Unveiling the Power of Every Penny: How Your Viettel Telecom Spending Strengthens Vietnam’s Defense Capabilities

At the recent A80 National Achievements Exhibition, millions of visitors were awe-struck by Viettel’s display of advanced military technology, including the S-125-VT missile system, Truong Son missile complex, long-range multi-purpose UAVs, heavy self-propelled artillery, and air defense radar systems.

These cutting-edge weapons and equipment, ready for deployment, showcase Vietnam’s mastery of core technologies. Yet, few realize that the vast resources fueling Viettel’s prolonged research and development efforts stem from the everyday actions of millions of Vietnamese citizens.

Every call, text message, or additional data package purchased from Viettel Telecom, costing as little as a cup of iced tea, plays a part in this endeavor.

From Everyday Spending to National Defense Capabilities

Globally, few telecommunications companies carry a dual mission like Viettel.

Simply put, Viettel develops its civilian sectors (telecommunications, logistics, digital transformation) to generate financial resources, a portion of which is then invested in high-tech research and national defense industries.

Currently, the majority of the corporation’s revenue comes from telecommunications services provided by Viettel Telecom.

Viettel Telecom’s foundation is built upon countless micro-transactions across Vietnam: a 10,000 VND phone top-up by a worker, a few hundred thousand VND internet bill from a household, or even a 5,000 VND/day additional data package.

With 70 million customers nationwide making these transactions daily, a robust financial foundation is created, enabling a technology and industrial corporation like Viettel to undertake grand missions.

Profits from Viettel Telecom’s services are used to pay thousands of engineers, build laboratories, purchase equipment, and invest in researching core technologies that Vietnam once had to spend significant foreign currency to import.

This is an activity requiring enormous capital investment, and Viettel is among the few Vietnamese enterprises reinvesting strongly and effectively in R&D.

When you subscribe to a 4G plan, you might not realize that a small portion of your payment contributes to the research and development of the 5G Private system. This technology enables the military to deploy a secure, private mobile network in critical areas, islands, and borders, ensuring communication remains impenetrable to adversaries.

Every call you make could be contributing to the investment in radar surveillance projects. These “divine eye” radars can detect targets from hundreds of kilometers away, safeguarding our airspace and maritime sovereignty.

Profits from Viettel Telecom’s services also fund the development of UAVs. These drones serve not only military reconnaissance but also civilian applications like forest monitoring, dyke surveillance, and search and rescue operations.

Under a mechanism approved by the Politburo in 2023, the corporation allocates 30% of its post-tax profits to R&D, particularly in core technologies and national defense. According to the Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term, Viettel aims for 12-14% annual growth, with high-tech industries and digital technology growing at 25-30% per year.

Viettel Telecom: Pioneering Viettel’s Ecosystem

“Within the corporation, Viettel Telecom has always been the pioneer, leading the way for services and creating the ecosystem we have today. You are the leaders and pioneers of this ecosystem,” said Viettel Group Chairman Tao Duc Thang.

According to the group’s leader, Viettel Telecom started when Vietnam’s mobile density was below 4%. At that time, mobile services were considered a luxury, affordable only to the wealthy, who constituted a small portion of society.

Over the past 25 years, Viettel Telecom has advanced through four generations of technology, from 2G to 5G. Starting from zero, Viettel Telecom now boasts an impressive 60% market share in telecommunications. Previously, a call from the city to rural areas could cost tens of thousands of dong, and many regions had no signal. Viettel Telecom has changed this by providing coverage to remote areas, facilitating connectivity and driving socio-economic development.

As a result, the Viettel brand has garnered strong support from the public, authorities, and society for bringing technology to everyone, everywhere.

Furthermore, Viettel Telecom has led the way in bringing fiber optic cables to every household, with the foresight that fixed and mobile internet serve different needs. Fiber optics are the sustainable foundation for the future.

“I believe that Viettel Telecom’s employees are incredibly proud of their achievements—achievements recognized by the nation and its people, through products, services, and Viettel’s contributions,” Chairman Tao Duc Thang emphasized.