Overview of Internet in Vietnam:
The Vietnamese
government has announced plans to increase the country’s
Internet penetration to 35% by 2010, according to a report by
news agency AFP dated February 20, 2006. The country, which
currently has around ten million internet users, equating to a
penetration rate of 12%, will inject VND100.5 trillion (USD6.3
billion) into the internet market by 2010 in order to meet its
target. It expects the telecoms sector to generate revenues of up
to VND55 trillion (USD3.5 billion) per annum in the same
period.
The Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) is a
not-for-profit affiliation to the Ministry of Posts & Telematics
(MPT), established on February 28th, 2000 to carry out the functions
of managing, allocating, supervising and promoting the use of Internet
domain names, addresses, and autonomous system number (ASN) in Vietnam;
providing Internet-related guidance, statistics; and joining international
activities on Internet.
The Internet Penetration Rate in Vietnam reached 16% as of June 2006,
higher than the average global usage rate (15.7%), reported the HCM City’s
Computer Association. High demand is driving the development of the Internet,
with the number of subscribers and users increasing 86% and 80% respectively
over last year. Now fully halfway through 2006, the number of Internet users
hit 13,000,000; nearly 6,000,000 more than the same period of last year.
A recent report by market research company TNS has identified the
10 top consumer trends in the last decade and their impact on the country.
The report says the Vietnamese are spending far more than ever before on
entertainment, high-tech consumer goods, and health and beauty products.
These trends, among others, follow the major societal and economic transformations
that have taken place in Vietnam in the last 10 years. Among the Top 10 trends,
TNS found the following:
1 - Health and Well-being: Vietnamese have a holistic notion of health, seeing it
as an essential feature of their lives. The desire to provide more comfort and
quality for one's family has driven the trend toward a healthier diet and new product choices.
2 - Fashion and Beauty: Ten years ago, fewer than 10 per cent of Vietnamese women
wore make-up regularly, but today nearly 80 per cent do so.
3 - Personal hygiene and care has become one of the largest industries in and
continues to expand.
4 - Growth is being driven heavily by females who have healthy incomes, more help
with family responsibilities, and newfound personal and professional freedom.
5 - Many women are in the forefront of decision-making and are having a huge impact
on society - as providers at home, as leaders in the boardroom, and as reformers in
the stateroom.
Source: Vietnam Net Bridge.
Internet News from Vietnam:
HA NOI January, 2007 - The Viet Nam Data
Comunication Company (VDC) reported 140,061 new subscribers to its MegaVNN
Internet services last year, 200 per cent over its target. The new subscribers
increased VDC’s market share in broadband internet market to 46 per cent.
HCM City January, 2007 – The US software giant Microsoft will establish its
first information technology training center at the Post and Telecommunication
Technologies Institute in Ha Noi. Under a recent five-year Memorandum of
Understanding, the center will train students from the Institute to use
Microsoft’s certificate system while fostering lecturers and students IT skills.
The center comes as part of Microsoft’s commitment to help develop
Viet Nam’s post and telematics sector.
HCM City January, 2007 – "Computer doctors" can now attend "medical school"
at Nguyen Hoang Informatics newly opened iSPACE training centre for computer
technicians. The iSPACE center, which receives technical support from the
University of Information Technology, opened its doors this month. Participants
can pay VND3.6 million (US$225) for a 6-month hardware course and VND6.9 million
($430) for an 8-month course in network security.
Source: Info Bytes - Vietnam News.
Vietnam Internet and Telecommunications
Reports
Vietnam - Broadband Market
Overview and Statistics Report
Having come late to
the Internet, Vietnam is only now starting to explore the
possibilities to be found in higher Internet access speeds. The
initial roll-out of some broadband services has been followed by
a strong surge in growth, but broadband remains on a relatively
small scale and in need of a stronger market focus by the
providers. Given that there are signs of an increasingly Internet
savvy population, it will be interesting to see how services such
as WiFi take off. This report looks at data services in Vietnam
and the early developments of broadband in the country, as well
as the embryonic e-commerce market. Interestingly, the government
has been particularly active in the development of cyber
laws. Get report
summary.
Vietnam - Internet
Report
The Vietnamese
government had for a long time been very cautious about allowing
free access to online information, considering it ‘a
potential source of harm to the political, social and cultural
integrity of the country’. As a result, Vietnam came late
to Internet, the first service being offered in 1997. The high
cost of access and slow connections subsequently kept the
country’s total Internet subscriber-base low for some time.
The number of Internet users grew from about 10,000 in 1998 to an
estimated 10 million by early 2006. This was still only around
12% of the population, but, importantly, it was growing strongly.
This report looks at the development and regulation of Internet
in Vietnam. Get report
summary.
Vietnam Key Statistics,
Telecommunications Market and Regulatory Overview
Vietnam initially fell
well short of the ambitious targets it set for the wider
expansion of its telecommunications infrastructure. However,
after reviewing its approach and introducing some competition
into the market, it started to build fresh growth momentum. The
mobile market has been especially dynamic, Internet is now
certainly on the move, and broadband Internet services are taking
off at last. The continuing government involvement in the telecom
sector, however, still raises major questions about its
commitment to deregulation and liberalisation. This report
presents a set of the most currently available statistics and
provides a general overview of country’s telecommunications
sector. Get report
summary.
Vietnam Telecommunications - Infrastructure and Major
Players
This report looks at a
key aspect of Vietnam’s telecommunications sector -
progress in the development of the country’s telecom
infrastructure. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam continues to
grapple with its transition from a centrally planned economy to
an economy based on the open market model. Its effort to preserve
a substantial role for the state in telecommunications has been
holding back the rate of change in the regulation of the sector.
As a result, the country has not been able to consistently
present an attractive market to foreign investors. This, in turn,
has had a negative impact on its ability to develop
infrastructure. This report also looks at the major telecom
players in the country. Get report
summary.
