Beyond telecommunications and internet access, digital connectivity is opening new opportunities for development in some of Vietnam’s most isolated communities.
In places once known as communication dead zones, new waves are gradually appearing across mountain peaks.
They are not only telecommunications signals, internet connections or digital data streams, but also waves of knowledge, new governance methods and development opportunities reaching deep into remote villages.
From communities perched high in vast mountain ranges and located dozens of kilometers from commune centers, geographical barriers are slowly being reduced by technology.
These new digital waves not only connect residents with the outside world but also bring government policies closer to citizens, replacing paper records and the long, difficult journeys once required of grassroots officials.
The series "Digital Waves on the Mountain Peaks" captures these transformations, showing how technology is crossing mountains and overcoming geographical barriers to connect remote communities with the country’s broader development journey. Behind every transmission tower, broadband line and data network lies a shared aspiration: ensuring that no village is left behind.
When data is missing, policies lose momentum
EVN is coordinating with local authorities to review and propose electrification solutions for 410 villages that still lack access to electricity. Photo: EVN
In many ethnic minority and mountainous regions, grassroots officials have often compared policy implementation to “walking through fog.”
Administrative areas are vast, populations are dispersed and information changes constantly. Yet data collection remains largely manual, making the delivery of government policies slower than expected.
During the rainy season, landslides can cut off access to villages for days at a time, bringing information gathering and reporting to a standstill.
Even during favorable weather, local officials often have to visit households at night because residents spend their days working in fields and many areas still lack mobile phone coverage.
Minh Khai, a particularly disadvantaged hamlet in Tinh Tuc Commune, Cao Bang Province, was formed through the merger of several smaller communities formerly belonging to Trieu Nguyen Commune in Nguyen Binh District.
The hamlet consists of 59 households whose livelihoods depend primarily on agricultural crops such as corn, rice, peanuts and soybeans.
According to Hoang Van Vay, Party cell secretary of Minh Khai, many households live in areas without mobile signals and can only be reached by walking along mountain paths.
“People are usually away during the day, so if there is urgent work, we have to travel at night. We know it is dangerous, but we still have to go,” he said.
The situation in Minh Khai reflects realities found across many disadvantaged communities in Cao Bang.
Geographical isolation not only increases pressure on grassroots officials but also prevents numerous socio-economic development programs from achieving their intended outcomes.
Under the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2025 period, extended into 2026, Cao Bang had disbursed only 15.2% of allocated funds as of May 18, 2026.
By June 30, 2026, total disbursement is expected to reach around 40%, equivalent to USD 7.6 million.
Recognizing that a lack of connectivity remains one of the region’s major bottlenecks, Cao Bang is accelerating digital transformation efforts with the goal of bringing fiber-optic and broadband mobile coverage to every village by the end of 2026.
However, achieving this objective will require eliminating signal dead zones in 69 villages, including 32 communities that still lack access to the national power grid.
The delays created by data gaps
Cao Bang is not alone.
Across many ethnic minority and mountainous provinces, geographical barriers continue to create delays in policy implementation.
Even when funding is available, fragmented and outdated data often prevents programs from delivering expected results.
One of the most significant challenges involves inaccuracies in data collection.
Cao Bang aims to provide fiber-optic and broadband mobile coverage to all villages across the province by the end of 2026.
Correcting errors can take considerable time, slowing policy implementation and, if left unresolved, leading to support being delivered to the wrong beneficiaries.
Poverty assessments, social welfare beneficiary reviews and evaluations of community support needs have traditionally relied on manual reporting.
A single error in a form or delayed update can require entire processes to be reviewed from the beginning.
Digital infrastructure and equipment, particularly at the grassroots level and in remote areas, remain insufficient and outdated. Signal dead zones and areas with no coverage still exist.
During the second quarter of 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Trade directed Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to coordinate with local authorities in reviewing and proposing suitable electrification plans for 410 villages that remain without power.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defence has been tasked with compiling reports on signal dead zones and proposing solutions, with the goal of resolving most connectivity gaps by the end of 2026.
This challenge became evident in several mountainous communes in Quang Ngai Province during poverty reviews conducted at the end of 2025.
In Son Mai Commune, provincial authorities discovered inconsistencies between submitted data tables, missing information and discrepancies with previously approved records.
Similarly, authorities in Khanh Cuong Commune had to repeat household surveys and supplement village meeting records to complete the database.
Seemingly minor statistical inaccuracies can significantly delay policy implementation while authorities verify and correct information.
Today, the objective is not only to ensure that policies reach the right beneficiaries but also that they arrive at the right time.
As a result, establishing comprehensive digital databases for ethnic affairs has become increasingly urgent.
Only when data is connected and updated in real time can the distance between government policies and citizens truly be reduced.
New digital waves help policies cross the mountains
The shortcomings identified during the implementation of ethnic minority policies between 2021 and 2025 were clearly acknowledged by the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs in Report No. 812 issued on March 31, 2026.
According to the ministry, data updates and feedback from local levels have at times been slow. Uneven progress in digital transformation and the application of science and technology has limited the effectiveness of policy implementation.
These bottlenecks were also highlighted by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam during a meeting with National Assembly deputies from ethnic minority communities on April 20, 2026.
He noted that although living standards have improved, ethnic minority and mountainous areas continue to face significant challenges, particularly in infrastructure access, human resources and digital transformation.
According to To Lam, ethnic affairs require a more comprehensive and practical approach in the new development era, with digital transformation serving as a critical driver for narrowing development gaps.
Guided by Resolution 57-NQ/TW and directives from the Party leader, the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs is pursuing comprehensive digital transformation across ethnic, religious and belief-related sectors.
Current priorities include removing barriers related to technology infrastructure, human resources and data-sharing mechanisms.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hai Trung said the ministry is urgently developing a National Ethnic Affairs Database and a project aimed at improving digital skills among residents in ethnic minority and mountainous regions, with completion targeted before December 31, 2026.
At the same time, efforts are underway to establish shared data systems, clarify responsibilities and improve interoperability among government databases.
As decentralization continues to expand, digital transformation in ethnic and religious affairs is no longer merely a technical option. It has become a prerequisite for effective governance.
When more responsibilities are delegated to local authorities, data must be updated in real time and integrated seamlessly down to the grassroots level.
In remote mountain communities, a telecommunications tower does more than provide mobile phone coverage.
It shortens the distance between public policy and the people it is designed to serve.
Only when every household and every village is fully represented on the digital map of governance can these new digital waves travel farther, helping close the development gap between remote highlands and lowland regions.
Vietnamnet.vn
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