“Viettel has continued to prioritize building 5G infrastructure in key areas of the city,” said Tao Duc Thang, Deputy General Director from Viettel. “Viettel will join hands to make smart city development in Da Nang more synchronous and modern, to connect broadband in multi-dimensional and safe ways, ensuring best network infrastructure for digital government development, supporting for business and growth of Da Nang.”

With the main mission to build a digitalized society, Viettel has built 4G telecommunications infrastructure covering 97% of the Vietnamese population. The company also pioneers in providing the first 5G service in Vietnam. Up to now, 11 provinces/cities of Vietnam have 5G Viettel coverage (including Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Vinh Phuc, Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria–Vung Tau, Binh Phuoc, Thua Thien–Hue and Da Nang). People in these areas can experience 5G for free with unlimited capacity, on many 5G support devices. The 5G Viettel network in the above areas has a stable data download speed of 600-700 Mbps, the highest of up to more than 1Gbps.

For the commercial trial in Da Nang, Samsung provided its latest 4G and 5G solutions, which include its baseband unit as well as 64T64R Massive MIMO radios and radios on mid-band spectrum. Samsung’s latest baseband unit offers improved performance with industry leading capacity and throughput, while supporting both 4G and 5G technologies. The company’s 64T64R 5G Massive MIMO radio has the capability to power highly-congested and populated areas, delivering increased coverage and data speeds for enhanced 5G end-user experiences.

“We are excited to work with Viettel to bring immersive and reliable 5G services to consumers, and demonstrate Samsung’s technical leadership in Vietnam. This trial marks a big first step for the two companies’ collaborative efforts in Vietnam,” said Ho Chi Dung, Vice President, Network Business, Samsung VINA. “We look forward to supporting Viettel with a network that is ready to unlock the future of mobile connectivity in Vietnam, and that brings a new level of 5G experiences to the country’s increasing number of mobile users.”

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from fully virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

When a village is remote enough to lack electricity, inevitably the location will be, though eco-friendly, isolated from urban areas. Ahead of us was a painstakingly long journey, rife with the promise of encounters with various insects and new and unusual local foods – all of which at first seemed overwhelming to our group, accustomed as we were to urban life.

But the importance of our mission was undeniable, and so after much planning and preparation, we finally set off on our five-day trip to Chieng Noi, Vietnam, to bring our carefully crafted solar lanterns to the residents.

Journey to Chieng Noi

Prior to leaving on this trip, I had researched Chieng Noi and was pleased to discover that the journey seemed relatively easy. The flight from South Korea to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, was less than five hours, and the drive from the airport to Chieng Noi was only 400km.

However, upon setting off in our cars from Noi Bai Airport, I realized it was going to be nothing like I had expected. For the seventeen hours that ensued, we drove through dust clouds that brought visibility down to almost zero. Other difficulties also arose that further hindered our progress.

The first obstacle we faced was trees felled by a storm. The sheer length and number of the fallen trees made it difficult to clear a path. Therefore, all of us, including the whole camera crew, a local coordinator and an accompanying Vietnamese government official, rolled up our sleeves to help clear the road.

After hours of hard work shifting fallen trees, we were on the road again for a while before coming across a second obstacle. The wheels of our cars had gotten stuck in mud and were spinning, but the cars wouldn’t move. What made matters worse was that the previous day, it had poured with rain, creating a huge puddle of water. Once again, all of us joined forces to fill in the puddle and push the cars along by hand, but nightfall came quickly and we decided to spend the night in a nearby residence and call a tow truck in the morning.

Chieng Noi: A Village of Kindness

As we were behind schedule, we set off early the next morning in order to reach Chieng Noi, a small village made up of only 38 households. The first impression that I received upon arrival was one of kindness – even though it was the first time the village had received visitors from overseas, we were warmly welcomed by all the villagers.

Children curious about their mother’s interview with our camera crew peek into the house through an opening in the wall

Ahead of my visit, I had learned that there would be no official accommodation for our crew, and so I had brought a tent from Korea. But upon learning this, Lo Van Toan, the head of the village, led us to his house, waving away our protests with iterations of: “it is only for a few days, please make yourself at home.”

And his hospitality did not end there. In Vietnam, there is a custom that states a host must provide his guests with delicious food. During our dinner, pork was served – a rarity for the residents of Chieng Noi. Children gathered around and looked at us with eyes filled with curiosity. As I regarded them, the 12-hour journey I had just undertaken was forgotten.

As we went around the village, I couldn’t help but note how dark it was inside the houses, even in daytime – and I could only imagine how hard it must be to see at night.

We were also lucky enough to hear stories from the villagers themselves. “Our village is a farming village,” stressed one resident. “We often don’t finish until nightfall, and then must return from the fields in darkness, often getting lost on the way back home.”

“In this village, households are located apart from each other along a slope,” noted another villager. “If an accident was to occur… Well, it is scary even to think about.” It became clear that safety was the biggest concern regarding the village’s lack of electricity.

During the day, houses are still dark inside because of the lack of electricity – most children have to read books outside or near the door where daylight means they have some visibility

Another concern faced by the villagers was for their children. They described it as “heartbreaking” that the lack of light makes it difficult for their children to practice reading after dark.

Each household in Chieng Noi has three to four children – and the nearest school is an hour and a half’s drive away. Therefore, children stay in a dormitory during the week and return home to the village on weekends. When they return, they have to use the daylight hours to study and do homework, which means being outside or sitting in residence doorways in order to have enough light to see by.

The nights in Chieng Noi are long, and the village is often lit up by a small fire. Here, a family gathers around the fire and spends time together before going to sleep

A Brighter Future for Chieng Noi

As night fell, we started delivering the solar lanterns. The local children were particularly excited by the lanterns, playing around with them as if they were toys and shining them on each other’s faces, laughing all the while.

The adult villagers, meanwhile, expressed to us how useful they expected the lanterns to be. “I normally have to go outside and set a fire in order to be able to prepare vegetables at night, but now I can do it at home,” noted one villager. “I did not know a solar lantern could be this bright,” said another, excited to use the lanterns to read books at night.

We delivered a total of one thousand solar lanterns to the residents of Chieng Noi. Each is expected to last around two years, assisting the villagers as they go about their nighttime activities, helping them on their journeys home, and alleviating boredom by permitting them to read at night.

Given the arduous journey and remote location of Chieng Noi, it was a challenging undertaking, but now that I am back in Korea and can reflect upon the trip, I am taken aback by what a rewarding and special experience it was. And if someone asked me if I would do it all again? I would say, of course!

And the opinion of our colleagues from Samsung Electronics Vietnam? Nguyen Phuong Uyen Thuy Anh, Corporate Communications Manager, noted how heartwarming it was to see the smiles on the faces of everyone who was involved in the lantern program, saying:“I personally am so glad that I could be part of Samsung’s philanthropic efforts!”

Trang’s journey ultimately led her to the bustling city of Bac Ninh, where she secured a job on a Samsung production line. A promising and dedicated employee, it didn’t take long for Trang to advance to an office position. Today, she’s enrolled in Samsung’s in-house educational program, which provides employees with opportunities to receive hands-on training equivalent to a three-year vocational degree.

Though she’s well on her way toward reaching her long-held dreams, she still deeply misses her family. The feeling, of course, is mutual, and Trang’s family members were understandably thrilled when they received an invitation to visit her at work.

Watch the happy reunion unfold as Trang and her proud family finally meet. Touching moments like these reflect Samsung’s core belief that business is about more than creating exceptional products. The people behind them and those they care about are just as important.

‘Hungry Bellies Have No Ears’

Having been operating since the first quarter of 2014, SEVT today employs about 60,000 people, and that number continues to climb. Every day, hundred thousands of hi-tech products like the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are created by those diligent employees. Nevertheless, as a Vietnamese saying goes, “Hungry bellies have no ears”, so Samsung believes it is important to keep its entire staff well fed and healthy, so they will continue to put forth their best efforts.

“With a staff of over 60,000 employees, SEVT is currently running three large canteens, operated all day and night long with the most advanced cooking lines, serving around 90,000 meals per day. We are totally confident in our ability to bring healthy and nutritious meals to all our employees,” said Mr. Hoa, a manager who works at SEVT Canteen 1.

A view of one SEVT canteen

13 Tons of Rice, 7 Tons of Meat, 10 Tons of Vegetables Consumed Daily

We followed Mr. Hoa around SEVT Canteen 1 and witnessed how lunch gets prepared. All told, the SEVT dining facilities use about 13 tons of rice, 7 tons of meat, 10 tons of vegetables and 5 tons of fruit each day. Dealing with such a massive amount of food is far from easy. “In SEVT, the whole process – from receiving the ingredients to storage to food preparation, along with food hygiene & safety issues and waste treatment – is always strictly compliant with all EHS (Environment Health Safety) department regulations,” said Mr. Hoa.

Three of the chefs from SEVT Canteen 1

All three canteens are all equipped with the most cutting-edge food preparation systems and devices, and sterilization is always ensured using high temperatures and UV ray technology. In terms of personnel, dining hall employees have to abide by rigid rules regard uniforms and personal hygiene, as well as frequently take part in food hygiene and safety training courses. Each cafeteria was designed with separate areas for receiving foods, storage, and different cooking zones for various types of food – like rice, meats and soups – along with the actual dining spaces. The dining rooms are spacious and decorated with vivid colors and images to make them pleasant and comfortable for employees and visitors.

The kitchens go to remarkable lengths to ensure the highest levels of sanitation, following the 4R’s (the Right zone, Right temperature, Right order, and Right expiration dates), and keeping all foods and fruits stored separately under the right conditions.

An employee puts food into storage

At present, all the cooking equipment and appliances in the SEVT dining facilities are imported from Korea. “Our menus change every day throughout the month without repeating,” said Mr. Hoa. “We researched to make sure we meet people’s daily nutritional allowances, and devised a variety of menus to bring more choices to employees. We also conduct regular surveys with our personnel to get feedback to make sure we can make delicious dishes that meet our employees’ expectations. For instance, dishes that are considered specialties of central Vietnam are served in Canteen 1, which is always very popular with employees.”

The day’s menu options get displayed at the entrance

In addition to meals designed for the local employees, the SEVT cafeterias also offer plenty of Korean options. Lee Gwan, the Korean Chief Cook, explained, “We expect to offer the distinctive flavors of our homeland to the Korean employees here. So all our cooks in SEVT are well trained in Korean cuisine. Some ingredients and products can be found in Vietnam, and the rest are imported from Korea.”

Cleanliness Always a Priority

Finally, once each meal is finished, all the cooking equipment and dishes get a thorough cleaning. After each meal, all the employees carry their trays, chopsticks and spoons to the washing zone, where leftover food is disposed of and utensils are sorted for cleaning. To minimize food waste, the cafeteria organizes lucky drawings and games for those who leave no food after they are done with each meal.

SEVT Canteen 1 employees

Ensuring everyone at SEVT has a delicious and nutritional lunch really plays an important role in providing employees the energy they need to work well through each day. With such an enormous number of personnel in SEVT, the cafeteria staff plays a crucial part in running the whole factory. The day-by-day devotion of these cooks and other kitchen employees undergirds SEVT’s spectacular successes.

Source: Vietnam Newsroom

“I heard that Samsung built and developed an R&D center for mobile technology in Vietnam. I really wanted to learn more about it,” said Le Xuan An, an IT student from Hanoi University of Science & Technology. His desire was fulfilled on May 14 when Samsung Vietnam Mobile R&D Center (SVMC) invited him to participate in SVMC Open Day 2016 – a program for IT students in Vietnam to learn about SVMC and get hands-on experience with Samsung technology.

The Open Day included more than 100 university seniors who dream of having careers in IT. The chance to explore the most cutting edge technologies of Samsung Electronics in Vietnam put smiles on everyone’s faces.

The event started at 8 a.m. All of the latest flagship mobile devices of Samsung were showcased to visitors in a presentation by SVMC engineers. For most, the highlight was the chance to experience the stunning virtual reality of the Gear VR. “It is truly spectacular. The Gear VR feels totally different from playing games on regular smartphones,” said one excited student after playing the game Temple Run with the Gear VR. They also sounded quite impressed by the unique features and aesthetics of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. “I believe the Galaxy S7 is the best smartphone ever,” said a student from Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology.

100 technology students from six universities enjoy a hands-on look at Samsung’s cutting-edge devices for SVMC Open Day

The event continued with an introduction to SVMC, beginning with an opening speech by Vice President Huh Chang Wan. This was the first SVMC Open Day, organized to welcome professors and students from six universities that have collaborated with Samsung in Vietnam. The students also enjoyed an opportunity to learn about the history and development of SVMC. Founded in 2012, SVMC has become Samsung Electronics’ largest mobile R&D Center in Southeast Asia (SEA).

During SVMC Open Day, students learn about Samsung Electronics’ history in Vietnam and engage in discussions about Samsung products and design philosophy. #1

During SVMC Open Day, students learn about Samsung Electronics’ history in Vietnam and engage in discussions about Samsung products and design philosophy. #2

Students then received an in-depth look into Samsung and SVMC technologies. SVMC’s business covers a wide range of mobile technologies and platforms, including software R&D, software engineering, mobile evaluation and network verification. The SVMC R&D region extends from Southeast Asia to Australia, New Zealand and Middle East. “How does Samsung conduct product lifecycle management?” and “What makes Samsung smartphones stand out?” were two major topics discussed between students and software engineers. In addition, “Be user-friendly”, “Think-outside-of-the-screen” and “Be an artist” were three key goals used by SVMC engineers on every project and for every model, creating the unique characteristics of Samsung smartphones.

Finally, students toured the SVMC offices. “It was so amazing to have the chance to see how software engineers work at a world-leading company. I hope I will get to join them in the near future when I graduate university,” said Quynh Trang, a student from University of Engineering Technology.

Mr. Huh Chang Wan (center), Vice President of SVMC Management, and students

Source: Vietnam Newsroom

Samsung Electronics today launched the Samsung Newsroom Vietnam, the new Vietnamese-language home for news and stories about the company. The URL of the website is news.samsung.com/vn

As the digital PR platform for Vietnamese media and consumers, the newsroom aims to create a deeper understanding of Samsung and better leverage the available information about the company. Like the Global Newsroom, the Vietnam Newsroom will cover Samsung’s latest products and services, the company’s vision, its citizenship activities, and business insights.

The Vietnam Newsroom will also offer fascinating insights and inspirational local and global stories, exploring Samsung’s most innovative products, new business ventures and its support for local communities.

In particular, the Vietnam Newsroom will feature content about Samsung’s support programs for local industry and local employees. One article, “Samsung Helps Boost Vietnam’s Support Industry,” explores Samsung’s counseling services for Vietnamese companies to help them improve their capacity and increase the number of local suppliers. Another article is about Nguyen Duy Thanh, the first ever World Skill Medalist from Vietnam to be a technician in the Samsung Vietnam R&D Center, highlighting the success and impressive transformation of a talented, young Vietnamese person under Samsung’s support.

The Vietnam Newsroom is the fourth Samsung Newsroom launched, following Global, the United States, and Korea. Samsung is planning to expand local newsrooms throughout this year, to share its news and stories with more regions and in more languages.

The S.hub, as the new space will be known within the National Library, comes equipped with Samsung devices such as PCs, tablets, TVs and LFDs, offering a balance between technological and social developments for adolescents. There is also an online sharing space – www.s-hub.vn – to interact and update information, along with a small auditorium that has a smart interactive whiteboard.

Following the success of Samsung’s Smart Library 1.0 project, which began in 2011 with the goal of renovating 50 school libraries across the region and provided more than 200,000 new books and 300 PCs, the Smart Library 2.0 initiative will continue this journey to create a modern space for exchanging knowledge.

Bui Xuan Duc, Director General of the National Library, believes that S.hub is an encouraging and enriching scheme, and says that the launch highlights “a strong commitment from the National Library and Samsung to a bright future for the younger generation in Vietnam.”

Kim Cheol Gi, Vice President of Samsung Electronics in Vietnam, echoed this sentiment: “S.hub is not only a place with advanced technology and devices, but also a modern, open space that brings young people together for many different activities. I hope S.hub will be a popular place for Ho Chi Minh City’s youngsters, and that it will benefit them greatly.”

National Library of Ho Chi Minh City:

The National Library of Ho Chi Minh City is a public library, whereby every community member can access the collections without charge. It also has access to ancient materials for the public to view. In 2014, the library served more than 1,533,000 readers.

Since 2010, Samsung Electronics employees have been participating in a global volunteer project called the Samsung Employee Volunteer Program. Through the program, applicants have the chance to go on a week-long volunteer mission in other countries. One thousand one hundred and ten Samsung employees have participated in the program to date.

This year’s volunteer opportunities took place in six countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Vietnam, Mexico, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. The Samsung volunteers involved in the Project-Oriented Volunteer Activity presented their own ideas to bring small but meaningful innovations to the local communities they visited.

In preparation for their anticipated activities, the participants had to communicate with local NGOs to make thorough plans for their work in advance. They were to design project items that could be easily reproduced and duplicated by the local residents without any support.

Take a look at what the project-oriented activities in the six countries were all about.

Azerbaijan, Makeshift Air Cleaners

For this project, participants came up with a concept of a makeshift air cleaner to purify the air from nearby oil project sites. The employees made multiple air purifiers and installed them inside the Gymnasium of Boarding Type with Foreign Languages Bias in Ganja.

The purifiers are made of easily accessible, recycled materials. Cooling fans from old computers that are no longer in use were combined with cheap yet effective air filters found in cars to make the purifiers. The fan pulls air into the purifier, and the filter cleans the air.

Together with local non-governmental organizations, the Samsung employees showed the residents how to make the do-it-yourself air purifiers so that they could be easily reproduced. Thirty purifiers were made and delivered to the gymnasium, and more will be manufactured to be transported to several local universities in Ganja within the year.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, Shake Delight Self-Powered LED Lanterns

Shake Delight was designed to help people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where electricity is not easily accessible. For instance, the lanterns help students to study at night, and helps people to see better when going outside at night in rural areas. Using magnets and wires placed inside plastic bottles, the LED lantern can power itself. Just five minutes of shaking the Shake Delight lanterns gives them power for up to eight hours. So far, 100 bottles have been made and delivered to local people by the students and more local youth will join the project to expand it further.

Zambia, Sunlight

Sunlight is a lantern made of recycled cellphone batteries. It was designed to help the local community minimize traffic accident casualties at night.

Making a copy of Sunlight lantern is as simple as connecting four LED light bulbs on a used battery and a little bit of soldering. People can attach the lanterns anywhere they want, like bicycles or bracelet chains. 200 lanterns with used batteries were locally made and another 200 will be produced within the year.

Mexico, Photo Studio

Since Yucatan is a popular tourist destination in Mexico, Samsung employees decided that it would be beneficial to provide skills training for the residents to learn more about photo-related techniques. The photo studio skills training included how to use cameras, spotlights and photo editing tools. The volunteers shared skills training that would allow the residents of Yucatan to advance their photography skills.

Vietnam, Dalbae (Run! Vietnam) Bicycle

In Vietnam, many children commute by bicycle. Since children are already familiar with bicycles in Vietnam, the Samsung participants created the Dalbae (Run! Vietnam) Bicycle project to explain to the local children about the concept of private power generation.

Dalbae uses motors from old washing machines to create electricity as the pedals of the bicycle rotate. To further promote friendly competition, the volunteers attached fans to each of the bicycles. As the rider pedals harder and faster, air from the fans lift the ball, allowing riders to compete against each other while generating energy.

Uzbekistan, Solar Panels

Last year, volunteers used bicycles to create, store and spread electricity in case of blackouts. This year, volunteers also worked earnestly to better harness the power of solar energy in the country. They believed it would be a great idea, since countries in Central Asia get so much sunlight. They explained the concept of solar panels and how they work, teaching the residents how they can use the panels to generate solar power.

Below are photos of the electricity-generating bicycles. Currently, two bicycles have been installed and two more will soon be locally produced.