Summary Box: Haiti state-run telecom’s distant Internet savior is run by Vietnam’s military

Summary Box: Haiti telecom’s savior is Vietnam

THE TROUBLES: Even before the January earthquake, the corruption-gutted, money-hemorrhaging Teleco Haiti had few landline customers and no competitive cell phone service. Its high-speed data network was minuscule.

THE SAVIOR: In buying a 60 percent stake, a company run by communist Vietnam’s military, Viettel, has promised to rebuild infrastructure and deliver cheap Internet services.

THE CHALLENGES: Analysts and competitors say far more investment is needed than what Viettel has publicly committed, especially given Haiti’s stymied development.