Considered as one of the pioneers bringing the Internet into Vietnam, Mr. Mai Liem Truc, former Deputy Minister of Post and Telecommunications (now is Ministry of Information and Communications) asserted that digital economy is the right direction in the coming period.

Dr. Mai Liem Truc

Integration policy motivates the development of the Internet
Can you assess the importance of integration policy in the introduction and development process of the Internet into Vietnam in the early days?
In the early years of renovation period, the General Department of Post and Telecommunications made important strategic decisions, creating a breakthrough and turning point for the development of telecommunications and Internet in Vietnam. It was the digitization of Vietnam's telecommunications network with modern technologies in 1987, providing advanced services to meet the country's communication demand.
At that time, the General Department of Post and Telecommunications coordinated with major US telecommunications corporations (especially AT & T) to persude the US Congress to lift the telecommunication embargo with Vietnam (in 1992), two years before the embargo on the economy in 1994).
When deciding on deep integration, Vietnam has accessed to information, exchange experience and most importantly attracted investment capital into Internet services. Large corporations such as Ericsson (Sweden) or Telstra (Australia) have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the telecommunications industry in Vietnam at the time.
Integration also helps Vietnam access to world technology and train core human resources. In the past, when the Post Office is Hoa Sen 1 satellite station from Soviet Union, there were about 30 Soviet specialists in Vietnam for 3 - 4 years and almost took over every tasks. However, since 1987, when the Post Office coordinated with Australia as the first satellite station, foreign experts only supported in the first phase, then the Vietnamese themselves must take over. That is, when integrating, we have created opportunities for training human resource. To develop telecommunications or the Internet, we must comply with international standards and go into integration process.
Digital economy will become the trend in Vietnam
In your opinion, how has the Internet become the platform for social and economic development in Vietnam over the past two decades?
Internet has gradually changed the way we work, study, research and entertain ... Ten years before, even the experts in the telecommunications industry can hardly imagine the influence of the Internet today, and its contribution in the process of developing innovations. In Vietnam, most of the start-up businesses is in information technology field.
The knowledge or digital economy has the advantage that production inputs as well as service delivery are human intellect instead of capital or materials. As for producing a smart phone, the raw material accounts for only a few percent in total value, the remaining is human intellectuals.
However, it is difficult to predict in the future the Internet in particular, IT in general, will grow to what extent. In my view, policymakers also need to be prepared. Only a smart phone has replaced many other gadgets, and also caused a series of industry in trouble. The US camera company Kodak is an example, in addition to radios, watches ... and even TVs are likely to enter the recession as businesses now primarily search for ads online.
Use information to solve information problems
In the future, what should Vietnam do to benefit from the Internet in the development process?
First and foremost is education, which is an important foundation, especially in times of rapid technological advances and the Internet. In the following 10 to 15 years, it is not predictable that which sectors shall be developed, so there is no other way than to educate and enable Vietnamese youths to take part in the transformation.
Second, to develop the policy. It is hard to completely prevent the negativity on the Internet. So if you are afraid of fraud or slander, you must public the real information to solve.
Internet is a great work of humanity, a "common house" which is beautiful, increasingly perfect and comfortable due to the progress of science and technology. However, this "common house" is used by both good and bad people.
One of the recent controversial issues is how to limit negative behavior on Internet. I also suggest three solutions, the first is the technology solution such as blocking software. The second is the supplement and reform of the legal system, agreement between the user and the supplier. The last but not least is education, propaganda and guidance to raise people awareness and limit bad users who "litter" into this "common house".
Dr. Mai Liem Truc - former Deputy Minister of Post and Telecommunications, who is considered pioneer to bring the Internet to Vietnam has brief interview with Hanoitimes on occasion of 20^th anniversary of Internet introduced in the country.
Considered as one of the pioneers bringing the Internet into Vietnam, Mr. Mai Liem Truc, former Deputy Minister of Post and Telecommunications (now is Ministry of Information and Communications) asserted that digital economy is the right direction in the coming period.
Integration policy motivates the development of the Internet
Can you assess the importance of integration policy in the introduction and development process of the Internet into Vietnam in the early days?
In the early years of renovation period, the General Department of Post and Telecommunications made important strategic decisions, creating a breakthrough and turning point for the development of telecommunications and Internet in Vietnam. It was the digitization of Vietnam's telecommunications network with modern technologies in 1987, providing advanced services to meet the country's communication demand.
At that time, the General Department of Post and Telecommunications coordinated with major US telecommunications corporations (especially AT & T) to persude the US Congress to lift the telecommunication bans with Vietnam (in 1992, two years before the ban on the economy in 1994).
When deciding on deep integration, Vietnam has accessed to information, exchange experience and most importantly attracted investment capital into Internet services. Large corporations such as Ericsson (Sweden) or Telstra (Australia) have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the telecommunications industry in Vietnam at the time.
Integration also helps Vietnam access to world technology and train core human resources. In the past, when the Post Office is Hoa Sen 1 satellite station from Soviet Union, there were about 30 Soviet specialists in Vietnam for 3 - 4 years and almost took over every tasks. However, since 1987, when the Post Office coordinated with Australia as the first satellite station, foreign experts only supported in the first phase, then the Vietnamese themselves must take over. That is, when integrating, we have created opportunities for training human resource. To develop telecommunications or the Internet, we must comply with international standards and go into integration process.
Digital economy will become the trend in Vietnam
In your opinion, how has the Internet become the platform for social and economic development in Vietnam over the past two decades?
Internet has gradually changed the way we work, study, research and entertain ... Ten years before, even the experts in the telecommunications industry can hardly imagine the influence of the Internet today, and its contribution in the process of developing innovations. In Vietnam, most of the start-up businesses is in information technology field.
The knowledge or digital economy has the advantage that production inputs as well as service delivery are human intellect instead of capital or materials. As for producing a smart phone, the raw material accounts for only a few percent in total value, the remaining is human intellectuals.
However, it is difficult to predict in the future the Internet in particular, IT in general, will grow to what extent. In my view, policymakers also need to be prepared. Only a smart phone has replaced many other gadgets, and also caused a series of industry in trouble. The US camera company Kodak is an example, in addition to radios, watches ... and even TVs are likely to enter the recession as businesses now primarily search for ads online.
Use information to solve information problems
In the future, what should Vietnam do to benefit from the Internet in the development process?
First and foremost is education, which is an important foundation, especially in times of rapid technological advances and the Internet. In the following 10 to 15 years, it is not predictable that which sectors shall be developed, so there is no other way than to educate and enable Vietnamese youths to take part in the transformation.
Second, to develop the policy. It is hard to completely prevent the negativity on the Internet. So if you are afraid of fraud or slander, you must public the real information to solve.
Internet is a great work of humanity, a "common house" which is beautiful, increasingly perfect and comfortable due to the progress of science and technology. However, this "common house" is used by both good and bad people.
One of the recent controversial issues is how to limit negative behavior on Internet. I also suggest three solutions, the first is the technology solution such as blocking software. The second is the supplement and reform of the legal system, agreement between the user and the supplier. The last but not least is education, propaganda and guidance to raise people awareness and limit bad users who "litter" into this "common house".
Thank you!