Vietnam National IPv6 Task Force work with Viettel and VNPT

On July, 15th, 2015, Vietnam National IPv6 Task Force worked with two telecommunication enterprises: Viettel and VNPT, to review and assess the current IPv6 deployment in these two firms.

Viettel and VNPT reported their IPv6 deployment, planning, transition roadmap for the cellular networks. Basically, the network infrastructures of Viettel and VNPT were ready for transition from 3G to 4G. VNPT’s Deputy General Director Nghiem Phu Hoan said, VNPT had conducted the testing and preparation as well as assessment of the current status of the network, human resources ... since 2011 - 2012. If nothing changed, VNPT would officially test IPv6 on a small group of customers at the end of this year, before officially providing the service in the period 2016-2017. Accordingly, VNPT would provide services: Internet access, data, mobile 3G, 4G, IPTV, Video Conferencing ... on IPv6. 

Viettel’s Deputy General Director Hoang Son said, the transition to IPv6 was inevitable to meet the business needs of Viettel and support for the deployment of the 4G LTE network. In the 3rd quarter of 2015, Viettel would test FTTx-PON, mobile services in Lab. In the next period, Viettel would issue the design in offering mobile, fixed services on IPv6 and pilot services to a number of customers in the first quarter of 2016. 

Besides, representatives of Viettel and VNPT shared their difficulties in the deployment and transition from IPv4 to IPv6 with issues concerning cost, equipment, time as well as human resources. 

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Le Nam Thang said, the purpose of the meeting was to take the overall assessment of the readiness of enterprises to IPv6, listen to enterprisers’ comments, suggestions. On that basis, IPv6 Task Force would give suitable adjustments. For the efforts of VNPT, Deputy Minister Le Nam Thang appreciated but still requested VNPT and other network operators should consider a reasonable roadmap to be able to provide IPv6 by the year 2019 nationwide. 

In the coming time, IPv6 Task Force will continue to work with FPT Telecom, VietNamNet Newspaper, Mobifone, CMCTI, Vnexpress to promote the development of IPv6, so that by the end of 2015 the mobile broadband network is completely transitioned to IPv6.