Vietnam: Adopted Telecommunications Law (No. 24/2023/QH15) including licensing requirements

On 24 November 2023, the Telecommunication Law (No. 24/2023/QH15) was adopted. The Telecommunications Law encompasses the regulatory framework pertaining to telecommunications licenses, encompassing the types, conditions, and procedures associated with the issuance, renewal, and revocation of licenses. The Law introduces two distinct categories of telecommunications service licenses: a 15-year license for providers with established network infrastructure and a 10-year license for those lacking such infrastructure. The licenses granted under the Telecommunications Law of 2009 will remain valid until they expire. In addition, pending applications submitted before the effective date of the new law will be processed in accordance with the regulations that were in force prior to the enactment of the new law. Moreover, licenses will be granted to individual service providers based on the specific management objectives outlined in their applications, while group licenses will be issued to service providers that meet the licensing objectives.