Breaking the telecommunications monopoly with VoIP 178

Viettel's VoIP 178 is a long-distance telephone service for inter-provincial and international calls, offering cost savings compared to traditional calling methods.

On October 15, 2000, Viettel officially launched a paid long-distance telephone service using VoIP technology on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route. VoIP 178 provided high-quality service with a reliable billing system, enabling Vietnamese people to make long-distance calls at lower costs. After 2 months of trial operation, VoIP 178 achieved good results with call durations averaging 50,000-60,000 minutes per day.
By 2002, within just about 2 years of implementation, VoIP 178 had attracted over 1 million subscribers and achieved a volume of over 100 million minutes per year.

Launching mobile services in Vietnam with the 098 prefix

On October 15, 2004, Viettel officially launched its mobile information service with the 098 prefix.
The introduction of Viettel's mobile network had a positive impact on the postal and telecommunications market, affirming the determination and correctness of the spirit of independence and self-reliance. Initially, few believed that Viettel would successfully implement a mobile project, especially after deciding to proceed independently without foreign business collaboration. In fact, Viettel had 100,000 subscribers within just 2 months of deciding to provide mobile services independently without partnering with foreign companies.

Becoming the telecommunications company with the largest market share, providing nationwide mobile service in Vietnam

With a revenue of 33,000 billion VND, the year of 2008 marked the 4th consecutive year Viettel achieved double growth compared to the previous year. Viettel continued to own the largest optical transmission network and number of broadcasting stations in Vietnam: 58,000 km of fiber optic cables and 14,000 BTS stations, more than twice as many as the second-largest company.

By 2008, Viettel had become the largest mobile company in Vietnam with 28 million subscribers on its network, equivalent to approximately 32.5% of the Vietnamese population having access to mobile services.

Expanding internationally with business operations in Laos and Cambodia

Despite being established decades after other companies in Cambodia and Laos, Viettel, with its Metfone and Unitel brands, quickly became a leader in network coverage and the second-largest in terms of customers. The governments of both countries highly value Viettel's investments in deepening optical fiber networks, broadband infrastructure, extending coverage to remote areas, and social programs. The initial success in Laos and Cambodia confirmed the correctness of Viettel's strategy for international expansion and provided valuable experience for further ventures into other countries.

Building the largest 3G network infrastructure in Vietnam

During the development of the 3G network, 2 notable innovations created significant resources for Viettel. First, the network was designed in a grid pattern in the center of provinces and districts, with one station placed every 800 meters, and every 400 meters in high-density areas, while in rural areas, stations were placed in the centers of communes, particularly in the most populous regions. Second, the design and construction of stations were tailored to specific regions, such as the northern plains or mountainous areas. These innovations not only shortened deployment time but also made adjustments easier.

By 2009, Viettel's network infrastructure had grown significantly, with the number of BTS stations and fiber optic cables increasing by over 50%. Domestically, Viettel operated nearly 26,000 2G and 3G stations, with fiber optic cables extending over 90,000 km and capturing 40% of the mobile subscriber market share.

Laying the foundation for research and production of military equipment

Following its success in pioneering the widespread adoption of telecommunications services in Vietnam and investing in international markets, Viettel began developing a strategy in the early 2010s to master the research, design, and production of telecommunications and IT equipment.

Researching, designing, and producing telecommunications and IT equipment has allowed Viettel to control service delivery timelines, customize services based on customer needs, ensure network and information security, and reduce dependence on the technology and expertise of external suppliers.

Becoming the 30th largest telecommunications company in the world

Reaching 35 million international customers, Viettel entered the top 30 largest telecommunications companies globally by users. Since reaching 10 million customers in international markets in 2013, this number has tripled in just 3 years. In addition to contributions from established markets such as Cambodia, Laos, and Mozambique, the remarkable growth in Tanzania, a new market with a population of 50 million— the largest among the markets which Viettel invested in in 2016—also played a significant role.

Building the largest 4G infrastructure in Vietnam and becoming the first carrier to launch 4G in the country

On April 18, 2017, Viettel officially launched its 4G network. In just over 6 months of extensive deployment, Viettel's 4G network reached all provinces and cities across the country, covering 704 districts, equivalent to nearly 99% of Vietnam's districts. With nationwide coverage reaching 95% of the population, Viettel became the first carrier in the world to have nationwide 4G coverage at launch.

To achieve this rapid deployment with a large number of base stations, Viettel chose a different approach by deploying a comprehensive 4G network immediately, rather than following the "oil spill" model of gradually expanding from urban to rural areas to maximize profits and address high-demand areas first.

Launching the 10th international market, covering Asia, America, and Africa

As of 2018, Viettel had invested in 9 international markets: Laos, Cambodia, Haiti, Mozambique, East Timor, Cameroon, Peru, Burundi, and Tanzania. On June 9, 2018, Viettel's 10th international brand—MyTel—was officially launched in Myanmar. MyTel is the brand of Telecom International Myanmar, a joint venture between Viettel Global (a subsidiary of Viettel Group) and 2 local partners, Star High Public Company and Myanmar National Telecom Holding Public (MNTH).

Renaming to ‘Military Industry and Telecoms Group’

On January 5, 2018, the Prime Minister signed a decision promulgating a Decree on the Charter of organization and operation of the parent company - Viettel Group.

Accordingly, the Military Telecommunications Group was officially renamed MILITARY INDUSTRY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS GROUP, marking a milestone for Viettel as it expanded its business and embarked on a journey to become a global industrial and technology group.

Viettel is 1 of the first 50 operators in the world to successfully deploy NB-IoT

The successful deployment of NB-IoT is the result of 2 years of research and experimentation (2017-2019) by Viettel's engineering team. With this achievement, Viettel became the 1st network operator in Vietnam to successfully launch a commercial IoT network. The entire IoT infrastructure and platform provided by Viettel will be ready for customers in the first half of 2019.

Declaring the mission of ‘Pioneering the creation of a digital society’

After achieving its mission of "Universalizing telecommunications services" in Vietnam, Viettel announced a new mission in 2018: "Pioneering the creation of a digital society." This marked the transition from being a telecommunications service provider to a digital service provider. By the end of 2020, Viettel had developed 6 key platforms for a digital society, including: Digital infrastructure; Digital solutions; Digital content; Digital finance; Cybersecurity; Research and production of high-tech industrial technology.

Successfully testing Vietnam's first 5G call

On April 25, 2019, Viettel successfully conducted a 5G test across all frequency bands authorized by the Ministry of Information and Communications. The connection speeds during the tests ranged from 600-700 Mbps, comparable to the speeds offered to customers by Verizon’s 5G network in the U.S.

With this milestone, Viettel became the 1st and only network operator in Vietnam fully licensed to test 5G. This achievement made Vietnam 1 of the earliest countries in the world to successfully test 5G, marking the 1st time the country could align with global advancements in mastering and applying the latest technology.

#1 Most valuable telecommunications brand in Southeast Asia (2020)

According to a report by Brand Finance (a leading global brand valuation consultancy) in 2020, Viettel's brand value reached $5.8 billion, ranking #1 in Southeast Asia, #9 in Asia, and #28 in the world.

#227 Most valuable brand in the world

Viettel's brand value reached $8.758 billion, increasing nearly 45% compared to 2021 and ranking #227 on the Global500 list. In just 3 years, Viettel's brand value grew by 103%, maintaining its position as the top telecommunications brand in Southeast Asia and ranking among the top 3 most valuable brands in the region.

#2 in the world for brand strength in telecommunications

Brand Finance, a leading global brand valuation consultancy from the UK, recently released its global brand value ranking. Viettel has become the 2nd strongest telecommunications brand in the world, surpassing major telecom providers such as Swisscom (Switzerland), Jio (India), and STC (Saudi Arabia).

As of 2024, Viettel leads in 7/10 international telecom markets, an increase of 2 markets compared to the previous period, including: Movitel (Mozambique), Lumitel (Burundi), Telemor (East Timor), Metfone (Cambodia), Mytel (Myanmar), Unitel (Laos), and Natcom (Haiti).