The revolution of popularizing smartphones for all classes of Vietnamese people

In 2014, Viettel first announced the dream of “every Vietnamese person having a smartphone”. 10 years later, with the participation of the whole society, this dream is gradually becoming a reality.

Exactly a decade ago, the cheapest smartphones sold in Vietnam were priced at around 2 million VND, nearly double the monthly minimum wage of Vietnamese people (1,150,000 VND/month). In addition to the cost of owning the device, for a smartphone to be truly “smart”, not just for calling and listening, the device needs to be connected to the Internet.

With the telecommunications infrastructure at that time, not everywhere had high-speed Internet. People in remote areas, even with money, had little chance to “go online” and experience digital life. According to statistics from We Are Social and Hootsuite, for nearly 80% of Vietnamese people at that time, smartphones were still a luxury device, out of reach.

Desire to bring "digital opportunities" to everyone

In 2014, Viettel set an ambitious goal: to bring smartphones to every Vietnamese person. If every Vietnamese person owned a smartphone to access the Internet at a cheap price, it would be a revolution.

This is a revolution, because with the presence of the Internet, smartphones have become the key for users to access the digital world with many utilities. From entertainment applications, educational solutions, healthcare... to the huge source of knowledge of all mankind. Everyone will receive equal digital opportunities, whether in urban, rural, remote mountainous areas or on islands.

But the problem of universality is not simple. Smartphones and their accompanying packages must be cheap enough for everyone to afford. Mobile Internet infrastructure must reach every corner, every house, and every person. People must truly see their problems solved by the device, thereby stimulating the need to own it.

From the big problem, a series of small tasks were proposed and over the past 10 years, Viettel people have continuously taken action to bring smartphones to all people, promoting national digital transformation.

10 years of non-stop action

3 years after the announcement, Viettel officially launched its 4G telecommunications network. After just over 6 months of massive deployment, Viettel's 4G network has been widely available in all provinces and cities across the country, covering 704 districts, equivalent to nearly 99% of districts in Vietnam. With a nationwide coverage of up to 95% of the population, Viettel became the first network operator in the world to have nationwide 4G coverage upon launch.

At that time, 4G Viettel created a fever, solving the problem of slow internet speed when accessing the internet via 3G. In terms of cost, with only 40,000 VND, users can use Viettel's 4G network for a whole month. Spending a few tens of thousands more, the number of packages to choose from increases significantly.

To ensure coverage quality, in 2020, Viettel announced a coverage quality map via Open Networks. “This decision comes from the customer-centric digital transformation orientation. Instead of hiding information, we want customers to see the reality of the 4G network across the country, thereby being more proactive in their activities and roadmaps.” Mr. Dao Xuan Vu, General Director of Viettel Network Corporation (now Deputy General Director of Viettel Group) shared.

Regarding equipment, since 2017, as soon as the Internet became widely available, Viettel has simultaneously distributed smartphone lines at prices suitable for Vietnamese people's budgets, developed by reputable manufacturers in the world. The company has also created many financial support programs such as installment payments, promotions when upgrading from regular phones to smartphones, device subsidies, and exclusive offers to help people easily access new technology.

In 2020, Viettel collaborated with a Vietnamese manufacturer to launch a smartphone line at a price of 600,000 VND, on par with “brick” phones with only calling features. This cost level meets the payment capacity of low-income people, reaching customers everywhere.

To promote the demand for smartphone use in daily activities such as entertainment, electronic payments, education, healthcare, e-commerce, and online public services, digital applications "made by Viettel", "made in Vietnam" are also continuously launched. Viettel Money (formerly Viettel Pay) launched in 2018 is an application serving people across the country to make basic transactions and payments, compatible with all phone lines without the need for a bank account.

Not stopping at individual digital solutions, in 2019, at the 30th anniversary of its establishment, Viettel officially announced its mission for the 4th development phase as "Pioneering and leading the way in creating a digital society", transforming from a telecommunications service provider to a digital service provider. Focusing resources on developing technology platforms and products, Viettel is a leading partner providing digital solutions in the fields of healthcare, education, public services, etc., thereby connecting directly with end users through digital applications.

Lives change

Reality has proven that the presence of smartphones has changed many lives. Once known as the “cowherd boy”, famous for his clip of humming and counting numbers with an English song filmed with a smartphone while herding cows, So Y Tiet has now bought land, built a house…

In addition to the material values ​​​​this young man received, because he had many foreign fans, So Y Tiet used English for his posts and replied to comments on TikTok and Instagram. Because he dropped out of school early, he only knew how to speak some basic English words, but thanks to Google Translate, So Y Tiet was able to communicate in this foreign language. In a way, it is clear that new knowledge and skills have come to him.

Unlike So Y Tiet, Thach Ren, a farmer in Tra Vinh who is facing a shortage of fresh water and increasing salinity levels, has used a phone app to regularly check the water level in his rice fields.

Mr. Ren was one of the first farmers to participate in a pilot project using “alternate wetting and drying” techniques to reduce water use in rice cultivation. Using his smartphone, instead of having to go directly to the field to check, Mr. Ren can monitor the water level anytime, anywhere. Now he only needs to pump water three to four times per season, which is more economical than the traditional method of pumping water whenever the soil surface is slightly dry – usually about 10 times per season.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, the current rate of smartphone users in Vietnam has exceeded 84% of the population. Vietnam is in the Top 10 countries with the highest number of smartphone users in the world (according to Statista), an impressive figure that Viettel has contributed significantly to achieving.

Viettel's journey to realize its promise of universal smartphone use is a testament to the group's strong commitment to bringing technology to everyone, leaving no one behind./.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tu-xa-xi-den-pho-thong-cuoc-cach-mang-pho-cap-smartphone-cho-moi-tang-lop-nguoi-viet-post1679894.tpo