A Vietnamese military-owned company has quietly become one of the most ambitious state-backed technology firms in the world.
Viettel, launched by Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense in 1989 to build antenna towers, is now the country’s largest telecommunications firm. Its businesses include 5G hardware, surveillance technologies, affordable mobile phones, and even robotics. In 2024, its revenue was $7.2 billion.
Viettel holds 30 U.S. patents and operates subsidiaries in 11 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Now, it’s leading Vietnam into the artificial intelligence era.
On August 11, Viettel signed a partnership with South Korean telecommunications major KT Corporation to promote the research and application of AI in Southeast Asia. The partnership includes a plan to develop a Vietnamese AI language model.
While much of Viettel’s success is often attributed to its proximity to the Vietnamese military, experts say the company’s early push into rural markets, focus on R&D, and its ability to retain talent make it a contender in the global race for chipmaking, AI, and electronics manufacturing.
