At this year’s WCA, Viettel was recognised for its “People First – Innovation Always” philosophy. Internal surveys show that 92.8% of its employees feel encouraged to share their views, while 80% believe they are genuinely valued, reflecting a professional working environment capable of attracting global talent.
The “Best Operator in an Emerging Market” award was presented to Lumitel, Viettel’s brand in Burundi. This category honours operators that bring meaningful improvements to infrastructure, connectivity and digital access in emerging markets where socio-economic conditions remain challenging.
When Viettel entered Burundi, the national grid reached only 10-35% of the population, and many border areas had no mobile coverage whatsoever. Through long-term commitment, the firm has brought millions of Burundians into the mobile era and become the first operator to roll out 5G in the country, Viettel Burundi CEO Phan Truong Son noted.
In the core technology category, Viettel won Glotel’s “Best Digital Transformation Project” with its “Digital Twin” platform developed by the Viettel Artificial Intelligence and Data Service Centre. This marks the first time a Vietnamese enterprise has triumphed in this category.
The WCA, organised by a leading UK-based publication, has a history of more than 20 years and is regarded as the “Oscars” of the global telecoms industry. Glotel is likewise highly regarded within the international technology community, attracting major corporations such as Samsung, Huawei, NVIDIA and Ericsson.
