On August 12, the 23rd International Business Awards (Stevie Awards) announced its results after evaluating more than 3,800 applications from 78 countries and territories. Viettel won 30 Stevie Awards, including 19 Gold Awards, 8 Silver Awards and 3 Bronze Awards, becoming the organization with the most awards this year.
It is noteworthy that 12/19 Gold prizes belonged to activities in Peru, Cambodia, Burundi, Mozambique and Viettel Global; out of all 30 awards, 21 awards recognized achievements in international markets.
Just over a week later, Viettel continued to announce that it had won the right to provide telecommunications services in the Dominican Republic for a term of 20 years. After completing the procedures, this will be Viettel's 11th international telecommunications market.
From connection to digital finance in Peru
Peru is the most prominent market when Bitel won 5 Gold awards. This is also a country with a special terrain with the Andes dividing its territory and many communities living in the mountains, Amazon; at the same time, about 41% of the population does not have a bank account.
From that gap, Bitel developed the BiPay e-wallet, which allows money transfers and payments by phone number. After more than three months of launch, the platform reached more than 600,000 users. By early 2026, BiPay was allowed to move towards a cryptocurrency issuing company model and participate in the Peruvian central bank's digital currency pilot program, thereby winning the Gold Prize in the financial technology category.
Besides BiPay, TV360 was also awarded the Gold Award for contributing to narrowing the gap in accessing digital content. The foundation of these services is still telecommunications infrastructure. According to OpenSignal, in February 2026 Bitel for the first time rose to third place in market share in Peru; average download speed reached 30.6 Mbps, co-leading the market with Claro.
From a backward network operator, Bitel is expanding from connectivity infrastructure to a digital service ecosystem.
One model, many problems
If Peru is a story about digital finance, Burundi poses the problem of accessing the Internet and banking services. In the context of the traditional banking network not yet widespread, Lumicash became one of the largest mobile currency platforms in the market and won the Gold Medal for financial services; Lumitel was also honored as a medium-sized telecommunications enterprise.
In Mozambique, Movitel received the Gold Award for Social Responsibility thanks to its rural coverage strategy, Internet connection for schools and building a distribution network in remote areas. Meanwhile, Metfone in Cambodia continues to be recognized for its operating efficiency after more than 15 years of leading the market.
The common point of the 12 Gold prizes is not in copying models from Vietnam, but in the way Viettel develops products from the actual needs of each country.
Dominican Republic – next test
The remaining Gold Prize belongs to Viettel Global in the achievement of growth category. In 2025, revenue from foreign markets reached 3.34 billion USD, up 23.9%, marking the ninth consecutive year of double-digit growth. Viettel currently operates in 10 international telecommunications markets and holds the number 1 position in 7 markets.
In the Dominican Republic, Viettel has just won the right to use 240 MHz of spectrum over frequency bands of 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz and 3.6 GHz, creating a platform for simultaneous deployment of 4G and 5G networks. According to the plan, the enterprise will prioritize building widespread infrastructure, then developing a digital service ecosystem for people and businesses.
This orientation is also consistent with the goal of INDOTEL Chairman Guido Gómez Mazara: improving the quality of telecommunications services, increasing competitiveness and optimizing costs for consumers.
According to Lieutenant General Tao Duc Thang, Chairman cum General Director of Viettel, with more than two decades of international experience, Viettel pursues a long-term investment approach, focusing on building modern infrastructure, bringing advanced technology into the market and creating sustainable value for people, businesses as well as the local economy.
From Peru, Burundi, Mozambique to the Dominican Republic, Viettel's international journey shows that the awards not only recognize business achievements, but also reflect the ability to adapt to each market and the ability to develop digital services based on local needs.
