Vietnam’s largest mobile network operator Viettel and Nokia have broadcast the first end-to-end 5G network in Ho Chi Minh City which they say positions Vietnam head to head with other countries in the region looking for an early commercial 5G rollout.

The minister responsible for delivery of the national broadband network says the introduction of 5G services in Australia is unlikely to pose a significant threat to the NBN Co's business plan – and has swept aside "premature" talk about privatisation of the network.

Chinese telecommunications equipment vendor Huawei Technology has expressed its willingness to sell its 5G technology to a Western company and allow the latter to develop it as it wished, while the Chinese firm continued on its own chosen path.