The Internet’s Rapid Adoption in Vietnam

On the morning of December 7, the Department of Telecommunications, Vietnam Internet Center (Ministry of Information and Communications), and Vietnam Internet Association held a program to celebrate Vietnam’s 25th anniversary of connecting to the global internet and Internet Day 2022. The program was attended by Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Duc Long.

In his speech, Deputy Minister Long emphasized the bravery and long-term vision demonstrated by Vietnam 25 years ago when it decided to open the market and connect to the global internet. This decision has contributed to the comprehensive transformation of Vietnam’s socio-economic life and has positioned Vietnam as a strong country in telecommunications and the internet.

Vietnam’s Transformation in Telecommunications

Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long highlighted that despite starting late compared to other countries, Vietnam has made significant progress in the past 25 years and has caught up with regional and global standards. Vietnam now has advanced telecommunications technology, high internet access, and a high percentage of internet users.

With a population of 72.1 million, Vietnam ranks 13th in the world in terms of internet usage, with 73.2% of the population using the internet in their daily lives. The country has achieved nationwide broadband coverage of 99.73% and widespread deployment of fiber optic cable, reaching 72.4% of households. Additionally, Vietnam has achieved full deployment of fiber optic cable systems to communes, wards, towns, and schools.

Regarding mobile communication, Vietnam has 94.2 million smartphone subscribers and 82.2 million mobile broadband subscribers. The country also ranks 2nd in ASEAN and 10th in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of domain name registrations (.vn). Vietnam’s IPv6 application rate is 53%, with over 50 million users, ranking 10th globally in IPv6 conversion.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Duc Long speaking at the program (Photo: Bnews)

Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long emphasized that Vietnam’s Internet businesses have continuously adapted and grown, transforming their model from infrastructure development to platform development. Vietnam’s Internet has evolved from being just a communication infrastructure to becoming a digital infrastructure for the digital economy. It has become a powerful tool for socio-economic development.

In the next stage, the information and communication industry, along with management agencies and enterprises, are responsible for building a technologically autonomous, widespread, modern, and secure Internet infrastructure. They must also ensure the security of data flow, integrate the Internet into all socio-economic activities, and promote the development of a safe and sustainable Internet in Vietnam.

Vu Hoang Lien, President of the Vietnam Internet Association, emphasized the undeniable development of the Internet in Vietnam over the past 25 years. The Internet has brought about rapid economic, social, and cultural changes and has become an integral part of every field and industry. Digital transformation is seen as a crucial method to accelerate Vietnam’s industrialization and modernization process.

Spectacular Development of Vietnam’s Internet

Over the past 25 years, Vietnam’s Internet resources have experienced significant growth. As of October 31, 2022, the number of registered domain names reached 564,444, a thousand times higher than when the Internet first appeared in Vietnam. Vietnam’s mobile broadband infrastructure covers 99.73% of villages nationwide, and 72.4% of Vietnamese households have fiber optic cable.

Vietnam has achieved complete deployment of fiber optic systems to communes, wards, towns, and 91% of villages. The country currently has 94.2 million mobile smartphone subscribers and 82.2 million mobile broadband subscribers, accounting for 74.3% of the population.

Vu Hoang Lien, President of the Vietnam Internet Association, delivering a speech at the program (Photo: Bnews)

In terms of IP/ASN, Vietnam now has a total of 791 organizations and enterprises using independent IP/ASN, with 533 independent AS networks forming the Internet system of Vietnam. The country has 16 million IPv4 addresses, ranking 8th in the Asia-Pacific region and 29th globally.

Vietnam has actively promoted and prepared for the transition to IPv6 since 2008. As of October 2022, Vietnam’s IPv6 application rate reached about 53%, ranking 2nd in ASEAN and 8th globally. This transition has helped Vietnam keep pace with developed countries and strengthened its regional and international position.

Paul Wilson, Director of the Asia-Pacific Network Information Center, praised Vietnam’s rapid Internet development and the high rate of IPv6 usage. He emphasized that the Internet benefits organizations, governments, and individuals, and Google continues to support Vietnam’s Internet development.