Viettel High Tech Represents Viettel at 3GPP for the First Time, Gearing Up for 6G Standardization

In September 2026, Viettel High Technology Industries Corporation (Viettel High Tech) attended the 3GPP standardization meeting in Spain for the first time on behalf of Viettel, becoming the first representative from Southeast Asia to participate in person in the organization's plenary session

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the central body shaping the core technical standards that every telecommunications device worldwide must comply with in order to be commercialized and interoperate in any market. As the industry moves toward 6G, 3GPP plays a pivotal role in approving and standardizing new technologies. 3GPP meetings bring together telecommunications companies from around the world to agree on common standards. Participants include the world's leading mobile operators (NTT Docomo, SoftBank, Rakuten, AT&T, T-Mobile, Telstra, etc.); major device and chipset makers (Samsung, Apple, Qualcomm, etc.); global telecom infrastructure vendors (Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei, etc.); as well as renowned universities and research institutes, and space technology and next-generation infrastructure companies such as SpaceX and Amazon.

2026 marks the first time Viettel High Tech has represented Viettel at a 3GPP plenary session. The delegation comprised members of the Broadband Wireless Equipment Research Center: Mr. Tran Van Tung, Deputy Director of the Center and head of the delegation; Mr. Le Thanh Bang, Head of the FPGA Platform Development Department; and Mr. Le Tien Anh, standardization expert. At this meeting, the delegation attended as observers, following firsthand how technical proposals are tabled, debated and gradually brought to consensus.

From 2027, once it gains full membership rights, Viettel High Tech will be able to speak and contribute directly at the meetings. The trip was therefore not only an opportunity to keep abreast of emerging technology trends, but also a chance for the delegation to gain a clear understanding of the processes and ways of participating, and to build a partner network for future standardization activities.

During the 3GPP meeting, the Viettel High Tech delegation proactively engaged with a range of companies, operators and experts with extensive 3GPP experience, including Qualcomm, Nokia, NTT Docomo, Telstra, Apple and Rakuten.

Among these partners, Qualcomm is a strategic partner of both Viettel High Tech and Viettel Group. Ahead of the trip, the two sides held preparatory meetings to discuss the topics expected to come up at 3GPP. Throughout the plenary session, the two delegations continued to exchange views and consult regularly on technical issues.

Viettel's areas of interest in these discussions centered on Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) for 6G networks and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN).

With Nokia, one of Viettel High Tech's key focuses was learning how technical contributions are developed at 3GPP. The two sides discussed how to select issues, prepare content and take part in the discussion process, so that from 2027, when Viettel High Tech gains full participation rights, they can collaborate on suitable topics and Viettel High Tech can gradually put forward contributions of its own.

Viettel High Tech and Nokia also agreed to continue in-depth discussions and to advance cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two groups in 2025.

With Japanese operator NTT Docomo, the two sides discussed the goals Viettel High Tech is pursuing as it joins 3GPP. NTT Docomo also introduced the delegation to Japan's telecommunications standards body, the Telecommunication Technology Committee (TTC), and invited Viettel High Tech to strengthen ties and take part in relevant activities, thereby enhancing Viettel's contributions as both a mobile operator and an equipment vendor.

Experience in deploying technology on live networks was another topic that drew partners' interest in their discussions with Viettel High Tech. Australian operator Telstra discussed with Viettel High Tech its journey of independently researching, manufacturing and deploying Open RAN in Vietnam, as Viettel High Tech is currently among the world leaders in the number of self-designed and self-manufactured Open RAN sites deployed in real-world networks.

Beyond its meetings with companies, the delegation also connected with a network of Vietnamese experts engaged in standardization work at global technology corporations and organizations, including Nokia in France, Apple in the United States, and Rakuten and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan.

This expert network gives Viettel High Tech an additional channel for professional exchange and practical learning, helping it build its standardization capabilities in a more systematic way.

Participation in 3GPP is directly tied to three of Viettel's objectives in technology research, development and commercialization. First, commercializing intellectual property. When incorporated into standards and recognized as Standard Essential Patents (SEPs), inventions can generate licensing revenue and add value to Viettel's intellectual property portfolio.

Second, supporting products' access to international markets. Understanding technical, compatibility, testing and certification requirements early allows Viettel High Tech to take a proactive approach from the product development stage, reducing risks when commercializing products overseas.

Third, closely following and contributing to the standardization process. Participation in 3GPP enables Viettel High Tech to identify technology trends early, adjust its product roadmaps, and gradually bring Viettel's research and development (R&D) results into the standard-setting process.

At this meeting, a wide range of technology topics under Release 20 were discussed, including Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), artificial intelligence (AI) in telecommunications networks, Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing (MRSS), device configuration, and Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC).

For Viettel High Tech, its first year at 3GPP is only the beginning. Building on its observer role, insights into the process, consultations with partners and connections with experts in 2026, Viettel High Tech is preparing to take a more active part in discussions from 2027 and to gradually develop Viettel's technical contributions.

Looking further ahead, engaging from the earliest stages of standard development will help Viettel High Tech identify research directions early, channel its R&D results into standardization, and work toward developing inventions with the potential to become standard essential patents (SEPs) in the 6G domain.