Quang NinhThe 2026 Government Leadership Award from the Global Mobile Association (GSMA) recognizes Vietnam for its orientation in developing connection infrastructure, policies to promote telecommunications investment and initiatives to popularize digital skills.

At the Vietnam International Digital Week 2026 opening on the morning of October 28, GSMA awarded the Government Leadership Award to the Government of Vietnam.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Mr. Julian Gorman, Asia-Pacific Regional Director of GSMA, said that this is the first time in the award's history that the jury has reached absolute consensus in the decision to award the award to Vietnam.

"This is not only a moment to celebrate a national achievement, but also an opportunity to look forward, towards the contributions that Vietnam can make to shape the future of global industry," he said.

The GSMA representative said the award was selected by a panel of international experts, including representatives of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), to honor policy leadership capacity in facilitating investment, innovation and digital development.

"Vietnam was honored not because of a single project or technology, but because of an approach that connects national aspirations with policy direction, implementation capacity and partnerships with industry," Mr. Gorman said.

According to him, there are three core factors that helped Vietnam win the award. The first is to define telecommunications connection as an economic infrastructure, shown through the orientation of expanding broadband and promoting 5G networks. These platforms are expected to help businesses improve productivity, improve access to public services and increase economic competitiveness.

Second is the ability to transform strategy into specific conditions for development. Mr. Gorman highly appreciated the policy on radio frequencies and support for network investment, saying that digital economic development not only requires clear goals but also requires mechanisms to create conditions for businesses to make long-term investments.

The third factor is people-centered orientation. Community digital skills development initiatives show that progress is not only measured by network size, but also by the real opportunities people can access and take advantage of technology.

From these factors, the GSMA representative believes that Vietnam can continue to promote its achievements to participate more deeply in the process of shaping the global telecommunications industry.

Mr. Gorman recommended that Vietnam maintain policies that promote long-term investment, transform advanced connectivity infrastructure into new industrial capacity, enhance digital security and trust, and equip people with the necessary skills to benefit from artificial intelligence.

The GSMA representative also emphasized international cooperation opportunities, in which Vietnam can share policy-making experiences, bring engineers, businesses and innovators to participate in building technology, contribute to global standards and develop solutions that can be applied in many countries.

"The opportunity here is not just to adopt the next generation of technology, but to participate in co-creating it," he said.

GSMA is an international association representing the global mobile ecosystem, bringing together carriers and businesses in the telecommunications sector. This organization's Government Leadership Award aims to recognize policies and management approaches that facilitate the development of the mobile industry, while promoting connectivity and socio-economic benefits from digital technology.

Liu Quy