HANOI, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese two major network service providers of the state-run Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) and the military-run Viettel Group are preparing to export a massive number of their self-produced telecommunication equipments.
By the end of 2016, VNPT had provided over 90,000 km of optical fiber cables and 2.4 million Fiber Optic Terminal Equipment to the market worth nearly 9 trillion Vietnamese dong (403.58 million U.S. dollars), reported Bao Dau Tu (Vietnam Investment Review) online newspaper on Friday.
Not only domestically consumed, VNPT's products were also exported to over 30 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, Africa and Americas among others.
Till 2016-end, VNPT had pocketed some 4 million U.S. dollars from equipment exports.
In order to expand domestic consumption and exports, in 2016, VNPT has invested to build the second electronic factory in country's capital Hanoi's Hoa Lac hi-tech zone. The plant is expected to produce some 1 million products each month.
Recently, on Feb. 18, VNPT also kicked off construction of a 5,000-square-meter factory to produce glass fiber cables in the northern Bac Ninh province with total investment of over 287 billion Vietnamese dong (12.87 million U.S. dollars).
In the coming five months, VNPT targets to provide its equipments to network providers and partners in at least 10 countries, said VNPT chairman Tran Manh Hung.
Meanwhile, since late 2016, among four possible 4G providers in Vietnam, Viettel has managed to install at the fastest speed. In the past few months, over 10,000 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) have been set up thanks to the fact that Viettel has been able to produce its 4G equipments.
In the first quarter of 2017, Viettel will officially export 4G equipments and put them into operation in Laos and Timor Leste. Viettel is set to replace imported core network equipments with its own-made ones by 2018.
Hoang Son, deputy general director of Viettel, the company targets to design and manufacture some 70 percent of its telecommunication infrastructure.
In fact, Viettel is the first Vietnam's network service provider to step into export-oriented industrial production.
In late October 2012, Viettel launched its first self-made cell phones. So far, over 90 percent of Viettel-made cell phones, smart phones and optical fiber cables have been exported to its invested markets.
In a related move, Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications (IC) Truong Minh Tuan has lately stressed the importance of overseas investment in IC sector.
