DENIS O’BRIEN’S Digicel is set to get a heavyweight telecoms competitor in the impoverished Caribbean state of Haiti.

Earlier this year, Viettel, which is run by the Vietnamese military, acquired a majority stake in Teleco Haiti, which was owned by the central bank, for $59 million.

That was before a massive earthquake devastated Haiti, but Viettel has recommitted itself to the country.

Haiti has been a big success for O’Brien, and is Digicel’s largest subscriber market in spite of the poverty there. But it was outbid for the 60 per cent stake in Teleco.

In a report in the Herald Tribune, Digicel's chief executive in Haiti, Maarten Boute, said it did not match Viettel's bid because it felt building a big fibre-optic network might not be profitable.

Viettel has deep pockets and said its network will carry high-speed data, mobile and fast wireless broadband.

Teleco has been in decline for years and is losing money. However, Viettel’s ownership should trigger a renaissance and set up a lively battle with Digicel for subscribers.