Speaking at a working session with Viettel representatives on July 7, Minister Lich also praised the group’s efforts in supplying high-tech equipment to the army, helping ease reliance on imports and ensure information security.
Sharing Lich’s views, Minister of Information and Telecommunications Truong Minh Tuan said Viettel is one of the enterprises significantly contributing to cyber security in Vietnam.
Viettel is the first Vietnamese telecom firm to invest and export services abroad, he said, lauding the group’s noted contributions to national gross domestic product (GDP) as well as its brand name in the international market.
Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich talking with Viettel's leaders. Photo: qdnd.vn
Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh said Viettel has been listed in the top 100 most valued telecom companies worldwide, highlighting its outstanding achievements in launching 4G services, with 36,000 4G stations installed.
According to Viettel Director General, Major General Nguyen Manh Hung, Viettel aims to become a strong global industrial and telecom group by 2020, focusing on telecommunications, foreign investment, market expansion, high technology and cyber security.
General Lich stressed that joining economic development is one of the tasks and functions set for the army.
Therefore, Viettel needs to pour more investment into building broadband telecom infrastructure with 4G as the focus in order to create a foundation for the country to engage in Industry 4.0, he noted.
At the same time, Viettel should pay more heed to producing telecom electronic equipment, he said, asking the group to replace imported core network equipment with the ones it makes by 2018.
A high-tech defense industrial complex is being shaped by Viettel, which is expected to remarkably contribute to army modernization and national defense, he said.
Lich also asked the group to step up the research and production of equipment and weapons in order to meet demands of the army as best as possible while continuing to invest overseas in the field of telecommunications, with priority given to neighboring countries and other ASEAN nations, gearing towards a stronger and more prestigious brand name.
Another task is to combine economic development with national defense and turn the group into a model of State-owned businesses, he said.
Source: VNA