Telco giant Viettel, S Korea’s KT partner to boost AI transformation in Vietnam

Vietnam’s military-run telecom heavyweight Viettel has signed a strategic partnership agreement with KT, formerly known as Korea Telecom, to advance AI transformation (AX) in the Southeast Asian nation.

Under the deal signed on Monday, Viettel and KT will develop AI solutions tailored to Vietnam’s conditions, while accelerating joint global business expansion.

Viettel, with its extensive digital and telecom infrastructure and deep understanding of the local market, will play a core role in driving the deployment in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, KT, which owns the strongest telecom network in South Korea and leads in the fields of 5G, broadband internet, AI, cloud computing, and data centers in the East Asian country, will contribute its research and development capabilities and technology platforms in South Korea, particularly in the fields of AI and AX.

The two sides will closely collaborate on developing and deploying digital technology platforms, AI ecosystems, and data infrastructure to support AX in Vietnam.

AX is a comprehensive overhaul of business operations driven by AI, reshaping not only tools but also the way enterprises and organizations operate, make decisions, and create value in the digital environment.

Viettel will explore applying AX broadly for households and individuals. Additionally, it aims to deliver advanced AX solutions to businesses and the Vietnamese government, modernizing the national digital infrastructure and boosting operational efficiency.

The two sides will jointly build a dedicated AI data center and a GPU farm. To strengthen AX capabilities, they will develop high-quality IT and AX talent through a global development center to be based in Hanoi, expanding training programs to nurture Vietnam’s next generation of AI experts.

At the signing ceremony, Viettel chairman and CEO Tao Duc Thang commented: “Leveraging KT’s advanced technology and Viettel’s market expertise, we’re confident in delivering modern, tailored solutions for Vietnam and Viettel’s international markets.”

On his part, KT CEO Young Shub Kim called Viettel an ideal partner to realize comprehensive AX, noting hope to help position Vietnam and South Korea as global leaders in AI adoption and transformation.

Through this strategic partnership, Viettel and KT will co-create a scalable, advanced digital ecosystem, strengthen domestic tech capabilities, cultivate top-tier talent, and elevate Vietnam and South Korea’s positions on the global digital stage.

Before signing the deal, the Korean CEO met with Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung in Hanoi. At the meeting, the CEO proposed to expand AI infrastructure in Vietnam, including the construction of a modern AI data center to serve the region's development need.

Dung said the Vietnamese government supports cooperation between KT and large Vietnamese technology enterprises like Viettel in such areas as technology transfer, human resource training, and AI infrastructure investment.

This includes building an AI data center and establishing KT's global development center in Vietnam to develop AI solutions and human resources for the Southeast Asian market, he added.