Viettel wins bid for 5G broadband network

Viettel headquarters in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of the company

The Military Industry and Telecommunications Group (Viettel) won the auction on March 8 for the rights to use radio frequencies in the 2500-2600 MHz band for the next 15 years, paying more than VND7.5 trillion or US$310 million.

For Viettel, the 2500-2600 MHz band is particularly important because it is an effective band for Viettel to improve the quality of 4G services and to officially offer 5G services.

UNESCO official vows to improve relations with Vietnam

Lidia Arthur Brito, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, said on March 8 that the organization would continue to develop its relations with Vietnam, particularly in the fields of open science, marine biology, water management, the development of AI-based science, and the conservation of natural reserves and global geoparks.

In a meeting with Ambassador Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, the UNESCO official said she hoped to visit Vietnam and attend the 8th Asia-Pacific Geoparks Network (APGN) Symposium to further joint efforts to strengthen the conservation of geoparks.

Vietnam's first pharmaceutical hub to be set up in Ho Chi Minh City

The Ho Chi Minh City's authorities have approved a master plan to develop the city's pharmaceutical sector by 2030, with a vision to 2045, to make the southern economic hub Vietnam's first collective pharmaceutical industrial zone, according to the city's Department of Health.

Following the plan, the city will build a special pharmaceutical cluster in Binh Chanh District’s Le Minh Xuan Commune, covering a total area of 338 hectares. Designed for R&D and innovation activities, the cluster will bring together high-value and high-tech manufacturers and support companies.

South Korean suspect arrested and handed over for extradition

Danang police announced on March 8 that they had handed over a male suspect to their South Korean colleagues for extradition. The suspect was wanted by the South Korean authorities and Interpol for operating an illegal gambling website from 2017 to 2019, which attracted a large number of players with a total wager of 44.3 billion won (US$33.6 million).

The male suspect had lived in Ho Chi Minh City for some time before moving to Danang in early February 2024.