Free Wi-Fi service to cover Ho Chi Minh City
Tourists and
locals can access free Wi-Fi service on their smartphones at the Nguyen Hue
walking street in Ho Chi Minh City.
Tuoi Tre
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are considering a suggestion
from a Singaporean company to offer free wireless Internet access throughout
the city.
Tran Vinh
Tuyen, vice-chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday
afternoon that he was working with the Singaporean firm to prepare a detailed
report on the proposition.
Tuyen
expressed his support for the proposal, adding that particular steps to
execute the plan should be carefully calculated.
Free Wi-Fi
accessibility will not only create an impression on local tourism but also
form the foundation for establishing an effective digital government, one of
the main goals of the municipal administration, the vice-chairman elaborated.
“To build an
e-government requires digital citizens. Free access to Wi-Fi across the
metropolis is a must,” he continued.
During an
interview with Tuoi Tre, Van Thi Banh Tuyet, director of the Ho Chi
Minh City Department of Tourism, stated that the idea was a good way to boost
local tourism.
Domestic and
international travelers would have easy access to online information that will
help promote other tourist services in the city, Tuyet said.
The official
has requested that her subordinates hold a meeting with the People’s
Committee, Department of Information and Communications, and Department of
Planning and Investment in order to develop fundraising plans for the project
and carry out preparations for the plan to be implemented as quickly as
possible.
Meanwhile, a
telecommunications expert in Ho Chi Minh City asserted that it would not be a
simple task to provide free universal Wi-Fi coverage in a metropolis of
nearly 10 million people.
While a
similar project, but on a much smaller scale, has been successful on Nguyen
Hue Pedestrian Street and the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, the operating
cost has been very high, according to the specialist.
Several
other issues related to compromising the interests of local network operators
and ensuring the security of information must also be taken into account
before the project can be launched.
It is
advisable that authorities thoroughly study all conditions set by the
Singaporean firm before accepting the deal, the expert concluded.
According to
a Tuoi Tre source, the foreign company has
talked to the appropriate Vietnamese agencies to ensure the security and
management of digital information.
A man uses free Wi-Fi service on his laptop in the central city of Da
Nang.
Photo: Tuoi Tre
Following footsteps of Da
Nang, Hoi An
A project of
free Wi-Fi coverage was piloted in Da Nang City's center between 2011 and
2013 with total expenses recorded at US$3 million, before being officially
launched in 2014.
The
complimentary Internet service was accessed 20,000 times on a daily basis
with high speed connection and good quality.
In the
nearby tourist city of Hoi An, best known for its well-preserved namesake
ancient town, local residents and visitors have had access to free Wi-Fi
since March 2012.
According to
the local bureau of information and communications, the project received a
VND25 billion ($1.1 million) investment with 350 hotspots installed across
the city.
Paid Wi-Fi proves ineffective
in Ha Long
After one
year of successfully piloting free Wi-Fi service across the northern city of
Ha Long, known for its Ha Long Bay, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications
(VNPT) Group, operator of the project, began charging its customers,
resulting in several shortcomings.
Local
citizens responded to the policy change by noting that they preferred using
the services of local restaurants or their 3G connection.
Dinh Sy
Nguyen, deputy director of the local Department of Information and
Communications, said authorities were seeking new investors, adding that they
could earn profit from commercial ads instead of charging users.
TUOI
TRE NEWS
|
Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 6, 2016
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