A notable highlight of Vietnam’s digital infrastructure recently is the successful auction of frequency use rights with 2 band blocks B1 (2500 – 2600 MHz) and C2 (3700 – 3800 MHz).
With the successful auction by Viettel and VNPT, the Ministry of Information and Communications has licensed to establish a network and provide terrestrial mobile information services using 5G technology from April 11, 2024. At the conference on April 15, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung awarded a business license for terrestrial mobile telecommunications services using 5G technology to two businesses to gain ownership of two band blocks B1 and C2.
The Ministry of Information and Communications awarded 5G service business licenses to Viettel and VNPT. Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung awarded the license to establish a network and provide terrestrial mobile information services using 5G technology to Viettel and VNPT.
In the context of 5G services about to be deployed in Vietnam, both VNPT and Viettel consider this a strategic priority. VNPT plans to upgrade the transmission system and invest in 1,000 new 5G stations in 2024. Viettel is also determined to commercialize 5G services this year to provide them to people and businesses soon.
According to Minister Nguyen Manh Hung, the frequency ratio per network operator and per capita in Vietnam is currently about 40% lower than that of ASEAN countries. This will certainly have an impact on network quality.
Minister Nguyen Manh Hung pointed out: Network operators need to both invest more in 4G networks and invest in 5G to ensure quality. Illustration photo: Tel
Talking with network operators, the Minister paid special attention to the issue of ensuring the quality of the telecommunications network. In the next few years, 4G services will still play a leading role in the Vietnamese market. Therefore, network operators need to find ways to upgrade the network, ensuring enhanced 4G network quality, in parallel with the deployment of 5G.
“5G is the key but 4G is the core network, large capacity, wide coverage area. The network has just invested more in 4G networks and newly invested in 5G to ensure quality.”the Minister commented.
The way to solve this problem, according to the head of the Information and Communications industry, is that network operators should consider bidding for additional low frequencies, in the 700 MHz band, to enhance the quality of 4G coverage. From a management agency perspective, to promote the quality of the telecommunications network, the Ministry of Information and Communications will measure and publicly announce monthly.
New approach to digital transformation, focusing on system resilience
At the conference, besides telecommunications and radio frequencies, through listening, sharing and exchanging of a managed unit such as Nha Nam Company, Vietnam News Agency, Hanoi Radio and Television Station, Tai newspaper Environment, VinAI Company…, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung also has specific instructions for other areas of the industry such as postal, digital transformation, network information security, digital technology industry , journalism, publishing, basic information.
Minister Nguyen Manh Hung requires that everything managed by the National Digital Transformation Department must be connected online to the subjects’ systems and resolutely not accept paper reports.
For example, with postal services, emphasizing the important role of this field as well as investment in postal infrastructure, the Minister directed the Postal Department to clarify the content of postal infrastructure and guide postal businesses. implementation and investment.
In addition to the responsibility of ensuring healthy competition through clarifying criteria, monitoring the market and handling violations, the Postal Department also needs to periodically measure and announce service quality so that businesses can measures to improve service quality. “Measuring and announcing quality is one of the effective state management tools, not only the postal sector but other fields also need to do it.”the Minister requested.
Regarding digital transformation, in addition to noting the important task of amending Decree 73 regulating investment management and IT application using the state budget to ensure feasibility, the head of the Information and Communications industry pointed out, in the second quarter /2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications will evaluate and announce a model province for a smart urban operating center and comprehensive online public services. The Ministry’s new approach is to create a model, do it on-site and then announce the model province for other localities to learn from experience. The Minister also requested: Measurement and assessment of digital transformation must be online. Everything managed by the National Digital Transformation Department must be connected online to the subjects’ systems and determined not to accept paper reports.
Requiring agencies, businesses, and public service units to pay attention to data as the most important asset that the more it is exploited, the more value it creates, the Minister emphasized: Digital transformation must be based on data. To promote the construction of databases at ministries, branches and localities to ensure “correct, sufficient, clean and viable”, the Ministry of Information and Communications has established a Data Department at the National Digital Transformation Department. In the coming time, the department will provide guidance to ministries and provinces on building a database.
Recent ransomware attacks on a number of businesses have warned of the risks and extent of damage when a unit is attacked by a cyberattack. Illustration photo: Duy Vu
From the reality of recent ransomware attacks targeting business systems, the Minister believes that this is a good opportunity to review the safety level of information security systems and is also an opportunity to improve awareness of information security and network security of agencies, organizations, businesses and the whole society. Recent attacks have warned of the risks and extent of damage when units are attacked by cyberattacks.
The Minister pointed out that the Prime Minister has issued a directive to comply with legal regulations and enhance information system security by level. Ministries, branches, localities and businesses and units in the information and communication industry need to thoroughly grasp this directive. The Department of Information Security has instructions on implementing the directive, paying special attention to system resilience and system recovery. “Because it will be difficult for us to avoid being attacked, the important thing is the ability to recover the system”the Minister emphasized.
Note that investment in IT and digital transformation must always have a safety and network security component with an expenditure of at least 10%. The head of the Information and Communications industry also requested the Information Security Department to quickly invest in upgrading the system. for the National Cyberspace Safety Monitoring Center, with the goal of having this Center perform well both important functions of monitoring information in cyberspace and monitoring attacks, and providing support when units are attacked. labour.
