South Korean mobile operator LG Uplus teamed up with Viettel to launch roaming service for its 5G customers travelling in Vietnam.

The operators completed joint roaming tests, achieving peak download speeds of 72.4Mb/s.

In September, the military-run operator deployed an end-to-end 5G network in a district in Ho Chi Minh City, using gear from Nokia. Together with Ericsson, Viettel in May demonstrated the first 5G connection in Vietnam.

In a statement, Viettel said the roaming speeds offered were slower than regular 5G data speeds in Vietnam because LG Uplus wants to keep its roaming customers from incurring high charges.

LG Uplus, the third largest operator in South Korea by subscribers, also is partnering with China Unicom to offer 5G roaming service for customers in China.

Viettel, with a 41 per cent market share by subscribers, received a trial licence in January to use the 3.8GHz and 28GHz bands for tests in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and has already invested about $40 million in 5G.