Vietnamese telecom giant Viettel has introduced its commercial Open RAN (O-RAN) 5G network, leveraging Qualcomm Technologies’ advanced 5G RAN platforms. This marks the first deployment of an O-RAN 5G network in Vietnam using Qualcomm’s technology. Viettel plans to roll out over 300 5G sites across various provinces by early 2025, with ambitions to expand nationally and internationally in the following years.
The rollout includes cutting-edge infrastructure such as the Qualcomm X100 5G RAN platform for virtualized distributed units (vDUs) and the QRU100 5G RAN platform for Massive MIMO radio units. Viettel also integrates Qualcomm’s Edgewise Suite to optimize network management. Initial installations have already been completed in Ha Noi and Ha Nam provinces.
This technology approach uses inline accelerators to streamline resource-intensive processes, reducing costs and improving energy efficiency. Viettel’s distributed units feature Qualcomm X100 RAN Accelerator Cards, while its radio units are powered by the QRU100 platform. These components, combined with RAN automation and orchestration solutions, make the network fully compliant with O-RAN Alliance standards.
Viettel aims to cater to both public and private sectors with its end-to-end 5G solutions, covering core networks and RAN elements. CEO Nguyen Vu Ha highlighted Qualcomm’s significant contributions to achieving commercial-grade maturity for this project.
Additionally, Nokia has partnered with Viettel to support a nationwide 5G rollout in 22 provinces. The agreement includes upgrading existing 4G infrastructure and deploying next-generation 5G equipment from Nokia’s AirScale portfolio. Viettel’s new 5G service offers speeds up to 1 Gbps and is available in all 63 localities, with applications spanning smart cities, industrial production, healthcare, and more.
