Vietnam-based Viettel High Tech, the R&D arm of Viettel Group, predicted an acceleration in the operator’s 5G network rollout after it selected AMD’s latest RF system-on-a-chip platform for compatible base stations developed in house following field trials.

In a release, Viettel High Tech said it will use AMD’s Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RF chips to produce 900 macro radios, which will be fitted in 300 base stations.

AMD is its exclusive radio unit silicon supplier.

The company used AMD’s radio technology for its 4G equipment and is now equipping 5G base stations with its remote radio heads.

Viettel High Tech said it expects mobile unit Viettel’s 5G network to be completed by the end of 2022. It started testing commercial next-generation services in 2019 in parts of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, using trial licences.

The group began developing its own 5G equipment in early 2019 and is also working with Ericsson and Nokia on its deployment.

In 2021, Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications rejected a proposed spectrum auction, which has kept operators from formally launching 5G services.