VietNamNet Bridge – If Vietnam takes full advantage of internet services, the national economy and e-government in the country will develop exponentially in the coming years.

Over the past 15 years, since internet business started in Vietnam in November 1997, more than 31 million people or around 35 percent of its population have used the internet. According to statistics from the International Internet Data Centre, Vietnam has become one of top 20 nations providing low-cost broadband services like 3G, 4G and cable.

Widespread Internet access has made a positive impact on the people’s lives and the country’s socio-economic development. Dr Mai Liem Truc, former Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, talks about the challenges facing the country in the internet age.

As one of those actively involved in promoting internet services in Vietnam, could you elaborate on the development of the internet in the country?

Over the past 15 years, the internet has developed in leaps and bounds, providing internet broadband services for more than 31 million people in the country.

Thanks to the upgrade of Vietnam's telecoms infrastructure, more and more people are gaining internet access. In South East Asia, Vietnam is only second to Singapore and Malaysia in the development of internet services, and on the same level with Thailand and Indonesia in terms of internet access.  

There is no denying that the exchange of information on social issues between the Government and the public has been well promoted via the internet in recent years.

The regular contact between officials and people plays a key role in pushing through administrative reform.

Internet services are very important for economic sectors, such as the finance and banking, auditing and aviation to operate with efficiency, without a hitch.

Could you explain the factors behind such outstanding achievements?

Firstly, leaders in the telecoms and information technology sector have grasped the open-door policies for foreign investors to introduce the latest technologies to the public and help train high-quality human resources in the field.  

In addition, we have reduced the cost of bringing the best telecoms services to the people. As a result, the number of internet users has increased remarkably in recent years.

What do you think about prospects for the internet in Vietnam?

In the coming years, the internet in particular and the telecoms-IT sector in general will develop dramatically to have a great impact on all socio-economic developments. If Vietnam takes full advantage of internet infrastructure and services, Vietnam’s economy will develop even faster in the next five to ten years. Traffic jams and hospital overload will be reduced and the quality of teaching and training will be improved.

In future, e-government will develop quickly in Vietnam to help state agencies, businesses and people save time and money during transactions.  

I hope Vietnam will double its number of internet users in the next five years and the figure will be closer to 90 percent in ten years time. All people in remote border areas, and island districts will get access to the internet.

To fulfill these goals, what needs to be done in the first place?

I think we should renew our thinking about the management and development of the telecoms and IT sector.

Regarding investment in the internet, I think the State should focus on creating a favourable environment for investors with active participation of relevant agencies.

Apart from the internet boom, there seemingly remains a negative impact on internet users. Do you think so?

It’s true. The internet has brought a lot of benefits to socio-economic developments. But it has also revealed some shortcomings. For example, when the internet was in its infancy, we were worried about how to control negative information that would affect socio-economic developments and traditional customs.

Now, in the face of the internet boom, we are still worried about network security, hi-tech crime, and online gaming which may harm young people psychologically.

To reduce the negative impacts of the internet, we should disseminate information to improve public awareness of the pros and cons of the internet and how to use it properly. In addition, there should be strict punishments for those who use the internet to cheat people or cause harm to society.

Source: VOV