VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Information and Communications has ordered all internet service providers (ISP) to stop providing online games from 10pm to 8am every day from March 30.

"This is a temporary solution while we await new Government regulations for managing online games," Luu Vu Hai, director of the Ministry's Broadcasting and Electronic Information Management Department, said.

In Ha Noi, authorities will first tighten control over service providers before turning their attention to internet centres.

This method has worked in HCM City since it was introduced last September, with the 11 ISPs and 18 online games providers falling in line.

Thanks to its success, the Ministry has changed its mind about completely cutting off internet to internet centres at night.

However, Dong Nai Province near HCM City is taking no chances and cuts off internet services to the centres at night.

"This is the most thorough way to ward off the bad impacts caused by online games," Nguyen Minh Hung, director of the province's Department of Information and Communications, said.

"We had a guideline from the Ministry but we acted based on our situation."

Another southern province, Binh Duong, has been cutting off the internet from 11pm to 6am since September.

A recent survey of 282 students of Can Tho University found 66 per cent of them playing online games one to three times a day for a duration of two to three hours each time.

There are 62 internet shops around the university and 55 per cent of lodging houses have internet connections.

"The measure will help limit the time students spend on online games," Tran Thien Binh, secretary of the University's Youth Union, said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News