Celebrating 35 Years of Australia-Vietnam Telecommunications Cooperation

The year 2023 marks the 35th anniversary of Vietnam and Australia signing the first business cooperation agreement on telecommunications in 1988. This partnership greatly supported Vietnam in the process of realizing the benefits of innovation work.

In Hanoi, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, Andrew Goledzinowski on November 20 called the Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia, Nguyen Tat Thanh to recreate the first call from Vietnam to Australia.

This is a recreation of one of the first phone calls from Vietnam to Australia, to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Australia's Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC) (later Telstra) and Vietnam's General Department of Posts and Telecommunications (GDPT) (later VNPT) signed the first business cooperation agreement in 1988.

"This partnership created a change in connecting Vietnam with the world, building a solid foundation for the bilateral relationship that our two countries have today," Ambassador Goledzinowski said.

"This partnership greatly supported Vietnam in the process of realizing the benefits of innovation and helping to create a favorable environment for business and investment activities in Vietnam. As we celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam this year, we are focusing on the next phase of cooperation to make the opportunities of the digital revolution a reality. I would like to congratulate all individuals who helped create a good foundation for this cooperation, and thank you for your contributions to the friendship between our two countries."

Cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate 35 years of Australia-Vietnam telecommunications cooperation.

OTC installed Vietnam's first Vista satellite ground station in Ho Chi Minh City in 1987, connecting to Australia. This allowed up to five international calls simultaneously, improving quality and capacity compared to the limited radio links at the time.

Additional and larger-scale satellite ground stations were installed in Hanoi, then throughout the country. International Telecommunications Centers were also established in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In early 1989, the Australian Foreign Minister, Gareth Evans AO, visited Hanoi and made the first call via the new satellite link from Hanoi to the Minister for Telecommunications, Bob Brown, in Australia.

After that, OTC installed new, larger satellite receiving stations in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, helping to increase the capacity and services provided via the INTELSAT network significantly.

During the 1990s, with technological innovations, the partnership created more important milestones. The first internet-connected device was brought to Vietnam by Australian National University Professor Rob Hurle in 1991.

Australia also participated in Vietnam's first submarine cable project located in Vung Tau in 1999.

This cable line allows for 15,000 simultaneous international calls, along with high-speed data and video services. The second underground cable line was installed in 2000 in Da Nang and has been operating until now.

In addition to infrastructure, the partnership also focuses on human resource development. OTC/Telstra supported training programs for more than 3,000 technicians, engineers, financial managers, and marketers in the telecommunications industry in Vietnam.

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