20 years - a journey in the homeland of the Ancestors

Over the past 20 years, along with the development of the country and the province, Viettel Phu Tho, a member of the Military Industry-Telecommunications Group, has continuously grown and strengthened in all aspects, increasingly affirming its important position in the telecommunications network. Officers and soldiers of Viettel Phu Tho have strived to achieve many victories in developing and applying IT in Phu Tho province. “Growing, breaking through, succeeding; pioneering the main force in creating a digital society” with breakthroughs in production labor, building infrastructure to provide telecommunications and IT services, Viettel Phu Tho has brought practical benefits, contributing to improving the quality of life and improving the spiritual life of the people of the Ancestors.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Quang visited Viettel Phu Tho’s Digital Transformation booth.

Established on November 20, 2004, in the context of a strongly fluctuating telecommunications market, the state’s mechanism in the field of post and telecommunications still has many shortcomings. Facing new opportunities and challenges, the Military Industry - Telecommunications Group has focused on investing in basic telecommunications services, building telecommunications infrastructure, developing transmission networks, launching mobile services, expanding coverage, and establishing Viettel representative offices in provinces and cities. In that general context, on November 20, 2004, the 178 long-distance telephone service was launched, and the Phu Tho Military Telecommunications Center (now Viettel Phu Tho) was officially launched. And November 20 was officially taken as the annual anniversary of the establishment of Viettel Phu Tho.

When it was first established, the Phu Tho Military Telecommunications Center faced many difficulties: there were only 14 officers and employees operating in 3 areas: business, engineering, and general; 3 BTS stations, 100 mobile subscribers, 12 ADSL subscribers, and 1,700 fixed subscribers; and a lack of facilities... Faced with the above reality, in 2005, the Phu Tho Military Telecommunications Center focused on building a strategy to invest in network infrastructure and expand services, creating the first breakthroughs, especially developing BTS stations while expanding the peripheral network, developing ADSL services in Viet Tri city, building and installing BTS stations to expand coverage, and with the Group’s consistent strategy, building a network “surrounding the urban areas with rural areas,” "the network goes first, business follows.".

Viettel Phu Tho leaders and delegates visited and encouraged children at the free cardiovascular disease screening session.

Along with the shift in the 4.0 industrial revolution, the Party Committee of the Group has accelerated the digital transformation. IT is implemented in the classes in the province, so the name change to Viettel Phu Tho. With the new organizational model, it has met the requirements of management and organization of telecommunications and information technology production and business activities in the province, reducing intermediaries, increasing direct management, and promoting the initiative and professionalism of the staff.

With a wide network, diverse in products and services, the efforts of more than 200 staff, Viettel Phu Tho has brought telecommunications and IT to every corner of life, contributing to improving people’s knowledge and providing people’s needs with good service quality while meeting the requirements of ensuring national defense and security. Thanks to the ability to master the network, Viettel Phu Tho has created a distinct advantage, with many products suitable for each customer group. This is the unique advantage for Viettel Phu Tho to be proactive in business with the motto “Large-scale investment, fast speed,” using service quality and a wide network to popularize and penetrate the market.

Born from the Army, generations of Viettel officers and soldiers have a special “gene,” which is discipline, strong will, pioneering spirit, daring to set goals, and overcoming unprecedented challenges. Since officially launching the mobile network with the prefix 098 in 2004, Viettel only took 4 years to become the number 1 network operator in Vietnam with the feat of only taking 1 year instead of 10 years like other networks to develop 1 million subscribers. Viettel has now become an important economic group of the country with a brand value of nearly 9 billion USD, ranked number 1 in Southeast Asia and 15th in the ranking of 150 networks with the largest brand value globally.

In Phu Tho, Viettel soon became the leading network provider in providing mobile services, both in terms of market share and coverage. Not resting on its laurels, Viettel has made a strong transition from a traditional telecommunications operator to a digital service provider by pioneering 3G network coverage in 2010, followed by 4G network in 2017, owning 100% of 4G base stations using the world’s most modern 4-transmit, 4-receive technology. By 2019, Viettel continued to be the first network operator in Vietnam to officially successfully test 5G and commercialize it in October 2024.

As a key enterprise leading the national digital transformation process, Viettel and the People’s Committee of Phu Tho province continued to sign a Cooperation Agreement for the period of 2023-2025 to create a breakthrough in digital transformation for the province in all three pillars: digital government, digital economy, and digital society. Immediately after this important event, Viettel Phu Tho continued to promote multi-sectoral cooperation with all levels, sectors, localities, and enterprises in the province to provide solutions in the digital ecosystem, typically: Safe-One quick fire warning system; telehealth remote medical examination and treatment consultation support platform; SMAS3.5 school management software; K12 Online Learning and Exam Management System; digital signature; S-invoice electronic invoice service; V-Contract electronic contract...

In the coming time, with resources and strategies for digital transformation and accelerating the application of IT in life, Viettel determines the role of the leader in IT telecommunications as a military enterprise doing economic defense tasks and leading the market. Viettel Phu Tho is also the only unit in the province to reach a revenue milestone of 1,000 billion or more in 2017 and maintain the No. 1 position in network infrastructure in the area. In 2019, Viettel Phu Tho maintained a mobile subscriber market share of over 75%. The above results are thanks to the correct and accurate policies of Viettel Phu Tho, such as building key channels of points of sale, direct sales, and corporate customers; strong ViettelPay; improving labor productivity of each channel; enhancing operational effectiveness; support from the provincial channel layer; and focusing on building forces, bringing the model of “Building happy Viettel people” into life...

Leaders of Viettel Phu Tho presented financial support for building solidarity houses for people in Van Xuan commune, Tam Nong district.

As a military enterprise, Viettel Phu Tho always determines that the telecommunications network not only serves the tasks of production and business, promoting socio-economic development, but also serves as a military information network for backup and evacuation in both peacetime and wartime. Over the past years, Viettel Phu Tho has done well in two parallel tasks: investing in construction and managing infrastructure, ensuring information safety and security, and smooth communication in all situations. Specifically, the recent storm No. 3 caused heavy rain and localized flooding in many localities in the province. Viettel Phu Tho has proactively deployed response solutions, maintaining 24/24h operation of BTS transmission stations. Thereby, effectively serving the command, direction of rescue, relief, and overcoming natural disaster damage of local Party committees, authorities, and armed forces in the area.

Not only creating digital solutions for organizations, Viettel Phu Tho also provides many digital utilities to increasingly better meet people’s needs, promoting the formation of a digital society. That is the free TV 360 television service with the ability to watch and rewind immediately or many days before; the ViettelMoney digital application helps daily transactions such as transferring money, recharging phone cards, paying electricity bills, collecting Epass non-stop automatic fees, paying tuition fees... quickly and safely in the digital environment.

With the viewpoint of “business associated with social responsibility” for sustainable development, Viettel soldiers in peacetime, in addition to ensuring the provision of telecommunications services for socio-economic activities and fulfilling their obligations to the State budget, Viettel Phu Tho is also one of the leading units in social security work in the province. Over the past 20 years, Viettel Phu Tho has always actively participated in social security programs, such as the program “Joining Hands for the Community” in coordination with the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, giving nearly 500 breeding cows to help people have a sustainable livelihood to escape poverty. Demonstrating the morality of “When drinking water, remember its source,” “Repaying gratitude,” Viettel Phu Tho accepts to take care of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers; invest, upgrade, and renovate cemeteries; take care of martyrs“graves, the Martyrs” Temple, the Victory Monument, and the Uncle Ho Memorial House... with tens of billions of VND. Continuously for 10 years, accompanying the Provincial Association for the Promotion of Education, the Department of Education and Training, Viettel Phu Tho has organized the awarding of over 4,700 “For studious children” scholarships, equivalent to over 5.6 billion VND; maintained sponsorship of free Internet access to over 900 schools and training facilities across the province with a support budget of 3.6 billion VND/year. Through the “Heart for Children” program, Viettel Phu Tho also coordinated with the medical sector, the Tam Long Viet Fund, and Vietnam Television to organize free examination and screening of cardiovascular diseases for over 8,000 children. Thereby, successfully detected and completed procedures to support heart surgery for 100 cases with an average support level of 40 million VND/child...

With great efforts and determination, Viettel Phu Tho has received many noble titles from the central and local levels, such as being one of 33 enterprises, representing more than 10,000 enterprises in the area, to be awarded the title "Typical enterprise of Phu Tho province in 2023.“The Provincial People’s Committee awarded the Flag”Excellent unit leading the emulation movement for 11 consecutive years." The Provincial People’s Committee awarded the Flag for outstanding achievements in the emulation movement to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its establishment (November 20, 2004 - November 20, 2024). The Military Industry-Telecoms Group awarded the Emulation Flag for the excellent unit in performing its tasks in the period 2014-2024. For two consecutive years (2022, 2023), the General Department of Politics - Ministry of National Defense awarded a Certificate of Merit for its outstanding achievements in trade union activities...

In the coming time, Viettel Phu Tho will strive to successfully complete the assigned targets and tasks, striving to become a “pioneer in the creation of a digital society” enterprise, accompanying local authorities and people at all levels to successfully carry out digital transformation, joining hands to build Phu Tho province to be more and more civilized and prosperous.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Trung

Director of Viettel Phu Tho