Viettel to build Vietnam's biggest data center in HCMC

Vietnamese telco Viettel will build a data center in Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to invest VND6 trillion ($261 million) in the project described as the nation's largest.

The outlying districts of Cu Chi and Hoc Mon have been selected to house the project, but the state-run group has not unveiled project specifications or timelines. Viettel said it would collaborate with district authorities to carry out digital transformation efforts in these areas.

Towards that end, the telco aims to invest in 4G and 5G infrastructure with broadband services for Cu Chi and Hoc Mon residents, and optical cable infrastructure for every household by 2025.

In terms of digital administration, Viettel will develop and provide smart control center services, and a shared data center system for government administration.

The group said it would provide 100% of businesses in HCMC with a digital management platform. Viettel would also assist residents in both districts in using digital management platforms, electronic contracts, and digital signatures.

In May 2020, FPT Group, one of Vietnam's leading IT service companies, began to build a data center in HCMC's District 9. The eight-level center was built on an area of 10,000 square meters, providing 3,600 racks.

It was considered Vietnam’s largest data center at that time and was set for completion by Q1/2021. However, construction has not been finished and FPT has not updated project timelines.