Vietnam's telco giant developed its own 5G tech

Vietnam's Viettal Group, a multinational telecommunications firm, is braving the Fifth Generation (5G) race as it has developed devices, allowing the country to not bank on the leading tech giant Huawei. 

Viettel makes its first 5G call, photo from Bao Xay Dung

Vietnam wants a China-free network?

Just like the Philippines, many countries in the region have been planning to tap China's Huawei for their 5G shift.

But amid a territorial dispute over the South China Sea, Vietnam may want to be free from China in embracing a key technology with Viettel's aggressive move in the 5G space. 

The telco group, owned by Vietnam's Defence Ministry, is eyeing for the mass production of hardware and software by 2021. 

The launch of commercial 5G services in its home soil, meanwhile, may happen in mid-2020. Viettel is also looking at supplying equipment to 10 developing countries where it has footprints, including Myanmar and Cambodia. 

Viettel has about 60 million domestic subscribers. And we may have to wait a little longer before Viettel makes a name for itself in the global 5G space. 

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Source: Nikkei Asian Review