• Ericsson awarded majority share of Viettel’s nationwide 5G deployment
• Partners sign a related MoU to advance 5G adoption and innovation in Vietnam

Vietnamese telecommunications, industrial and technology enterprise, Viettel, has strengthened its long-term partnership with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) through the award of the majority of its nationwide 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) deployment. Starting immediately, Ericsson 5G products and services will be deployed across the majority of provinces in Vietnam.

Ericsson’s 5G deployment will include the capital Hanoi and the north and central parts of Vietnam when complete. The extended partnership will also see Ericsson modernize its 4G network for Viettel across the same geographical areas.

The contract underscores the robust, trusted and collaborative relationship between Ericsson and Viettel, aimed at creating a strong digital infrastructure in Vietnam and provide superior connectivity with 5G.

The Ericsson Radio System will enhance Viettel’s network capabilities, enabling a faster, more reliable 5G rollout and high-speed connectivity for customers across Vietnam.

Viettel is also preparing for continuous spectrum refarming to New Radio (NR), utilizing the 2600 MHz spectrum for both 4G and 5G non-standalone (NSA), and positioning itself for future 5G Standalone (5G SA) deployment with the potential to introduce new services.

Tao Duc Thang, President and CEO, Viettel, says: "This year marks a significant milestone year for Vietnam with the commercial deployment of 5G. 5G will deliver superior user experience and enable new enterprise features that will unleash the capabilities of Industry 4.0 and enable the digital transformation of Vietnam." 

Rita Mokbel, Head of Ericsson Vietnam, says: "5G is the backbone for digitized economies and a driver of inclusive growth. Our partnership with Viettel heralds a new era of technological advancement for Vietnam, with 5G serving as a catalyst for innovation and digital transformation. Together, we will explore new frontiers in 5G, including network slicing, enterprise applications, and the expansion of Industry 4.0 use cases. The selection of Ericsson as a strategic partner for 5G deployment by Viettel reaffirms the deep partnership between the two companies for providing a robust, reliable and efficient digital infrastructure in Vietnam."

Ericsson and Viettel have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote 5G adoption in Vietnam. The companies will collaborate towards developing innovative 5G use cases as well as creating a robust developer ecosystem in Vietnam to build secure, reliable and innovative applications powered by 5G.

Ericsson and Viettel will focus on key areas such as 5G network slicing to provide differentiated connectivity, developer enablement via network APIs, and knowledge exchange on emerging technologies. This initiative will drive the commercialization of 5G in Vietnam and contribute to the country’s economic growth by unlocking the full potential of Industry 4.0 applications.