KT, South Korea’s largest telecom carrier, said Monday it had started construction work on a solar power system in Vietnam’s Quang Binh Province.

The project is part of a slew of infrastructure building projects in developing countries sponsored by the Korean government’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund.

KT plans to complete the system by 2017 so that some 1,300 households and public organizations in the Vietnamese province are provided with a stable electricity supply.

Quang Binh Province, located about 1,000 meters above sea level, has thus far struggled to get electricity supply due to its mountainous geographical conditions.

“Vietnam is suitable for eco-friendly solar power generation. We hope to expand our partnerships with KT,” said provincial Gov. Nguyen Huu Hoai.

KT is expanding its presence in the global smart energy system market recently. In May, the company inked a $110 million deal with the Uzbekistani government to install smart electric readers at some 1 million houses in the country’s three major cities by 2017.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)