"I am most interested in the impact of 5G on the national digital technology industry. Viettel and some enterprises have known how to take advantage of opportunities to develop their own solutions and equipment. With 5G, opportunities will be created for us to have experiences and promote national industrial development. This is the most important meaning," Lien said.

Nguyen Lam Thanh, General Manager of TikTok Vietnam, said that 5G connects devices but also the dreams of farmers. 

“When 5G is deployed across the country, we believe that Vietnamese agricultural products will be able to reach far. Farmers can tell their stories to more than 70 million users on the TikTok Shop platform, thereby improving their lives; the gap between rural and urban areas will be narrowed,” he said.

Tran Tuan Anh, Director of Shopee Vietnam, said that 5G creates a breakthrough for e-commerce, especially in rural areas. Compared with operators around the world, Anh affirmed that Vietnam's 5G rates are among the cheapest in the world and this will encourage many users to access this service.

Alongside 5G, data infrastructure continues to be regarded as the “brain” of digital infrastructure. The groundbreaking of large-scale and hyperscale data centers in Hanoi, HCMC, and other key localities lays the foundation for big data, AI, digital twins, and digital government in the coming years.

From AI to semiconductors

While 5G and data are the foundation, AI and semiconductors are considered the new growth engines of Vietnam’s ICT sector. 

In 2025, Viettel clearly identified AI as a long-term strategic spearhead. The issuance of an AI strategy toward 2030, with the goal for AI to contribute around $1 billion in direct and indirect revenue, demonstrates ambitions to make AI a new growth driver. 

Core platforms such as Vietnamese large language models (LLM), next-generation virtual assistants, digital twins, and data analytics have been mastered and widely applied.

Another notable milestone is Viettel's groundbreaking of a high-tech semiconductor chip manufacturing plant at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park. This is a strategic step, showing the determination to participate deeply in the semiconductor field, the "backbone" of the digital era and also a major bottleneck in the global supply chain.

Viettel’s president, Lieutenant General Tao Duc Thang, said in 2025, Viettel started construction of many national-scale projects such as the Viettel High-Tech Research and Development Center and Data Center at Tan Phu Trung Industrial Park, the Viettel Research and Development Center, and the Viettel Data Center located in Hanoi. 

And coming soon is Vietnam's first high-tech semiconductor chip manufacturing factory located at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park. These key projects are expected to be symbols of the locality and pillars of the country. This is also modern digital infrastructure that will open up space for Viettel to accelerate the creation of Digital Government, Digital Economy, and Digital Society, while building a proactive, self-reliant, dual-use, and modern defense industry.

Meanwhile, FPT for the first time exported Vietnamese designed commercial chips to the Japanese market through cooperation with Restar Group. The "Make in Vietnam" chips passed Japan's strict testing standards is an important milestone, opening up the possibility for Vietnamese enterprises to participate more deeply in the regional and global semiconductor value chain.

Tran Dang Hoa, Chair of FPT Semiconductor, said: "Exporting the first batch of commercial chips to Japan is not only significant for FPT but also affirms the ability of Vietnamese people in the field of core technology."

From civilian ICT to high-tech defense industry

Alongside civilian ICT, 2025 also marked increasingly clear convergence between digital technology and the high-tech defense industry. Many weapons and equipment researched and manufactured by Viettel were showcased at major national events, affirming mastery of core technologies and contributing to enhanced defense self-reliance in a new context. In addition to Viettel, 2025 also saw new players such as MK Group and Elcom entering this market.

The year also witnessed important breakthroughs as Viettel successfully tested for the first time many complex technological components mastered by very few countries worldwide, while researching, manufacturing, and deploying a series of high-tech strategic weapons. These results contribute to accelerating military modernization, enhancing defense self-reliance, and affirming the position of Vietnam’s defense industry in the high-tech era.

Du Lam