On March 13, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung held a meeting with a working delegation led by Ambassador of Finland to Vietnam, H.E. Keijo Norvanto, and Mr. Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of the Nokia Corporation.

Nokia specializes in providing products and solutions for mobile and fixed network infrastructure, cloud computing, and undersea cables. It has been in Vietnam since 1990, with around 150 staff at its offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. In addition to supplying equipment, since 2020 it has also collaborated with Vietnamese network operators to commercially test 5G.

During the meeting, Minister Hung expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Norvanto and Mr. Lundmark, while also acknowledging Nokia’s contribution to the development of Vietnam’s telecommunications industry over the past 30 years. Its involvement has been cited as one of the major reasons why Vietnam possesses affordable telecommunications infrastructure today.

Minister Hung touched on Vietnam’s concerns while meeting with the delegation, which include finding solutions for domestic network operators to increase revenue, transitioning from traditional telecommunications service providers to technology companies, building digital infrastructure, and developing high-quality human resources in the ICT and telecommunications sectors.

As a multinational corporation operating in many countries, the MoIC hopes that Nokia can support Vietnam by sharing successful lessons from global network operators in deploying 5G and showcasing use cases that can boost revenue for network operators.

Vietnam also seeks to learn from other countries’ experience in transitioning from telecommunications infrastructure to digital infrastructure and from telecommunications companies (telcos) to digital technology companies.

To foster long-term and robust cooperation, Nokia is encouraged to expand its business scope, establish labs and research and development (R&D) facilities in Vietnam, and actively participate in Vietnam’s digital transformation process.

According to Minister Hung, the MoIC established a Steering Committee in 2022 to promote research and development in 6G mobile information technology. This marks the first time Vietnam has formed such a committee to develop future technology. The Ministry hopes that Nokia will cooperate and share information on developing 6G, private 5G networks, and 5G networks for enterprises.

In response, Mr. Lundmark said that unlike previous generations of mobile networks, which primarily focused on individual consumers, 5G opens up a new market for enterprises. This necessitates that network operators adopt new ways of thinking and operating.

To provide digital transformation solutions based on 5G, engineers must possess not only telecommunications knowledge but also expertise in specialized fields such as port operations and power plant activities, etc., to formulate comprehensive solutions for enterprise customers.

He said that the transition of telecommunications network operators from telcos to digital service providers is challenging but necessary. “We are supporting network operators in this transition and collaborating with universities to develop human resources,” he added. “Nokia is also considering bringing the lab model from the University of Sydney in Australia to Vietnam.”

Establishing a steering committee for 6G development demonstrates the far-sightedness of the MoIC, he believes, and is necessary alongside investment in deploying 5G.

“Nokia is ready to share with its Vietnamese colleagues new research on 6G, commercialization experiences in 5G, and the development of 5G networks for enterprises,” he added. “Nokia also hopes to become a reliable partner in Vietnam’s digital transformation.”

In discussions with Ambassador Norvanto, Minister Hung revealed that Vietnam currently has 60,000 ICT companies, with revenues of about $158 billion in 2023. This presents a significant opportunity for the two countries to cooperate.

The MoIC aims to work with more Finnish companies in the ICT and electronics industries. In the near future, the Finnish Embassy and the MoIC should collaborate to organize a forum on ICT and digital technology to connect and promote cooperation between companies.

According to Ambassador Norvanto, the two countries have held many cooperative programs in education in the field of ICT and communications. However, the highlight of the Vietnam-Finland relationship remains cooperation in the industrial sector. Responding to suggestions from Vietnam’s telecommunications leadership, the Ambassador said that semiconductor cooperation would be a priority in the bilateral relationship in the near future.