A customer tries a new phone at an FPT Shop (Photo: FPT Shop)Hanoi (VNA) - The VietnamICT Press Club recently announced the top 10 ICT events in 2017. This is theresult voted for by more than 50 journalists in the information technologysector, from some 40 media agencies nationwide.
1. Telecom operators start launching4G
On April 18, military-run telecomsgroup Viettel officially launched a 4G network.
Within six months, Viettel builtnearly 36,000 4G base transceiver stations covering 704 districts nationwide,equivalent to nearly 99 per cent of the number of districts in Vietnam.
Instead of choosing to launch the 4Gnetwork widely like Viettel, the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group(VNPT) chose to launch a 4G service in select neighborhoods.
Previously, VNPT announced the first4G service in Vietnam in Kien Giang province’s Phu Quoc island district onNovember 2016 to serve the people and tourists, contributing to the developmentof tourism in the province.
2. National Assembly StandingCommittee agrees to remove Article 292 of the Penal Code
The National Assembly StandingCommittee agreed to remove Article 292 under amendments and supplements to the2015 Penal Code relating to the illegal provision of services on computer andtelecommunication networks.
One of the items that caused alarm inbusiness and startup communities was the abolition of Article 292.
The communities sent a petitionrequesting the removal of the article as they feared the law could have a majorimpact on the startup community, prompting them to choose other nations tostart their businesses, resulting in a brain drain.
The abolition of Article 292 showsthat the National Assembly and the government have resolutely dealt with theurgent problem of the people, while expressing the spirit of governance increating and building a professional and favorable legal environment for thedevelopment of the country.
3. 20 years of Internet in Vietnam
November marked the 20th anniversaryof the Internet’s presence in Vietnam.
In the early 90s, Vietnam was one ofthe countries to deploy a 2G network very early, and it continued to expand to3G and 4G networks with nationwide modern telecommunications and Internetinfrastructure covering urban, rural, mountainous and island areas. Statisticsshowed that Vietnam now has more than 50 million Internet users, accounting for54 percent of the population, higher than the world average of 46.64 percent.
The country is also listed among thetop countries and territories that have the highest number of Internet users inAsia.
4. The controversial draft Law onCyber Security
After 14 revisions, the draft Law onCyber Security of Vietnam compiled by the Ministry of Public Security wasevaluated for further improvements and details.
According to the roadmap, the draftwill be submitted to the National Assembly for comment at the fourth sessionmeeting and will be passed at the fifth session of the National Assembly.However, some contents of the draft are said to overlap with the Law onInformation Safety, which was issued previously, causing difficulties forbusinesses, especially international businesses.
5. Vietnam takes aggressive actionover Google and Facebook
In 2017, the Ministry of Informationand Communications worked with Google and Facebook to discuss the preventionand removal of malicious information and information violating Vietnamese law.
Google pledged to remove entirechannels if those channels posted infringing clips. This is a positive resultin the negotiations with Google. Previously, Google and Facebook only removedthe infringing clips after receiving requests, but now, if the Vietnamesebranch detects, filters and sends requests, Google will remove the entireoffending channel.
Google has removed 4,500 of 5,000video clips on YouTube, as required by the Ministry of Information andCommunications. Facebook has removed 107 fake accounts, 394 advertisement linksto illegal products and 159 slanderous or anti-government accounts.
6. Bitcoin stirs up cryptocurrencymarket in Vietnam
The cryptocurrency bitcoin hasstirred up the Asian market this year, including Vietnam, after eight years ofexistence.
Where the bitcoin price was less than1,000 USD at the beginning of the year, it skyrocketed in mid-December to morethan 19,700 USD, before spiralling downward again.
Despite recommendations from theState Bank of Vietnam to not accept bitcoin in transactions, many Vietnameseindividuals and investors still plunge into the game to follow the crowdmentality.
7. Successfully converting telephonearea codes
From February 11 to August 31, thechange in area codes for 59 provinces and cities nationwide was completed. Themove aimed to ensure that telecommunication number storage was usedeconomically and effectively, in line with the development of the technologymarket.
At the same time, the conversion ofthe area code will help keep the region code consistent, in line withinternational practices.
The Ministry of Information andCommunications adopted the plan to facilitate the transfer of a mobile networkcode for 11-digit mobile subscribers.
8. Bkav launches Bphone 2017
On August 8, Bkav Technology Groupintroduced the Bphone 2017.
The group was determined to conquerthe Vietnamese smartphone market after receiving both praise and criticism.
The move demonstrates the group’spassion and determination in conquering the country’s smartphone market, whichis still in the hands of foreign technology giants.
9. Revoking 24.3 million pre-activatedSIMs
Five telecom operators – Viettel,VinaPhone, MobiFone, Gtel and Vietnamobile – in March signed a commitment tocanceling contracts with agents who violate subscription registrations.
In May, the five operators signed ajoint commitment to strengthen anti-spam messages.
By the end of December, four major telecomproviders executed smart spam message filtering systems.
According to information from theMinistry of Information and Communications, 24.3 million pre-activated SIMswere recalled in the past year.
10. Billionaire Jack Ma visitsVietnam to promote e-payment
On November 6, Jack Ma, AlibabaGroup’s executive chairman, had a talk session on e-commerce and e-paymentdevelopment on mobile devices at the 2017 Vietnam E-Payment Forum in Hanoi.
Jack Ma’s arrival in Vietnam isexpected to inspire young Vietnamese and startups. This event will also affectthe future of e-commerce in Vietnam, promoting non-cash payments on mobiledevices.-VNA
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