Hanoi should aim to take the lead in Vietnam in 5G deployment, making it the foundation and motivation for its socio-economic development, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung suggested.

Secretary of the Hanoi Part Committee Vuong Dinh Hue addresses the meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Information and Communications. Photo: Kinh te & Do thi.

Firstly, industrial parks need to be at the forefront of 5G deployment as the city prepares for a new wave of investment, Minister Hung stated at the meeting on June 5 with Hanoi's top leaders.

At the meeting, which reviewed results from the development cooperation between the MIC and the Hanoi city government, Secretary of the Hanoi Part Committee Vuong Dinh Hue stressed that science and technology always plays an important role for the city's development. 

Hanoi has focused on developing telecommunications infrastructure applying the latest technologies. Up to now, 1,501 out of 1659 administrative procedures are carried out online at stages 3 and 4 out of a 4-level scale.

Hanoi is one of the first three localities in the country to integrate public services into the National Public Service Portal with 88 procedures. It is expected that by the end of 2020, 261 services will be processed online, said the municipal Party secretary.

Hanoi’s authorities are also determined to pursue e-government and smart city building as Covid-19 showed the importance of developing online public services, Hue added.

The city’s authorities have asked for the support from the MIC to identify a longer-term perspective for the development of the information technology, communications and digital technology industry.

Hue also hoped the MIC would assist the city in building a digital transformation strategy so that by 2026 Hanoi would become a hub for cybersecurity and a large artificial intelligence center of the whole country.

Minister Hung asked Hanoi to consider the telecommunications network as a type of infrastructure, because it could create many jobs for the city.

Hung said that telecommunications infrastructure, including new generation telecommunications infrastructure, is essential for the economy and society. However, Hanoi has not been focused on investing in this field which needs the leading role of the public sector. 

The MIC expects from 2020, the Hanoi Department of Information and Communications will set up a plan to develop digital infrastructure, thereby calling for investment.

For e-government building, Minister Hung said that Hanoi should set the goal of providing 100% of online public services at stage 4 by 2021.