Vietnam’s Viettel to develop AI smartphone, makes foray into 6G device development
It has joined an alliance led by Qualcomm to speed up global deployment of the AI-native cellular network technology from 2029
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[HO CHI MINH CITY] Vietnam’s military-run telecommunications and industry group Viettel has announced a partnership with Qualcomm Technologies to jointly develop and commercialise a flagship artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smartphone. This is part of the Vietnamese giant’s push to deepen its role in the global sixth-generation (6G) cellular network ecosystem and value chain.
Under the memorandum of understanding announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 in Barcelona, Viettel will develop, manufacture and bring the new device to market; Qualcomm Technologies – the research and development arm of US semiconductor and wireless technology developer Qualcomm – will provide the reference designs and technical support.
The partnership aims to come up with a high-end smartphone that combines Qualcomm’s advanced hardware foundation and Viettel’s proprietary agentic AI software solutions. The phone will be positioned as a key end device for today’s fifth-generation (5G) networks and future 6G ecosystems.
6G deployment from 2029
Vietnam has aggressively expanded its 5G infrastructure since commercialisation began in late 2024.
By the end of 2025, operators such as Viettel had deployed about 30,000 5G base stations, with outdoor coverage reaching about 90 per cent of the population, and indoor coverage, around 70 per cent.
In 2023, Viettel, going beyond telecoms equipment development, introduced its self-designed chips used in 5G base stations; this year, it broke ground on the country’s first semiconductor wafer fabrication plant to pilot the production of 32-nanometre chips by the end of 2027.
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The company describes 6G technology as an AI-native system that integrates AI across devices, networks and cloud infrastructure. It will be built on three core pillars: advanced connectivity, wide-area sensing and high-performance computing.
At the recent MWC event, Viettel joined a global strategic alliance initiated by Qualcomm to speed up the development and deployment of 6G worldwide from 2029.
The company frames “commercialising 6G” not merely as offering telecoms services, but also as monetising technology products it develops and manufactures. These products include network equipment, software platforms and AI-integrated smart devices.
Qualcomm’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer Akash Palkhiwala noted that the partnership with Viettel could produce “breakthrough innovations” rather than just make incremental progress.
The Vietnamese group said it will accelerate participation in research into 6G architecture, early testing of pre-commercial systems and devices from 2028, and international standard-setting efforts.
Viettel chairman and chief executive Tao Duc Thang said: “Joining the global 6G alliance demonstrates Viettel’s commitment to mastering core technologies and contributing to the ecosystem from an early stage.”
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