HANOI, Vietnam, Nov. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In Fortune's "Change the World 2024" rankings, Viettel Group ranks 3rd among over 50 global companies contributing significantly to sustainable development and positive social impact.

"Change the World" is an annual ranking by Fortune, established in 2015, to honor companies making significant contributions to sustainable development and having a positive impact on society.

Leading the "Change the World 2024" list are companies such as Space X, GHG Sat, and Rocket Lab for developing emission-monitoring satellites. Grab Holdings ranks second for its financial support for gig workers and small retailers. Viettel takes third place for its efforts to improve the quality of education in Vietnam and the 10 international markets where it invests through its School Internet Project. Other notable companies in the rankings include Maven Clinic, Cisco, Alibaba, Walmart, eBay, among others.

Viettel is the only Vietnamese company in the ranking. Across Asia, eight companies made the list, operating in sectors such as services, retail, e-commerce, energy, and agriculture. Viettel is also the only telecommunications company included in this year's ranking.

Over the past 10 years, the list has honored some of the world's biggest tech companies, such as Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Tencent. These companies are recognized for their pioneering roles in addressing major global issues, from climate change and inequality to public health.

Fortune evaluates companies based on criteria such as measurable social impact, including the scope, nature, and sustainability of their activities, as well as the level of innovation relative to other companies in the industry.

Viettel received high marks for its contributions to education quality – one of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals – through its School Internet initiative. This achievement underscores Viettel's leadership in digital infrastructure, with a creative approach and sustainably positive impact on society.

The School Internet Project is a non-profit initiative launched in 2008 to provide internet connectivity to 100% of educational institutions in Vietnam. To date, the program has provided free internet access to more than 46,000 educational institutions across 63 provinces and over 10 countries, especially in rural and remote areas.

As of 2024, the program has enabled 25 million students, teachers, and educators to access the internet, helping increase internet penetration in Vietnam from 15% to 85%.

With an investment of approximately 2,000 billion VND over 16 years, Viettel has developed digital infrastructure for education, including transmission infrastructure, data processing infrastructure, information security solutions for the education sector, and connectivity devices for schools.

This digital infrastructure enables teachers and students to access the internet and online teaching and learning applications. Viettel has also developed digital educational applications such as Viettel Study and K12Online, which support millions of users in online teaching, learning, and accessing educational resources from elementary to high school.

Major General Tao Duc Thang, Chairman and General Director of Viettel Group, said, "With the mission of universal internet access, Viettel provides ultra-broadband fiber optic connections to all schools, enabling a boom in online teaching and learning applications. Viettel also pioneers in researching and developing technologies for the education sector, providing online teaching and learning systems, resource repository and construction of the national education database. Viettel's infrastructure and technology has and will continue to play a key role in education digital transformation."

Recently, Brand Finance also recognized Viettel as the most highly-rated Vietnamese company for sustainable development and the strongest telecommunications brand in Asia in 2024.