At a regular press briefing held on the afternoon of August 28, in response to a question from Sai Gon Giai Phong about the current dominance of cross-border digital platforms in the country, Deputy Director Nguyen Anh Cuong of the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said there are currently fewer than 10 major OTT (Over-The-Top) application platforms worldwide providing services such as Internet messaging and calling.
In Vietnam, Zalo is a major platform, ranking among the leaders in subscriber numbers and capable of competing with foreign services. In addition, products such as Viettel's Tammi and VCCorp's Lotus Chat, along with many other platforms being researched and developed by Vietnamese businesses, demonstrate that competitiveness is increasingly taking shape in the telecommunications OTT sector.
According to Deputy Director Nguyen Anh Cuong, businesses must be the key decision-makers in developing large-scale telecommunications OTT platforms. They need to master technology and improve quality, reliability, safety, security and user experience, while creating differentiated features, utilities and added value. In particular, telecommunications businesses need to leverage their advantages in infrastructure, brand recognition and customer bases to build competitive platforms.
For the Government, the primary role is to ensure a fair and transparent competitive environment and fully enforce the law for telecommunications OTT providers, including cross-border providers. Foreign telecommunications OTT providers' compliance with Vietnamese regulations will create a level playing field, encouraging domestic businesses to improve their capabilities and service quality.
Currently, cross-border platforms such as Viber, Telegram, iMessage and WhatsApp have all notified authorities of their service provision and coordinated in accordance with Vietnamese law.
In the long term, the goal is to create conditions for Vietnamese businesses to master technology, develop and operate large-scale telecommunications OTT platforms, attract large numbers of users and compete in the domestic market, gradually expanding into international markets.
Responding to a question from Sai Gon Giai Phong about information safety and data security for telecommunications OTT services, Deputy Director Nguyen Anh Chuong said the 2023 Telecommunications Law added a legal framework based on a light-touch regulatory approach, ensuring that services of a similar nature are governed under the same legal framework to protect users' rights, ensure safety, security and healthy competition.
Decree No. 163/2024/ND-CP specifically stipulates the responsibilities and obligations of foreign organizations providing cross-border telecommunications OTT services in Vietnam. This step-by-step approach aims to create a fair and transparent competitive environment between domestic businesses and cross-border providers while limiting unnecessary burdens on businesses.
