6G and AI open new windows of opportunity for Vietnam in the global value chain

As the world moves toward the 6G era, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a core foundation for new infrastructure and growth models, creating opportunities for Vietnam to strengthen its position in the global technology and digital economy ecosystem.

2026 is widely seen as a pivotal milestone as the global transition from 5G shifts toward building 6G infrastructure, where AI is expected to move from a supporting tool to a core underpinning layer. In this process, cooperation between global technology groups and domestic enterprises is reshaping Vietnam’s role in semiconductors and the future digital economy.

Why 6G matters: AI needs faster, lower-latency networks

At a press briefing on April 9, 2026, Mr. Thieu Phuong Nam, General Manager of Qualcomm Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, said that each decade-long cycle in mobile network development has historically changed economic and social conditions.

He noted that 2G shifted voice communications, 3G carried mobile data, and 4G accelerated the digital economy through broadband. With 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT) began to take shape, while the “real leap” is expected with 6G.

Nam said AI is penetrating deeper into technology and daily life, but AI applications require network infrastructure with higher speeds, lower latency, and stronger data processing capacity—roles expected to be fulfilled by 6G.

Vietnam’s 6G roadmap and “window of opportunity”

Nam said major technology shifts create a “window of opportunity” for countries and businesses to rise. He pointed to Vietnam’s opportunity to participate more deeply in the global technology value chain as the industry moves from feature phones to smartphones and toward AI-integrated models and AI Agents.

He also highlighted Vietnam’s policy direction to lead 6G deployment in the region. According to Nam, the global 6G alliance includes three major Vietnamese technology players—Viettel, FPT, and VNG.

Nam emphasized Vietnam’s timeline: plans to test 6G in 2028 and to commercialize the technology from 2029, which he said could allow Vietnam to become a pioneer in global 6G deployment.

AI Agents and a new “user interface” for devices

Nam said the coming period is forecast to be when AI Agents—AI assistants that can proactively perform tasks rather than only responding in a Q&A format—are integrated more deeply into devices. He said this would enable automation of complex processes and more advanced personalization of user experiences.

ST Liew, Vice Chairman of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and President of Qualcomm for Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, described AI as more than a supporting technology, calling it a “new user interface.” He said devices will be able to understand, learn, and tailor experiences for each user, while smartphones are expected to remain central as the most powerful tool for people to use AI in daily life.

Physical AI and Personal AI: Vietnam’s perceived advantage

Vietnam is viewed as having an advantage in deploying and commercializing Physical AI and Personal AI models. The platform is described as being supported by a hardware ecosystem and supply chain that are relatively dynamic, shaped by the presence of many international technology groups.

This environment, the briefing said, also provides a foundation for Vietnamese startups to participate more deeply in the global supply chain—particularly in developing applications and integrating AI solutions on devices.

Liew said Vietnam is affirming its position as one of the most strategically important technology markets in the Asia-Pacific region, and Qualcomm is committed to supporting the country’s ambition to become a leading innovation economy.

Data-center and network initiatives: inferencing and 6G development

Qualcomm experts said Vietnam’s digital economy has room to grow over the next 5–10 years, especially as AI becomes foundational infrastructure for many industries. They said leveraging opportunities from AI, semiconductors, and digital transformation could contribute significantly to double-digit growth targets.

Qualcomm is strengthening its presence in Vietnam across multiple technology areas. In the data-center domain, it is focusing on AI inferencing platforms in collaboration with Viettel, VNPT, VNG, and FPT.

At Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Qualcomm introduced the AI200 platform in rack-scale form as part of its data-center development strategy.

Vietnam was also identified as one of the first markets moving toward commercializing this technology for sectors including electronic government, AI for business, and Vietnamese-language large language models.

Partnerships and the 6G alliance

Qualcomm said it is partnering with Viettel to develop and commercialize 5G Open RAN devices, as well as next-generation 6G network devices, leveraging what it described as the world’s largest current 5G Open RAN deployment.

Qualcomm characterized 6G as an AI-native platform built around three core pillars: connectivity, wide-area sensing, and high-performance computing. It said the future 6G ecosystem is expected to enable smart networks that integrate sensors, virtualized RAN, AI-driven operations, and edge and cloud data centers to support new AI workloads.

Qualcomm said the global 6G alliance it leads includes major technology players such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Samsung, Nokia, LG, and T-Mobile, with the goal of commercializing 6G by 2029. Vietnam has three representatives in the alliance: FPT, Viettel, and VNG.