Leading telecommunication operators and technology firms in Vietnam are exploring production of locally-made 5G chipsets, network equipment and devices. This comes after the Ministry of Information and Communications have adopted progressive policies and provided incentives for research & development for high-technology products.
Leading the development is Viettel, the country’s largest mobile network operator, which invested and had been developing base-transceiver stations, core networks and terminal since 2015 with plans to commercially produce in 2020 just in time for the full 5G rollout. In September 2019, Viettel and Nokia broadcasted the first end-to-end 5G network in Ho Chi Minh City. Viettel and Nokia have set up 10 5G base stations in the area of Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City. Viettel aims to commercialize the 5G network by 2020.
At the same time, VinSmart Research and Manufacture JSC is currently focused on producing 5G smartphones and IoT devices expected to launch in mid-2020.
Challenges faced by the tech firms were also shared to the government such as gaining consumer trust as companies have not successfully produced chips before, lack of design experts, and granting of required license and frequency to test 5G devices.
(Source: Vietnam News)