Viettel, VNPT, FPT Telecom, VNG, and CMC have issued an urgent joint petition to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, objecting to a new pricing framework that classifies data centers as commercial service providers rather than production facilities - resulting in a projected 50% spike in electricity costs.

The controversy stems from Circular No. 60/2025/TT-BCT, issued on December 2, 2025, which allows power utilities to categorize data center operations as “centralized data storage and processing services,” subject to business-use electricity rates. Previously, 100% of Vietnam’s data centers were charged at production-use rates, which are lower and more stable.

Since the policy shift in December, companies like CMC report that electricity bills - already the single largest operational cost for data centers - have risen sharply. For CMC’s data center alone, costs jumped over 50% across just three billing cycles.

This spike, according to the tech firms, threatens the financial viability, pricing structure, and expansion plans of data centers nationwide.

Further concern has been raised by reports that multiple data centers are currently under review for similar reclassification. Power utilities in Ho Chi Minh City, for example, have begun scheduling inspections and appear to be applying the commercial pricing scheme by default - without detailed technical or legal dialogue with affected businesses.

If rolled out nationwide, the new policy would no longer be a localized issue. Instead, it would become a systemic challenge for Vietnam’s digital infrastructure ecosystem, potentially derailing national strategies on data development, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.

Data centers are production infrastructure, not retail services

The five tech companies argue that data centers should be treated as “digital infrastructure factories,” operating more like industrial complexes than commercial shops.

Data centers, they note, consume power around the clock, maintain high-load stability, and require complex, layered technical systems for cooling, backups, and monitoring. Electricity is a direct, non-substitutable input that fuels the “production” of computing power, connectivity, and digital storage essential for everything from government operations to financial systems.

They stress that data centers are not retail outlets or commercial venues. Instead, they are foundational infrastructure - akin to utilities like electricity or water supply in the traditional economy.

As the digital backbone of the economy, data centers play a central role in sectors including government, finance, logistics, e-commerce, energy, education, healthcare, and AI. They ensure uninterrupted data flow and cybersecurity, contributing directly to national digital sovereignty.

Sudden price hikes contradict national policy goals

The firms cite Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo, issued December 22, 2024, which calls for mechanisms to support domestic enterprises investing in data centers and cloud infrastructure. It outlines the need for internationally standardized, “green” data infrastructure, and affirms that data should be treated as a strategic production resource.

The resolution also prioritizes the development of artificial intelligence - an area that cannot progress without stable, high-performance data center infrastructure.

In this context, tech firms argue that the commercial pricing model contradicts the spirit of Resolution 57 and other guiding national documents, such as Laws on Telecommunications, Digital Industry, and Land.

They point out that, under the 2023 Telecommunications Law, data center services are classified as telecommunications services requiring licensed registration. Additionally, according to the Land Law and Decree 102/2024/ND-CP, land allocated for data centers falls under infrastructure - not commercial or retail land use.

Beyond the legal interpretation, the companies underline that the government has consistently classified digital infrastructure - including data centers - as a strategic development priority.

This is reflected in multiple national resolutions and laws including Resolution 23-NQ/TW, 29-NQ/TW, 52-NQ/TW, and 81/2023/QH15, which mandate investment in the digital economy and innovation, and in the Digital Industry Law and the Law on Digital Transformation.

Tech leaders call for immediate policy correction

In their appeal, Viettel, VNPT, FPT Telecom, VNG, and CMC call on the Ministry to maintain the classification of data centers as industrial facilities and to preserve the production-use electricity rate that has applied uniformly until now.

This, they argue, is critical for confidence in investment, expansion, and global competitiveness - especially as Vietnam aims for ambitious targets by 2030, including 100% of government agencies and state-owned enterprises, and over 50% of the population, using Vietnamese cloud services.

Reverting to the production electricity rate, they conclude, is not only a matter of financial fairness but a strategic necessity for Vietnam’s digital future.

Thai Khang