The state-run telecommunications group Viettel recently announced a plan to build the largest data centre in Vietnam with a total investment of VND 6,000 billion (approximately US$ 261 million). The project will be invested in the Hoc Mon and Cu Chi districts of Ho Chi Minh City. Under the project, Viettel will work alongside the two districts to promote the digital transformation of infrastructure, governance, the economy and the overall society.
By 2025, the telecoms group aims to have invested in 4G and 5G infrastructure that covers broadband services for the entire population and fibre optic infrastructure for every household. Regarding a digital government, Viettel will create and deploy smart-control centre services and a shared data centre system for administration operations.
According to a press release by the Ministry of Information and Communications, Viettel will help 100% of businesses use digital management platforms, electronic contracts, and digital signatures. In terms of a digital society, the group will enable all residents of the Hoc Mon and Cu Chi districts to use smartphones and electronic payment accounts. The project was unveiled at a recent conference on investment promotions in the two districts, presided over by State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Cities and districts across the country have been developing and implementing digital solutions for services and their delivery, following the national digital transformation programme launched by the Prime Minister in 2020. For example, in its overall plan for digital transformation from 2022-2025, the Quang Ninh province aims to have all the newly-issued administrative procedures available at Level 4. This is the highest level for online public services as it allows users to fill and submit forms and pay fees online. Further, the plan states that all national agencies should provide open data and be equipped with sufficient and quality infrastructure for digital transformation. It targets that at least 50% of businesses in local industrial parks will digitise their operations, and 100% of the local residents will benefit from electronic identification, with each family having a digital address.
Meanwhile, in the central city of Da Nang, traders at wet markets are now using the e-wallet mobile application Viettel Money, under a 4.0 wet market model. The model aims to accelerate digital transformation, boost the non-cash payment methods at the city’s wet markets, and provide more opportunities for residents to experience modern payment services. Owners of over 1,000 stalls at Da Nang’s three major wet markets have been provided with a QR code that enables users to make online payments through access to 37 banks and Viettel Money. The model will be scaled up at other wet markets citywide as a way to promote cashless payments and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Most recently, a 5G network and an intelligent operations centre (IOC) were unveiled in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang. It will help governance and task performance be more transparent, effective, and quicker, thus contributing to local smart city building and digital transformation.
