DECISION

APPROVING THE PLAN ON VIETNAM�S INTERNET DEVELOPMENT IN THE 2001-2005 PERIOD

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;
Pursuant to the Political Bureau’s Directive No. 58-CT/TW of October 17, 2000 on stepping up the application and development of information technologies in the cause of industrialization and modernization in the 2001-2005 period; the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 81/2001/QD-TTg of October 18, 2001 approving the program of action for implementation of the above-said Directive;
Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 55/2001/ND-CP of August 23, 2001 on the management, provision and use of Internet services;
Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 158/2001/QD-TTg of October 18, 2001 approving the strategy for development of Vietnam’s Post and Telecommunications till the year 2010 and the orientations towards the year 2020;
At the proposal of the General Department of Post in Report No. 1261/TCBD of October 25, 2001 on the Plan on Vietnam’s Internet development in the 2001-2005 period,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To approve the Plan on Vietnam’s Internet development in the 2001-2005 period, with the following principal contents:

I. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

1. Overall objectives:

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- To develop Internet infrastructure into an application environment conducive to all forms of on-line electronic services related to trade, administrative work, press, post, telecommunications, finance, banking, distance education and training, health in service of national industrialization and modernization.

- To create a competitive environment for many enterprises engaged in providing Internet exchange services (IXP), access services (ISP), and on-line services (OSP).

2. Specific development targets:

a/ Regarding Internet universalization:

In 2002 and 2003: All research institutes, universities, colleges and job-training schools shall be connected with the Internet;

By 2005: To achieve an average rate of 1.3 - 1.5 subscribers per 100 persons, the Internet use rate of 4 - 5% among the population, striving to achieve the region’s average rate by 2010; around 50% of the senior secondary schools, 100% of central hospitals and over 50% of provincial hospitals to be connected with the Internet; all the ministries, branches, State administrative agencies, provincial- and district-level administrations to be connected with the Internet and the Government’s wide-area network; almost all officials and public employees will be able to use the Internet in service of their professions and electronic public administration.

To ensure services in the Internet environment for the development of electronic commerce, banking, financial, customs services

b/ To expand the market with fair competition among Internet service providers: By 2005 from 3 to 5 IXPs, from 30 to 40 ISPs and many OSPs will be granted operating licenses.

II. MAJOR MEASURES

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a/ Well organizing the implementation of the Government’s Decree No. 55/2001/ND-CP of August 23, 2001 on the management, provision and use of Internet services:

- To publicize policies, simplify licensing procedures in the Internet field: In 2002 to publicize the conditions, licensing procedures, and number of licenses to be granted to Internet connection, access and application services; lay down legal provisions on important electronic payment and authentication services on the Internet�

- To formulate a system of quality standards of information technology, Internet networks and services; standardize the Vietnamese language on the computer networks and display software, on Vietnamese language websites.

- To perfect technical measures to ensure information security and safety, prevent and combat hackers and viruses in order to ensure the quality of Internet networks and services, the Government’s electronic information system connected with the Internet; develop encoding and decoding mechanisms; perfect law provisions on penalizing crimes related to computers and the Internet.

b/ Effectively managing the Internet resource: To enhance the capability of Vietnam National Internet Information Center (VNNIC); modernize the resource administration systems, national domain name servers (DNS); ensure sovereignty and efficient use of the resource of Vietnam’s Internet domain names and addresses.

c/ Implementing the policies on appropriate charges, efficient and economical use:

- From 2002 on, to reduce the Internet access prices and charges to be equal to the region’s average levels; reduce telecommunication charges in service of Internet development down to the cost price; renew the price and charge management policy according to the market mechanism; encourage enterprises to raise the quality and reduce the costs of Internet services.

- To formulate a mechanism in support of the electronics, informatics and telecommunications industries; encourage the domestic assembly and manufacture of low-cost and satisfactory-quality end-terminals for Internet access (such as computers, Web TV, Palm); encourage scientific research, education, training and medical agencies and institutions to develop the software industry; support State and Party agencies, socio-political organizations in using the Internet and benefiting from information technology; carry out thrift programs, collecting used computers for free supply to community-based education centers and low income earners for re-use.

2. Developing telecommunication infrastructures in service of Internet development

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- To develop by 2005 a public telephone network accessible to the Internet in all communes; increase direct Internet access points (POP) in all cities and provinces; apply new technologies so as to raise the capacity of copper cables, which shall be gradually replaced with optic fiber cables to enable high-speed Internet access in big cities and industrial parks; expand the Internet access capability outside the telecommunication network (such as cable television, electricity); develop Internet services in mobile communication, public Internet access points, Internet agents with appropriate charges.

3. Developing Internet access application services

a/ Building up databases with Vietnamese-language electronic information contents:

- To build up national and specialized databases in service of the Government’s management and administration computerization under the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 112/2001/QD-TTg of July 25, 2001; step by step computerize research libraries, training institutions, form the country’s public electronic information stores.

- To prioritize the setting up of an electronic information source with rich contents in Vietnamese language in service of the domestic Internet access demand; encourage agencies, enterprises and Internet service providers to organize diversified electronic databases; gradually socialize the supply of on-line information contents, attach importance to information in service of agricultural and rural modernization, disseminate knowledge to peasants.

b/ Investing in developing Internet application services:

- To apply the Internet and information technology processes in service of the "electronic public administration," first of all, services in licensing, population and land administration, car and motorcycle registration, customs and taxation, etc.

- To apply in the Internet environment the electronic press, post, telecommunications, finance, banking, education and training, health services; step by step develop electronic commerce, forming habits of trading on the Internet among enterprises, households and individuals, proceed to widely computerizing all commercial activities.

4. Raising awareness and forming habits of using information technology and the Internet

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- To regularly train and foster managers at all levels, in all branches and enterprises in the knowledge on information technology and the use of Internet services; raise the awareness of enterprises about the application of information technology and the Internet in an international competitive environment.

III. MOBILIZATION OF RESOURCES

- To encourage all economic sectors to invest in developing Internet application and access services as well as public Internet agents. Telecommunication enterprises shall make rational investment in developing telecommunication networks in service of the Internet universalization (with the necessary support of the State for deep-lying, remote areas and areas meeting with difficulties).

- To invest with appropriate amounts from budget and ODA capital sources, and enterprises� capital in community Internet access networks, such as education and training (Edu.net), health (Health.net) networks; the computerized State administrative management network, prioritizing the allocation of the budget source to the schemes on institution building as well as setting up of databases in service of education and training

Article 2.- Assignment of the tasks of implementing the plan:

1. The General Department of Post shall coordinate the implementation of this plan, sum up and evaluate the implementation and draw experiences therefrom, propose plans and measures for implementation in the subsequent period;

To direct telecommunication and Internet enterprises to develop network infrastructures in service of the universalization of Internet services; assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned agencies in researching into and applying new technologies to Internet access from outside the telecommunication network;

To formulate and submit to the Prime Minister the scheme on renewing the policies on the management of telecommunication and Internet prices and charges till 2005; deploy the implementation of the scheme on enhancing the capacity of managing the resource of Vietnam’s Internet domain names and addresses from 2002 to 2004; formulate and promulgate a system of quality standards of Internet networks and services.

2. By the end of the second quarter of 2002, the concerned ministries and branches shall promulgate adequate legal documents guiding the Government’s Decree No. 55/2001/ND-CP of August 23, 2001 on the management, provision and use of Internet services.

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4. The Ministry of Education and Training shall elaborate and carry out the scheme on developing the network and on-line education and training services (Edu.net).

5. The Ministry of Health shall elaborate and carry out the scheme on developing the network and on-line health services (Health.net).

6. The Ministry of Trade shall submit to the Prime Minister schemes and programs on promoting the development of electronic commerce in Vietnam.

7. The Ministry of Justice shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned agencies in supplementing the regulations on penalizing crimes related to computers and the Internet.

8. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall assume the prime responsibility in building up electronic databases in service of agricultural and rural modernization and industrialization, disseminating knowledge via networks to peasants.

9. The Ministry of Finance shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned ministries in formulating and implementing the program on economical re-use in service of the Internet universalization.

10. Telecommunications and Internet enterprises shall have to develop quickly infrastructures for networks and services in service of accelerated development and universalization of Internet services along the general orientation already endorsed in this plan.

Article 3.- This Decision takes implementation effect 15 days after its signing.

Article 4.- The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall have to implement this Decision.

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FOR THE PRIME MINISTER
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER




Pham Gia Khiem