Private firms encouraged to invest in digital infrastructure per Vietnam government's new decision

Private companies in Vietnam are encouraged to engage in building telecom infrastructure and other infrastructure for national digital transformation through 2030 per a newly approved program.

The program was approved under a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung on September 29, 2025.

Promoting modern, smart, green, and sustainable digital infrastructure

The program aims to mobilize private-sector participation in developing telecommunications and other infrastructure for national digital transformation, focusing on new, high-potential areas such as data centers, cloud computing, physical-digital infrastructure, digital utilities, and broadband connectivity.

It also seeks to remove regulatory barriers, create a transparent and competitive business environment, and enhance information and cyber security to support the growth of the digital economy, digital society, and digital government.

Private enterprises are encouraged to lead in adopting advanced technologies, fostering innovation, and building modern, smart, green, and sustainable infrastructure that meets international standards.

Among the key goals set in the program by 2030, private enterprises will invest in and own at least four new international undersea fiber optic cable routes. Annual revenue growth for private providers of non-spectrum mobile telecom services is expected to reach 12-15%, and 10-12% for fixed broadband services.

Private investors will build large-scale, international-standard green data centers, accounting for at least 50% of total national data center capacity; and at least two leading global technology firms will invest in major data and AI centers in Vietnam.

Private enterprises will engage deeply in smart infrastructure development, from smart cities and ports to intelligent manufacturing and agriculture. At least two Vietnamese private enterprises will reach international competitiveness in digital infrastructure, becoming part of the global digital value chain.

To realize these goals, the program calls for improved legal frameworks and investment policies, prioritizing enterprises that develop “Make in Vietnam” digital products and services.

It also includes preferential treatment for startups and SMEs, especially those investing in green, energy-efficient, and low-emission technologies such as data centers and telecommunications networks.

The government will implement investment incentives, promote direct power purchase agreements (DPPA) between renewable energy producers and large users, and ensure that data centers can access renewable energy.

Developing new terrestrial and international undersea fiber-optic cable routes

The program will expand 5G mobile network coverage in key areas such as industrial zones, industrial clusters, high-tech parks, major urban centers, and regions with strong digital economic potential.

Nationwide rollout will be accelerated to ensure high-speed connectivity, low latency, and high reliability, laying a solid foundation for the development of integrated physical-digital infrastructure.

Vietnam will develop new terrestrial and international undersea fiber-optic cable routes to enhance international connectivity capacity, ensure redundancy, security, and route diversity.

The goal is to position Vietnam among the leading countries in the region in terms of the number, capacity, and quality of international connections, thereby strengthening the country’s competitiveness in attracting foreign investment in large-scale data centers, AI data hubs, and cloud computing facilities.

Creating a fair and transparent business environment

The program aims to create a fair, transparent, and competitive business environment. It will effectively implement legal regulations on wholesale management in the telecommunications sector to ensure healthy and transparent competition, facilitating private enterprises’ participation in the market.

The program will also strengthen oversight of telecom operators with dominant market positions to promptly prevent abuse of market power, monopolistic behavior, and unfair competition.

It will enforce mechanisms and principles for controlling prices and pricing methods for leasing in-building cable networks and passive telecommunications infrastructure between telecom enterprises and other infrastructure owners, promoting infrastructure sharing and reducing social costs.

The program will also enhance monitoring and enforcement against monopolies and unfair competition, and resolves disputes in telecom services to ensure a level playing field. At the same time, it will establish a strict supervision and evaluation mechanism for digital infrastructure projects involving private enterprises, especially those handling sensitive data systems.

Private enterprises participating in digital infrastructure development will be guided to comply with stringent cybersecurity and information protection requirements to ensure that critical information is not exposed to malicious actors.