Circular No. 21/2026/TT-BKHCN Amending and Supplementing Certain Articles of Several Circulars Concerning Delegation, Reduction, and Simplification of Administrative Procedures in the Field of Telecommunications under the Management Scope of the Ministry of Science and Technology

CIRCULAR

AMENDING AND ENHANCING CERTAIN ARTICLES OF SEVERAL CIRCULARS TO DELEGATE POWERS, REDUCE, AND SIMPLIFY ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES IN THE FIELD OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS UNDER THE STATE MANAGEMENT COMPETENCE OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYBASED ON THE LAW ON ISSUANCE OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS NO. 64/2025/QH15, AMENDED AND SUPPLEMENTED BY THE LAW NO. 87/2025/QH15;

BASED ON DECREE NO. 55/2025/NĐ-CP DATED MARCH 2, 2025 OF THE GOVERNMENT REGULATING THE FUNCTION, MISSION, POWERS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY;

BASED ON DECREE NO. 78/2025/NĐ-CP DATED APRIL 1, 2025 OF THE GOVERNMENT REGULATING THE DETAILS OF CERTAIN ARTICLES AND MEASURES TO ORGANIZE AND GUIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LAW ON ISSUANCE OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS, AMENDED AND SUPPLEMENTED BY DECREE NO. 187/2025/NĐ-CP;

BASED ON DECREE NO. 133/2025/NĐ-CP DATED JUNE 12, 2025 OF THE GOVERNMENT REGULATING DELEGATION AND DELEGATION OF POWERS IN THE FIELD OF STATE MANAGEMENT COMPETENCE OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY;

BASED ON DECREE NO. 20/2026/NQ-CP DATED APRIL 29, 2026 OF THE GOVERNMENT REGULATING DELEGATION, REDUCTION, AND SIMPLIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND BUSINESS LICENSE CONDITIONS UNDER THE STATE MANAGEMENT COMPETENCE OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY;

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CIRCULAR,

THE MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISSUES THIS CIRCULAR TO AMEND AND ENHANCE CERTAIN ARTICLES OF SEVERAL CIRCULARS TO DELEGATE POWERS, REDUCE, AND SIMPLIFY ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES IN THE FIELD OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS UNDER THE STATE MANAGEMENT COMPETENCE OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

ARTICLE 1. AMEND AND ENHANCE CERTAIN ARTICLES OF CIRCULAR NO. 08/2013/TT-BTTTT DATED MARCH 26, 2013 OF THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION REGULATING QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES

1. AMEND AND ENHANCE THE PRESENTATION OF ARTICLE 4 AS FOLLOWS:

“Telecommunication enterprises are responsible for:”.

2. AMEND AND ENHANCE THE PRESENTATION OF ARTICLE 6 AS FOLLOWS:

“For telecommunication services listed in the ‘List of Telecommunication Services Subject to Quality Management’, telecommunication enterprises are responsible for:”.

3. REPLACE THE MODEL ATTACHED TO CIRCULAR NO. 08/2013/TT-BTTTT WITH MODEL NO. 01 ATTACHED TO THIS CIRCULAR.

4. REPLACE THE MODEL ATTACHED TO CIRCULAR NO. 08/2013/TT-BTTTT WITH MODEL NO. 02 ATTACHED TO THIS CIRCULAR.

ARTICLE 2. AMEND AND ENHANCE CERTAIN ARTICLES OF CIRCULAR NO. 07/2015/TT-BTTTT DATED MARCH 24, 2015 OF THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION REGULATING TELECOMMUNICATION CONNECTION

1. AMEND AND ENHANCE PARAGRAPH 1 OF ARTICLE 8 AS FOLLOWS:

“1. Within thirty days from the date when a telecommunication enterprise is determined to be an enterprise holding essential means, such enterprise shall prepare and submit one set of registration application for the model connection agreement in either a direct manner at the One-Stop Service Department or through the postal system to the People’s Committee of the province where the enterprise’s principal office is located, or online via the National Public Services Portal or the national identity application. Telecommunication enterprises that are not holding essential means may prepare and issue their own model connection agreement without registration with a state authority, provided they comply with the provisions of this Circular to be applied uniformly with telecommunication enterprises.”

2. AMEND AND ENHANCE SOME CONTENTS OF ARTICLE 9 AS FOLLOWS:

a) REPLACE THE PHRASE “twenty working days” in paragraph 1 of Article 9 with the phrase “eight working days”.

b) REPLACE THE PHRASE “Telecommunications Circular” with the phrase “People’s Committee at the provincial level”.

3. REPLACE THE PHRASE “Telecommunications Circular” in paragraph 3 of Article 13 with the phrase “state authority having jurisdiction”.

4. REPLACE THE MODEL ATTACHED TO CIRCULAR NO. 07/2015/TT-BTTTT WITH MODEL NO. 03 ATTACHED TO THIS CIRCULAR.

4. Replace the Model in Annex 04 issued together with Circular No. 07/2015/TT-BTTTT with Model No. 03 issued together with this Circular.

Article 3. Amendment and Supplement to Certain Articles of Circular No. 07/2020/TT-BTTTT dated April 13, 2020, issued by the Minister of Information and Communications on the Inspection of Telecommunication Equipment and Radio Stations

1. Amend and supplement Clause 3, Clause 4, and Clause 5 of Article 7 as follows:

a) Amend and supplement Clause 3 as follows:

"3. Within three (03) working days from the date of submission, upon receipt of a complete application in accordance with Clause 1 of this article, the inspection organization shall notify the organization or enterprise in writing that it has received the application specified in Clause 1 of this article and inform them of the review fee for telecommunication equipment and radio stations (hereinafter referred to as the 'review fee')."

b) Amend and supplement Clause 4 as follows:

"4. Within eleven (11) working days from the date of submission by the organization or enterprise of the review fee in accordance with Article 9 of this Circular, the inspection organization shall conduct the review and issue a Telecommunication Equipment Inspection Certificate."

c) Amend and supplement Clause 5 as follows:

"5. In case there are non-conformities during the review process, the inspection organization shall notify the organization or enterprise in writing specifying the points of non-conformity. Within eight (08) working days from the date of notification by the inspection organization, the organization or enterprise must rectify the non-conformities and resubmit the application to the inspection organization for further review and issuance of a Telecommunication Equipment Inspection Certificate within five (05) working days. In case the organization or enterprise fails to submit the corrected application within the stipulated time, the inspection organization may refuse to continue with the review, not refund the review fee, and notify the organization or enterprise in writing."

2. Amend and supplement Clause 1 of Article 9 as follows:

"1. The organization or enterprise shall submit the review fee to the inspection organization within five (05) working days from the date of notification by the inspection organization regarding the review fee. In case the organization or enterprise fails to pay the review fee within the stipulated time, the inspection organization may refuse to conduct the review and notify the organization or enterprise in writing."

Article 4. Amendment and Supplement to Certain Articles of Circular No. 33/2020/TT-BTTTT dated November 4, 2020, issued by the Minister of Information and Communications amending and supplementing certain articles of Circular No. 08/2013/TT-BTTTT dated March 26, 2013, issued by the Minister of Information and Communications on Quality Management of Telecommunication Services

1. Amend and supplement Clause 1 of Article 1 as follows:

"1. Amend and supplement Clause 5 of Article 1 as follows:

"1. Telecommunication enterprises shall submit the application for declaration of telecommunication service quality directly to the One-Stop Service Department or through the postal system to the People's Committee of the province where the enterprise is headquartered, or online at the National E-Government Portal or the National Digital Identity Application."

2. Amend and supplement Clause 2 of Article 1 as follows:

"2. Amend and supplement Clause 4 of Article 5 as follows:

"4. Within two (02) working days from the date of receipt of the application:

a) In case the application is approved, the People's Committee of the province shall issue to the telecommunication enterprise a 'Receipt for Declaration of Telecommunication Service Quality' in accordance with the model attached as Appendix III of this Circular; and simultaneously send a copy of the receipt to the Department of Telecommunications for coordination in management.

b) In case the application is not approved, the People's Committee of the province shall issue a written response to the telecommunication enterprise specifying the reasons."

3. Replace the model attached as Appendix I to Circular No. 33/2020/TT-BTTTT with Model No. 04 attached to this Circular.

Article 5. Amendment and Supplement to Certain Articles of Circular No. 13/2025/TT-BKHCN dated July 16, 2025, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology on the Delegation of Authority for Granting, Extending, Reissuing, Amending, Supplementing, and Revoking Telecommunications License, and Requesting Termination of Provision of Telecommunication Services

1. Amend and supplement Article 1 as follows:

“Article 1. Scope of Application

This Circular stipulates the delegation of authority for granting, extending, reissuing, amending, supplementing, and revoking telecommunications licenses, and requesting termination of provision of telecommunication services in accordance with paragraph 4 of Article 33 of the Telecommunications Law, except as provided in Article 4 of Decree No. 133/2025/NĐ-CP dated June 12, 2025, issued by the Government on Delegation and Hierarchical Authority within the Field of State Management of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Part B of Appendix I attached to Decision No. 20/2026/NQ-CP dated April 29, 2026, issued by the Government on Delegation, Reduction, Simplification of Administrative Procedures, Business Licensing Conditions within the Field of State Management of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

2. Amend and supplement Article 3 as follows:

“Article 3. Delegation of Authority for Granting, Extending, Reissuing, Amending, Supplementing, and Revoking Telecommunications Licenses

The Minister of Science and Technology delegates to the Department of Telecommunications:

1. To grant, extend, reissue, amend, and supplement telecommunications licenses for provision of telecommunication services with infrastructure networks, types of public telecommunications networks not using radio frequency bands, except as provided in paragraph 2 of Article 4 of Decree No. 133/2025/NĐ-CP dated June 12, 2025, issued by the Government on Delegation and Hierarchical Authority within the Field of State Management of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

2. To revoke the following telecommunications licenses:

a) Telecommunications licenses for provision of telecommunication services without infrastructure networks, except as provided in paragraph 1 of Article 4 of Decree No. 133/2025/NĐ-CP dated June 12, 2025, issued by the Government on Delegation and Hierarchical Authority within the Field of State Management of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Part B of Appendix I attached to Decision No. 20/2026/NQ-CP dated April 29, 2026, issued by the Government on Delegation, Reduction, Simplification of Administrative Procedures, Business Licensing Conditions within the Field of State Management of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

b) Telecommunications licenses for provision of telecommunication services with infrastructure networks, types of public telecommunications networks not using radio frequency bands, except as provided in paragraph 2 of Article 4 of Decree No. 133/2025/NĐ-CP dated June 12, 2025, issued by the Government within the Field of State Management of the Ministry of Science and Technology.”

Article 6. Transitional Provisions

The processing of administrative procedures that have been received or have a postal confirmation stamp before the effective date of this Circular shall continue to be carried out in accordance with the current laws in effect at the time of receipt.

Article 7. Implementation Provisions

1. This Circular takes effect from the date of issuance, except as provided in paragraph 2 of this Article.

2. The authority to process administrative procedures specified in Articles 1, 2, 4, and 5 of this Circular shall take effect on May 29, 2026.

3. The Director of the Department of Telecommunications is responsible for:

a) Coordinating with units under the Ministry, People's Committees of provinces and cities, and relevant agencies and organizations to monitor, urge, and inspect the implementation of this Circular.

b) Guiding the People's Committees of provinces and cities and relevant units in receiving and processing administrative procedures according to the content of delegation, reduction, and simplification specified in this Circular.

4. The Director of the Department of Telecommunications, heads of units under the Ministry, and relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals shall bear responsibility for implementing this Circular./.