Hanoi, Vietnam. February 23^rd, 2018 Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) and M1 Communications (M1), a wholly owned subsidiary of Viettel, today announced they have entered into a 3G and 4G/LTE patent license agreement. Under the terms of this agreement, Qualcomm will grant M1 a royalty-bearing patent license to develop, manufacture, and sell 3G/4G complete devices.

With this agreement, M1 joins the growing list of key Vietnamese OEMs to have direct access to Qualcomm’s industry-leading mobile technologies. M1 will have access to Qualcomm’s broad patent portfolio for the development of mobile devices that will meet the needs of life in “Industry 4.0.”

By enhancing the capabilities of the local industry to design, manufacture and commercialize mobile devices/solutions based on leading-edge technologies, this agreement [between Qualcomm and M1] will further strengthen Vietnam’s [smartphone and IoT] industrial development and illustrates how Qualcomm’s business model is enriching the mobile ecosystem. This agreement also lends support to Vietnam’s economic development by assisting the government to realize the policy objectives it has outlined in Industry 4.0 and Vietnam’s transition to a digital economy.

State-owned mobile network operator Viettel, the parent company of M1, is one of the fastest growing and largest carriers across the Southeast Asian region, with a mobile market share of over 50% in Vietnam. Boasting already over 100 million customers worldwide, Viettel is in the process of an international expansion program which currently spans 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

M1 plans on launching its first 4G/LTE device before year’s end as part of the company’s aggressive expansion into the 4G/LTE device space.

“Until now, Viettel owns around 30% of the equipment of its telecommunications network. The target is by 2020, Viettel will research, manufacture 100% of its telecommunications network, making Vietnam become one of the three biggest providers of telecommunications equipment in the world”, said Nguyen Dinh Chien, executive vice president  & general manager, Viettel R&D and Manufacturing.

“At Qualcomm, we invent breakthrough technologies to transform how the world connects and communicates,” said John Han, senior vice president and general manager, Qualcomm Technology Licensing. “We are committed to growing the mobile ecosystem across the world, and we are proud to have the opportunity to enable advanced mobile devices and services with our leading technology for the people in Vietnam.”

“Qualcomm is pleased to enter into this landmark agreement with M1,” said Nam Thieu, senior director, business development and Vietnam country manager, Qualcomm International, Inc. “With access to our diverse and ever-expanding technology patent portfolio, Viettel subsidiary M1 will now be able to develop and market compelling 3G/4G devices powered by Qualcomm’s leading mobile technologies both in Vietnam and abroad.”

About M1/Viettel Group

Viettel Group is Vietnam’s largest mobile operator. Besides traditional fields like telecommunications, Viettel also promotes R&D with the goal of ranking in the top 100 industrial defense complexes in the world.

In 2017, Viettel’s R&D sector reached VND 12.5 trillion in volume, of which profit was over VND 5 trillion. Viettel owns and successfully exports 4G devices, including 1,000 BTSs 4G manufactured by Viettel, installed in the telecoms network of Viettel in East Timor and Vietnam. This marked Viettel’s official entry into the field of manufacturing and supplying telecommunications network devices – which currently has only five providers globally. In addition, Viettel has researched, designed, and manufactured successfully consumer devices for telecommunications businesses such as online billing systems, message exchange systems, 4G BTS, modern OCS, and 3G/4G terminal equipment.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm invents breakthrough technologies that transform how the world connects and communicates. When we connected the phone to the Internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our inventions are the foundation for life-changing products, experiences, and industries. As we lead the world to 5G, we envision this next big change in cellular technology spurring a new era of intelligent, connected devices and enabling new opportunities in connected cars, remote delivery of health care services, and the IoT — including smart cities, smart homes, and wearables. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including the QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.