Telecoms told to boost 3G quality

The Government wants internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile phone operators in Viet Nam to ensure a minimum 90 per cent success rate and 10-second delay for 3G internet service.

The new regulation from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), contained in a circular entitled "The National technical specification requirement for mobile internet services on IMT-2000 standard," takes effect on March 1, 2015.

MT-2000 is the term which the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is using for a set of globally harmonised standards for third generation (3G) mobile telecommunication services and equipment.

MIC officials said the quality of 3G internet access in Viet Nam would be tested randomly under varying conditions such as outdoor, indoor and in-motion, and would be conducted at various times of the day.

The officials added that the regulation would force ISPs and mobile operators to enhance the quality of third generation network (3G) and enable mobile phone subscribers to supervise the service quality provided by operators. Mobile subscribers can report the quality of services to the MIC.

Last month, three of the largest carriers in Viet Nam simultaneously raised their 3G speed to 42 Mbps, or six times faster than their previous speed, to meet increasing demands for data.

The increase was put in place after the mobile giants successfully adopted the DC-HSDPA protocol for third generation mobile telecommunications technology.

MobiFone said it has upgraded to 1,000 BTSs (Base Transmission Stations), which was supporting 3G at speeds of 42 Mbps.

Viettel said it had installed BTSs with higher 3G speed in 13 province and cities across the nation and would cover 3G with a 42Mbps speed throughout the country in 2015.

Vinaphone, a subsidiary of Viet Nam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), said it would finish upgrading all of its 13,000 BTSs nationwide to 42Mbps next year.

The DC-HSDPA can send download speeds for 3G connections of up to 42Mbps, which was higher than that of the popular ADSL connection (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), according to experts.

With the enhanced speed, subscribers will be able to download as many as eight MP3 songs of 5Mbps quality within one second.

Viet Nam adopted 3G technology in 2010 and now has around 20 million 3G subscribers. After three years, investment from service providers in the 3G network and infrastructure totalled US$1.3 billion, according to MIC.

Kaspersky releases mobile vulnerability scanner

Kaspersky Lab has released the free mobile application, Kaspersky Fake ID Scanner, to safeguard consumers against Android vulnerabilities.

The app scans smartphones and tablets for vulnerabilities that put valuable data, privacy and even financials at risk.

The tool enables Android device owners to scan their devices for vulnerabilities and safely determine that no applications that can exploit those vulnerabilities are installed on their devices.

If any threats are detected, the Fake ID Scanner prompts the user to install a free version of Kaspersky Internet Security for Android to remove the vulnerability.

The application, which is compatible with Android 2.3 and later versions, is available in Google Play.

Lessons for high school subjects available online

Over 800 online lessons on eight subjects, for grade10 to 12 are available at the website www.iss.edu.vn from the Internet School of Sai Gon (ISS).

Each lesson includes textbook content, along with teaching and video clips, from experienced teachers. The lessons are available in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, literature, history, geography and English.

Students can study or review lessons in advance anywhere for a low fee of VND100,000 (US$5) for each subject.

"The website is a useful information channel for teachers to exchange experiences," said Le Thanh Hung, chairman of the ISS company.

The website is especially useful for rural and remote areas facing economic and geographic difficulties. It can serve 20,000 users at the same time.

Integral mathematics and other international English programmes like IELTS, TOEIC and TOEFL will be offered soon.

FTG offers tech solution for small businesses

The FPT Trading Group ("FTG") has officially become a master value-added reseller (master VAR) and a member of the SAP Extended Business Program in Viet Nam.

As a master VAR, FTG, the largest distribution network in Viet Nam with more than 20 well-known technology brands, will help promote, implement and develop solutions for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

It will focus primarily on offering the SAP Business One application to SMEs in Viet Nam, helping them run their businesses simply and efficiently.

SAP Business One is a single, integrated solution for successfully managing small businesses and subsidiaries of large enterprises, powered by the SAP HANA platform on premises and in the cloud.

According to an Oxford Economics survey in 2013, economic uncertainty and shifting customer demand are the top issues for SMEs.

In emerging markets, more than half of businesses believe driving innovation and efficiencies and expanding product offerings are the two most important strategic initiatives spurring growth.

VNS/VOV/VNN