Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan presented a license to Amazon leadership in New York on September 23 (local time), at a ceremony held on the sidelines of the working trip of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam in the US from September 20-23.
The permit authorizes Amazon Kuiper Vietnam - the satellite unit of US tech giant Amazon - to deploy a private network using satellite links for testing customer terminal equipment and evaluating the quality of devices manufactured in Vietnam. Operating nationwide, the network connects Amazon’s satellite constellation with ground infrastructure in Vietnam, adhering to local telecom, radio frequency, technical, and cybersecurity regulations.
Established in May 2024 with initial charter capital of $1 million, Amazon Kuiper Vietnam expanded its capital to over $5.1 million by January 2025.
Last August, Amazon submitted an application to participate in a controlled pilot scheme to provide low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite telecom services targeting up to 600,000 subscribers, covering consumer connectivity, enterprise solutions, telecom backhaul, maritime, aviation, and government services.
Amazon has committed to investing $570 million, constructing at least six ground stations by 2030, and producing user terminals in the northern province of Bac Ninh through local manufacturing partners. Its global LEO project - the third-largest internet satellite system after Starlink and OneWeb - promises speeds of up to 400 Mbps for individual users and 1 Gbps for businesses.
During his working visit to the US, Minister Vu Hai Quan also held discussions with senior executives from Anthropic, Amazon, and Oracle. The tech leaders expressed strong interest in expanding cooperation with Vietnam across artificial intelligence, data centers, digital transformation support, tech talent development, and the potential establishment of Centers of Excellence.
Minister Quan affirmed that the Vietnamese government welcomes and facilitates investments from US tech corporations, emphasizing Vietnam’s goal to build indigenous tech capacity, nurture talent, and foster innovation ecosystems alongside international partners.
