Vietnam's largest mobile network operator successfully enters blockchain arena

The Viettel Enterprise Solutions Corporation aims to become the leading national blockchain technology provider in the next five years.

“Blockchain is a technology that will change the world and Viettel would like to catch up with global development trends,” Ngô Vĩnh Quý, deputy general director of the corporation, told the “Blockchain at Viettel” workshop in HCM City yesterday.

"Viettel has the financial resources, human resources, network infrastructure, huge data centre, research and development facilities, large internal environment, and other advantages to learn and apply blockchain technology," he said.

“Blockchain is an unlimited eco-system. The most difficult task for Viettel is choosing the most effective blockchain technology that can be applied in daily life.”

It has created a blockchain technology solution for medical file management, he said.

Phạm Ngọc Sơn, director of the Core-technology Centre, pointed out: “Every year Việt Nam spends VNĐ2.3 – 2.5 trillion (US$100 -110 million) for patients to do medical tests again when they move from one hospital to another.”

With Viettel’s solution, the entire medical network, including the Ministry of Health, provincial health departments, hospitals, doctors, patients, even medical insurance nation-wide can be connected, he said.

“We have successfully trialled the model and are waiting for approval from the health ministry.”

Private hospitals and clinics can pay a fee to connect with the system.

Next year the corporation plans to expand its blockchain research to cover telecommunications, education, finance, transport, and energy.