The annual award honors one country each year, selected by an independent international panel of experts involving representatives from organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the GSMA. It recognizes governments that demonstrate sustained policy leadership, strategic vision and an outstanding regulatory environment to promote mobile and digital development, as well as ambitions translated into concrete action.
Viet Nam is the only country to receive the award in 2026. Brazil won in 2025 for its effective spectrum management policies and innovative telecommunications regulations, while Trinidad and Tobago received the award in 2024 and India in 2023.
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Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Trung Tinh (left), representing the Vietnamese Government, receives the GSMA Government Leadership Award 2026 from the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) (Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn) |
The award recognizes Viet Nam’s efforts to develop policies, improve institutions and build infrastructure for digital transformation. The 2023 Telecommunications Law and Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation and national digital transformation provide important foundations, establishing digital infrastructure as a cornerstone of the digital economy and society.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Julian Gorman, GSMA’s head for Asia-Pacific, said Viet Nam has been honored for its approach to linking national ambitions with policy direction, implementation capacity and cooperation with industry.
He praised Viet Nam’s strategic vision of treating telecommunications connectivity as economic infrastructure, its policies to promote network investment, its development of 5G and its people-centered approach. These foundations, he said, would enable Viet Nam to further develop its digital economy, strengthen industrial capabilities and play a greater role in shaping the future of the global telecommunications industry.
According to the GSMA, Viet Nam’s digital economy is projected to account for 30% of GDP by 2030. The country’s ability to attract foreign direct investment in semiconductors, artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing is seen as a key driver of economic restructuring, technological advancement and national competitiveness.
The GSMA’s Digital Nations 2026 report on building trusted digital ecosystems in Asia-Pacific highlights Viet Nam’s progress across five pillars: infrastructure, innovation, data governance, cybersecurity and human skills.
These pillars are closely interconnected and underpin the sustainable development of the digital ecosystem. Modern connectivity infrastructure broadens access to services, innovation drives new products and business models, and data governance and cybersecurity help build trust. Digital skills, meanwhile, enable people and businesses to make effective use of the opportunities offered by technology.
One of Viet Nam’s notable achievements highlighted by the GSMA is the rapid development of next-generation telecommunications infrastructure. By 2026, the country had installed more than 40,000 5G base stations, covering approximately 92% of the population and placing it among the world’s fastest countries in deploying 5G and expanding coverage.
Alongside infrastructure expansion, internet connectivity has also improved significantly. According to i-Speed, the measurement system operated by the Viet Nam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, mobile and 5G internet speeds in Viet Nam rose sharply in 2026, exceeding 500 Mbps for the first time early in the year, with one operator reaching a peak of 617 Mbps. The national average download speed cited in the announcement remained above 437 Mbps.
According to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, based on data updated for August and September 2026, Viet Nam ranked eighth worldwide for mobile broadband speed for the first time in September, with a median download speed of 230.31 Mbps. This marked an improvement from 10th place in July and ninth in August. Hanoi also entered the top five cities worldwide for mobile network speeds.
For fixed broadband, Viet Nam ranked seventh globally in July 2026, with a speed of 307.11 Mbps, before placing eighth in August at 301.48 Mbps, more than twice the global average of 129.68 Mbps. In September, the country remained among the world’s top 10, with a speed of 297.64 Mbps.
Alongside 5G deployment, Viet Nam is stepping up efforts to eliminate mobile coverage gaps and expand broadband access. The completion of the 2G network shutdown and implementation of the public telecommunications service program under Decision No.777/QD-TTg in 2026 have provided a basis for telecommunications operators to extend connectivity to disadvantaged areas.
A key campaign in 2026 brought coverage to 1,856 locations, including 788 hamlets and villages and 1,068 residential clusters in remote, mountainous, border and island areas. In addition to expanding terrestrial infrastructure, Viet Nam is testing low-Earth orbit satellite internet solutions to improve connectivity in areas where conventional telecommunications networks are difficult to deploy.
Viet Nam’s goal of ensuring that 100% of its population can access digital services requires continued coordination between regulators and telecommunications operators. It also calls for infrastructure development to be accompanied by stronger digital skills, information security and access to services that meet people’s practical needs.
Source: VNA