Vietnam - US strengthen Open RAN cooperation: Paving the way for smart and autonomous telecommunications networks

On the afternoon of October 28, 2025, in Ninh Binh, within the framework of Vietnam International Digital Week 2025, the Vietnam - US Forum on Open RAN took place, co-organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, the US Department of State and the Open RAN Policy Coalition (ORPC).

The forum brings together representatives of state management agencies, international organizations, technical experts and leading technology enterprises in Vietnam and the world , to share experiences in successfully implementing Open RAN policies globally, while promoting research and development cooperation between the two countries in the field of open telecommunications infrastructure.

Overview of the Forum.

Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Mr. Alexander Botting, International Director of the Open RAN Policy Coalition (ORPC), said that ORPC currently brings together more than 40 member companies in many countries. Over the past 5 years, the Coalition has cooperated with the governments of 50 countries, of which 15 countries have deployed Open RAN on a pilot or commercial scale. "Open RAN not only helps diversify the supply chain and reduce infrastructure costs, but also strengthens digital sovereignty and expands regional and global cooperation. Vietnam has a great opportunity to become a bright spot in Southeast Asia in this field," he emphasized.

Mr. Alexander Botting highly appreciated the strategic vision of the Vietnamese Government in promoting open policies, international cooperation and developing new generation telecommunications infrastructure. According to him, Vietnam has a special position to become a regional telecommunications technology innovation center, contributing to building a more flexible, transparent and secure connection network for the future.

Mr. Alexander Botting, International Director of the Open RAN Policy Coalition (ORPC) spoke at the Forum.

Representing Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Anh Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Science and Technology, affirmed that sustainable digital transformation can only be achieved when the digital infrastructure is modern, flexible and open. Accordingly, Open RAN is a strategic direction to help Vietnam diversify its supply chain, optimize investment costs and promote innovation in the telecommunications industry. This is not only a global trend but also a long-term orientation of Vietnam to form an autonomous, competitive and internationally integrated digital technology ecosystem.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Cuong emphasized that the Ministry of Science and Technology is ready to accompany the technical community and businesses in the process of researching, testing and developing the Open RAN ecosystem in Vietnam through creating a testing corridor, connecting partners and promoting research cooperation - technology transfer.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Science and Technology, spoke at the Forum.

The forum included two roundtable discussions, focusing on key technical topics such as: Testing lab; AI integration into Open RAN network. Here, experts from Qualcomm, ORPC, Viettel and DeepSig focused on discussing the role of Open RAN testing lab (OTIC), challenges of multi-vendor interoperability, market gaps and Vietnam's orientation in building a regional testing center.

Not only stopping at sharing knowledge and technology, the Forum is also considered a strategic step in the journey to realize the vision of "Make in Viet Nam - Connect to the world", affirming Vietnam's pioneering role in building open digital infrastructure, promoting innovation and shaping the future of the global telecommunications network.

Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/viet-nam-hoa-ky-tang-cuong-hop-tac-open-ran-mo-duong-cho-mang-vien-thong-thong-minh-va-tu-chu-197251028155918038.htm