circular will be effective as of 1 January 2026;
• Governing body: Authority of Information Security (part of MIC).

Click on the link to view the original MIC public consultation.

The public consultation conducted on April 25, 2024 ended on June 25, 2024, and on July 8, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam again solicited comments on the draft QCVN 134:2024/BTTTT technical regulation and the draft corresponding regulatory announcement. The draft technical regulations specify limits and methods for measuring the specific absorption rate (SAR) of mobile phones. The regulations will apply to entities engaged in the manufacture, import, trade and operation of mobile phones in Vietnam. Technical regulations ensure that products meet safety requirements and specify SAR test procedures, including rapid SAR test methods.

The notice will come into force on July 1, 2025 and will be mandatory on July 1, 2026.

Click on this link to view the original MIC public consultation.

On April 30, 2024, the Ministry of Communications and Media (MIC) of Vietnam issued a circular numbered 03/2024/TT-BTTTT to adjust the frequency band planning of mobile communication systems. The announcement is about Vietnam's deployment plan for IMT public terrestrial mobile communication systems in the frequency bands 1710-1785 MHz and 1805-1880 MHz, which has come into effect on June 10, 2024.

The circular aims to standardize the deployment of IMT-2000, IMT-Advanced, IMT-2020 and future standards in Viet Nam to ensure the efficient use of wireless frequencies.

Click on this link to view the original text of Circular No. 03/2024/TT-BTTTT.

On May 10, 2024, the Ministry of Communications and Media (MIC) of Vietnam issued a circular numbered 04/2024/TT-BTTTT to adjust the frequency band planning of mobile communication systems. The announcement is about the deployment of the 880-915 MHz and 925-960 MHz frequency bands for IMT public terrestrial mobile communication systems in Vietnam, and will take effect on June 24, 2024.

The circular aims to standardize the deployment of IMT-2000, IMT-Advanced, IMT-2020 and future standards in Vietnam to ensure the efficient use of wireless frequencies.

Click on this link to view the original text of Circular No. 04/2024/TT-BTTTT.

On April 25, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam issued an announcement and a draft technical regulation QCVN 134:2024/BTTTT to introduce SAR requirements for mobile phones. The draft technical regulations specify limits and methods for measuring the specific absorption rate (SAR) of mobile phones. The regulations will apply to entities engaged in the manufacture, import, trade and operation of mobile phones in Vietnam. Technical regulations ensure that products meet safety requirements and specify SAR test procedures, including fast SAR test methods.

Comments are open until 25 June 2024. In accordance with Article 2 of the announcement, it is expected that the technical regulation will enter into force on July 1, 2025, if subsequent announcements are adopted and officially published. Click on  this link to view the original announcement and draft regulations.

On March 29, 2024, the Ministry of Communications and Media (MIC) of Vietnam issued Circular No. 02/2024/TT-BTTTT to publish the list of ICT equipment that must be certified (CoC) and declared qualified (SDoC), which will take effect on May 15, 2024:

• Certificates of Conformity issued between 15 July 2023 and 14 May 2024 will continue to be valid until the expiration date. However, from July 1, 2025, in addition to the criteria that have already been certified for conformity, products must be additionally certified and declared conformity according to the criteria in Circular No. 02/2024/TT-BTTTT;
• Testing of most products (except wireless access points) under extreme conditions will continue to be discontinued until June 30, 2025. Vietnam's MIC is recently reviewing the QCVN standard, including testing under extreme conditions, for subsequent republication;
• Imported laptops, tablets and PCs and other specific types of goods for self-use will be exempted from certification of conformity and declaration of conformity if there are no more than 3 items per batch;
• Until May 15, 2024, manufacturers and importers can choose the original Circular 04/2023/TT-BTTTT and Circular 10/2023/TT-BTTTT or make a declaration of conformity, a certificate of conformity in accordance with the Circular, or the new Circular 04/2024/TT-BTTTT;
• New standards QCVN 117:2023/BTTTT, QCVN 55:2023/BTTTT, QCVN 110:2023/BTTTT, QCVN 111:2023/BTTTT are enabled.

Regulation for some commonly used standards and devices:

• QCVN 117:2023/BTTTT: Mobile phones must support E-UTRA technology and VoLTE functions, and bands defined in the standard are B1, B3, B5, B8, B28, B40, B41;
• QCVN 127:2021/BTTTT: 5G mobile phones need to support both SA mode and NSA mode, and bands defined in the standard are n1, n3, n5, n8, n28, n40, n41, n77, n78, and n258;
• QCVN 55:2023/BTTTT applies to SRD devices operating in the 9 kHz to 25 MHz frequency range and inductive loop systems operating in the 9 kHz to 30 MHz frequency range: the implementation date is May 15, 2024, which will be earlier than the effective date of the standard (July 1, 2024), and wireless chargers do not need to be tested in accordance with QCVN 55:2023/BTTTT;
• NB-IoT devices do not need to be tested for total radiated power (TRP) and total receiver sensitivity (TRS) in accordance with QCVN 131:2022/BTTTT;
• Non-mobile phone terminal products will no longer be allowed to support only 2G and 3G, and the validity period of the original certificate will not exceed June 30, 2024;
• Devices with Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 capabilities (bands 5925-7125 MHz) can only claim compliance if the manufacturer has made a written commitment to turn off the 6 GHz band and the user is unable to activate the band on their own.

Click this link to view the original text of Circular No. 02/2024/TT-BTTTT.

On February 5, 2024, the Ministry of Communications and Media (MIC) of Vietnam published a draft circular on the National Technical Regulations on Electromagnetic Compatibility of Land Mobile Radio Equipment and Land Trunking Radio Equipment. The relevant EMC technical regulations specified are QCVN 100:2024/BTTTT, which replaces the original QCVN 100:2015/BTTTT. The notice is expected to take effect on November 15, 2024. From April 15, 2025 to June 30, 2025, QCVN 100:2015/BTTTT or QCVN 100:2024/BTTTT can be used, and from July 1, 2025, QCVN 100:2024/BTTTT will be mandatory.

Click this link to check the draft circular, and the public consultation is open until 5 April 2024.