Hanoi-based Viettel International lately precipitated a stir when it pledged to take a position greater than half a billion {dollars} within the Dominican Republic—its first abroad launch in a decade.
Since its institution as Viettel Group, the telecoms division of Vietnam’s Ministry of Defence, in 1989, the group has grown into one of many nation’s largest telecoms operators, with a powerful presence within the cell, mounted broadband and stuck voice sectors through its Viettel Telecom unit.
Working as Viettel International exterior of its home market, the corporate is formally often known as Viettel Worldwide Funding Company and was established in October 2007 to handle Viettel Group’s many worldwide telecoms companies.
This is a have a look at Viettel’s current worldwide footprint and the group’s choices because it expands within the Dominican Republic—powered by knowledge you’ll find in TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database.
A present snapshot of Viettel International
Viettel International’s operations at the moment embrace: Viettel Cambodia (Metfone), wherein it owns a 90% stake; Unitel in Laos (49%); wholly-owned Viettel Timor-Leste (working as Telemor); Haitian operator Natcom (60%); Viettel Peru (Bitel), wherein it holds a 100% stake; 70%-owned Movitel Mozambique; Viettel Cameroon, working as Nexttel (70%); 85%-owned Viettel Burundi (Lumitel); 99.99%-owned Viettel Tanzania, buying and selling as Halotel; and Myanmar Nationwide Tele & Communications (Mytel), wherein it holds a 49% stake.
Over time Viettel has expressed an curiosity in varied worldwide markets, together with Cuba, Venezuela, Paraguay, Argentina, Slovakia, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Madagascar, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda, Nigeria, Malaysia, Indonesia and Senegal.
About Viettel Dominicana
One other oft-stated goal market is the Dominican Republic however given its lack of abroad exercise since coming into Myanmar in 2018, it was one thing of a shock when Viettel unveiled grand plans to take a position USD560 million within the institution of a brand new ‘abroad financial organisation’ referred to as Viettel Dominicana. The funding, the group famous, shall be carried out consistent with Vietnamese laws and the legal guidelines of the Dominican Republic.
The proposal was authorised by the group’s board of administrators on April seventeenth, however the improvement was not made public till the next month. The ultimate company construction and any potential native companions shall be decided at a later stage. Within the first two years of operation, Viettel will prioritise funding in cell and stuck broadband infrastructure, with nationwide rollouts on the playing cards. Additional down the road the corporate plans to broaden its operations to embody knowledge centres, cloud computing, cybersecurity, IT options and digital logistics.
Viettel’s choices within the Dominican Republic
At this juncture, it’s unclear if Viettel is eyeing an in-market takeover alternative within the Dominican Republic, or whether or not it’ll prioritize a greenfield rollout. Altice Dominicana—the nation’s second largest operator when it comes to subscriptions—was deconsolidated by its cash-strapped mum or dad firm late final 12 months and would signify a viable acquisition goal. Moreover, market minnow Trilogy Dominicana (Viva) has additionally skilled monetary strife lately and was blocked from bidding for 5G spectrum in 2024 after considerations have been raised over its skill to pay its payments. In truth, the one firm more likely to be out of bounds could be Claro Dominicana, which is backed by regional heavyweight America Movil.
Alternatively, Viettel may choose to bid on frequencies within the nation’s deliberate multi-band spectrum public sale. Particularly billed as an ‘worldwide tender’, the bidding course of will embody 5G-suitable frequencies within the 700MHz, 1700MHz/2100MHz (AWS), 2300MHz-2400MHz and 3500MHz-3700MHz bands.
The deadline for submitting bids is June 16, 2026, and the opening of the monetary bids will happen on July 28, 2026, with the ultimate licence awards going down in August 2026. The tender stipulates that the profitable bidders might perform—in lieu of 30% of the whole quantity to be paid—digital divide improvement tasks and common service rollouts.
With the public sale deadline looming, Viettel’s plans are more likely to crystallize within the coming weeks.
A renewed give attention to Latin America?
Though Viettel International’s operational footprint is closely centered on Asia and Africa, its companies in Haiti (Natcom) and Peru (Bitel) signify essential parts of its portfolio. For a few years Viettel’s title was recurrently floated as a probable bidder each time a spectrum public sale was introduced, or an asset got here up on the market. With the group’s footprint remaining static for a lot of the final decade, Viettel has pale from view, however its plans to ascertain Viettel Dominicana will be certain that it turns into a part of the broader dialog as soon as once more.
In Panama the Nationwide Public Providers Authority (Autoridad Nacional de los Servicios Publicos, ASEP) lately unveiled a young to draw a 3rd operator, which is able to embrace a 20-year, 5G-suitable licence within the 3500MHz-3540MHz (3.5GHz) vary.
Candidates should have the ability to reveal no less than 5 years of expertise within the cell sector, serving a minimal of 500,000 lively customers – each obligations simply fulfilled by Viettel. events should submit prequalification paperwork to ASEP by 11 August.
Elsewhere, Madrid-based Telefonica is actively looking for a purchaser for its enterprise in Venezuela, because it strikes to conclude its Latin American exit technique, whereas Paraguay’s cash-strapped state telco Copaco is looking for a strategic companion to overtake its operations and cease it from hemorrhaging money.
With a historical past encompassing greenfield rollouts, opportunistic takeovers and strategic partnerships, Viettel is more likely to be open to all prospects because it seeks to broaden its presence in Latin America.
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