Ericsson and Viettel sign MoU to accelerate autonomous network development

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Viettel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance autonomous network development. As part of this collaboration, Ericsson and Viettel will run joint R&D activities, lab trials and validations to explore architecture, orchestration, AI-driven closed‑loop automation and performance optimization.

The partnership will focus on developing practical use cases that deliver measurable operational and customer experience improvements, including automation of network operations and Radio Access Network (RAN) optimization.

Ericsson and Viettel will collaborate on researching Autonomous Network technologies to develop a high‑performance programmable network. The first step to bring AI into the network is a pilot of Ericsson’s Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP) and Ericsson AI rApps to transform the approach to optimization.

Viettel will also become a member of the EIAP Ecosystem. Joining the ecosystem of the Industry’s leading RAN Automation Platform will give Viettel access to the rApp directory with nearly 90 members (20 of whom are fellow CSPs) and nearly 90 available rApps in total. It also gives them access to the dedicated Developer Portal, a GenAI development assistant which will allow Viettel to craft own rApps 50 percent faster, and a range of other tools that will support Viettel in its own rApp development.

Mr Luu Manh Ha, CEO of Viettel Networks says, “We are partnering with Ericsson to make the Viettel network autonomous, self-managing and zero-touch to replace manual operations with AI-driven, intent-based systems. This will enable Viettel to improve service agility, reduce costs, and support complex 5G/6G use cases.”

Rita Mokbel, President of Ericsson Vietnam, says, “By collaborating closely with Viettel, we are looking to advance the use of AI at scale, orchestration, and high-performance programmable networks. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to exploring innovative technologies that enhance network performance, improve operational efficiency, and enable future-ready services.”

Through this strategic collaboration, both parties will jointly develop and validate use cases that help Viettel progress toward a fully autonomous network.