As the operator of telecommunications infrastructure for the Military Industry-Telecoms Group (Viettel), Viettel Networks Corporation (VTNet) is considered “standing behind” Viettel Group; therefore, it has not been widely known. However, Viettel’s development in telecommunications and information technology not only in Vietnam but also in many other countries has received an important contribution from VTNet.
Viettel Networks is the only military enterprise to participate in the 10th National Patriotic Emulation Congress and honored with the “Labor Hero” title for the 2009-2019 period.
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Viettel Networks' engineers checking technical infrastructure for 5G BTSs |
“Iron” spirit to keep Viettel’s coverage
Deputy General Director of Viettel Networks Nguyen Van Quyet recalled one of the stories about Viettel’s soldier-technicians’ efforts to ensure network infrastructure.
Knowing that the communication was lost at the landslide site in Tra Leng commune, Nam Tra My district, Quang Nam province, Viettel’s four workers promptly rushed to the scene though the storm was not over yet. They walked some 12km. Sometimes they had to crawl, wade in mud up to the belly, with the risk of rock collapse at any time.
Viettel’s staff in Nam Tra My informed that when they could not contact the group to Tra Leng, they sent more personnel to the scene after three to four hours of waiting. They brought along welding machine, meter, and optical-fiber cable, among others. They had to find each fiber, connect each route, and weld the cable within 8 hours on the night of October 28. When the communication was restored, everyone volunteered to stay to keep it smooth because at that time the entire country was looking towards Tra Leng.
During 19 years of construction and development, Viettel Networks has always completed its duties of creating modern network infrastructure, ensuring communication anywhere, in any situations, being autonomous and pioneering in technology, and staying ready to be the second military information network to protect the Fatherland. This corporation has been considered a typical model in emulation movements of the whole industry, the whole military and the whole country.
Nearly two decades ago, Viettel’s network infrastructure had nothing but two fiber optic cables on 1A backbone running along the North-South 500KV power line – the biggest resource of Viettel at that time.
Founded on December 18, 2001, the Transmission Network Center, the predecessor of Viettel Networks, were tasked with using an idle part of the 1A fiber optic backbone for production and business, laying the foundation for building Viettel’s active transmission infrastructure.
With the viewpoint “Do it yourself, be self-reliant if you want to succeed” defined by the Party Committee and Directorate of Viettel Networks, the company extended the fiber optic cables to national backbones 1B, 1C, 1D, 2B and 1I, connecting Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and expanded inter-provincial and inter-district fiber optic cable systems. From SDH technology, the company’s transmission network switched to DWDM and IP with capacities ranging from 10Gbps, 100Gbps to 400Gbps. From just 500 base transceiver stations (BTS) in 2004, Viettel now has more than 120,000 BTSs for 2G, 3G, 4G networks.
Attentively, more than 2,000 officials and engineers of Viettel Networks have actively expanded networks in countries where Viettel has invested in over the past nearly 20 years. The company has been not only building but also operating core network systems in foreign markets.
Promoting responsibility of party committees and chains-of-command
Each year, Viettel Networks excellently accomplishes its assigned missions and reaches its goals. In ten consecutive years, it has been honored with the Labor Order twice, the emulation flags of the Government four times, of the Ministry of National Defense four times and of Viettel Group twice. Its production and “Determined-to-Win” emulation movement have been renovated under the motto “Today is better and more different than yesterday.”
Colonel Dao Xuan Vu, General Director and Secretary of the Party Committee of Viettel Networks, confirmed that the “Determined-to-Win” emulation movement is a lever that urges each group and individual to make new different things and be ready to change and create specific values for the company.
In that emulation movement, the role and responsible of party committees and chains-of-command need to be promoted and they should take the lead and be exemplary for other members to follow.
During 55 days and nights soldiers of Viettel in general and of Viettel Networks in particular restoring the telecommunications system in Central Vietnam affected by flooding, chains-of-command of Viettel and Viettel Networks stood side by side with Viettel technicians. With the active engagement of the leaders in the restoration, all members completed their missions despite the ongoing flooding.
Never self-satisfied with achievements
Colonel Dao Xuan Vu said that the company sets high targets, seeks breakthroughs and strong solutions and inspires its personnel to do new and difficult things and be determined and creative at work.
Colonel Vu added that Viettel Networks’ engineers have contributed to the creation of the 5G “Make in Vietnam” technology in terms of transmission infrastructure, IoT connection technology based on 4G LTE-M and NB-IoT.
From the first nine members at its inception, Viettel Networks now has more than 2,000 competent personnel working from the North to the South. The company is also in charge of technical affairs at all ten overseas markets of Viettel.
Not being satisfied with what it has had, Viettel Networks has been developing into a technology, service and innovation company. It targets to take the lead in developing telecommunications infrastructure, IT with the most modern technologies in Vietnam and serving as a connection platform in Industry 4.0, contributing to Vietnam’s digital society and ensuring the best for national defense-security tasks.
Translated by Mai Huong