The Prime Minister pointed out the 'wings' and 'flight path' to the destination of prosperity and power.

The Prime Minister pointed out these "wings" and "flight paths" at the 2019 year-end conference and 2020 task deployment conference of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) held on December 28.

According to the report of the Ministry of Information and Communications, total telecommunications revenue reached nearly 470,000 billion VND. The number of broadband subscribers increased significantly, of which mobile broadband (3G, 4G) reached 61.3 million subscribers, accounting for 48.7% of the total number of mobile subscribers (up 16.1% over the same period in 2018). The mobile broadband download speed as of the fourth quarter of 2019 was 29.08 MBps, approaching the world average speed (30.93 Mbps).

The Ministry of Information and Communications has submitted to the Prime Minister a plan to stop the old 2G mobile technology in 2022. Currently, on the Vietnamese telecommunications network, there are 3 terrestrial mobile technologies simultaneously: GSM (2G) deployed in 1990, 3G deployed since 2009 and 4G deployed since 2016, and 5G is expected to be commercially deployed in 2020. Thus, Vietnam is currently one of the leading countries in the ASEAN region in commercial deployment of 5G.

“Testing 5G in 2019 and commercializing it in 2020 is a declaration that from now on Vietnam will keep pace with the world in terms of technology, no longer having a 7 or 8 year lag like with 3G and 4G. The information and communications industry can only change Vietnam's ranking if it keeps pace with the world's leading group,” said Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung.

Turning off 2G is a strong message that if you want to go fast, you have to let go of the burden of the past. After 30 years, 2G has completed its mission, every citizen has a phone to call. Turning off 2G and supporting 4G for people will help make Vietnam one of the few countries with 100% smartphones and ready for e-citizens.

Recalling the setting of many targets at the 2018 year-end conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that in 2019, reviewing, the Ministry of Information and Communications has made a lot of progress, keeping its words and actions. The industry has overcome many challenges, especially competition for talent and technology or challenges in protecting sovereignty in cyberspace...

The Prime Minister expressed his joy when telecommunications grew by nearly 19%, with the contribution of 50,000 technology enterprises. The IT industry maintained a growth of 10%. In addition, there is the implementation of 5G network testing, plans to turn off 2G waves, and directs enterprises to research and produce 5G equipment in Vietnam. At this conference, we announced that Vingroup and Viettel have produced 5G equipment. The Ministry has launched a major program on "Make in Vietnam" and digital transformation, and has submitted and implemented the press planning. The Prime Minister highly appreciated the Ministry of Information and Communications's responsibility as the standing agency for the policy of building an e-government and has done a number of things such as launching a training program for 100 e-government experts.

In addition, the Prime Minister also frankly pointed out the remaining problems such as: The telecommunications network is slow to convert to digital infrastructure, the rate of mobile data users is not high. There are still many shortcomings in network security. In the field of journalism, the activities of some newspapers are not in accordance with their principles and purposes, turning into magazines, newspapers into news sites; many individuals, organizations and businesses are harassed and beaten up. The publication of too much negative information has reduced the positive energy of society, has not created an aspiration in building the country, bad and toxic information causes interference, making people and society lack trust, so we must overcome it better.

The front never stops firing

To develop, the most important driving force is the use of technology, especially digital technology, the Prime Minister emphasized, the Ministry of Information and Communications has a great responsibility, contributing to bringing glory to the Fatherland. "Therefore, it can be said that information and communication is like a front where guns never fall silent."

The continuous flow of information has brought about rich impacts on the spiritual and emotional lives of nearly 100 million Vietnamese people at home and abroad, along with the uncompromising struggle on the information front, between truth and falsehood, between negativity and positivity. The Prime Minister requested that officials in the information and communications sector must always keep a cool head and a rosy heart.

In 2020, we announced the national digital transformation strategy. The Prime Minister said that the Ministry of Information and Communications must direct businesses in the industry to invest in digital infrastructure to be one step ahead for digital transformation and take the lead in digital transformation tools. 100% of e-government IT systems must have a network security monitoring center. In addition, Vietnam's e-government ranking is still modest, the Ministry of Information and Communications has the task of improving this ranking.

In 2020, we will host the World Digital Exhibition, the world's largest digital technology event, organized by the International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations with the participation of over 100 countries and territories. The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Information and Communications to organize this event well.

In the postal and delivery sector, it is necessary to build a widespread delivery network to each household, creating a foundation for e-commerce development.

In the telecommunications sector, the initial commercialization of 5G using Vietnamese equipment is a victory that needs to be widely popularized. The Prime Minister agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Communications to turn off 2G waves to quickly transfer telecommunications infrastructure to new technology, so that 100% of Vietnamese people use smartphones, and add 4G frequencies to improve network quality. Resolutely handle the situation of junk SIM cards and junk messages.

The Ministry of Information and Communications must play a good role in coordinating the development of e-government while still promoting the initiative of ministries, branches and localities. Right from the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Information and Communications must build an e-government strategy because we identify this as a long journey, spanning many terms, requiring consistency.

Currently, smart cities are developing rapidly, the Ministry of Information and Communications must summarize the smart city program with IT components, especially the operation and monitoring center, from which there will be implementation instructions, avoiding following trends, inefficiency and waste.

Digital economy is the wings, the flight path to the destination of prosperity and power.

2020 is the year of comprehensive and extensive national digital transformation. The Prime Minister decided to issue the National Digital Transformation Project, on the basis of which ministries, branches, provinces and cities will issue digital transformation programs in their fields, localities and enterprises. The Ministry of Information and Communications must take the lead in digital transformation in the fields of post, telecommunications, press and media.

Regarding the issue of network safety and security, the Prime Minister emphasized that this is a prerequisite for e-government and digital transformation. Protecting network safety and security is protecting Vietnam's prosperity in cyberspace.

The National Center for Cyber ​​Security Monitoring must continue to be invested in to have the capacity to monitor, analyze, and forecast the situation in cyberspace, promptly prevent malicious information, and ensure a healthy and positive cyberspace.

“Make in Vietnam” is a major orientation, declaring the shift from processing and assembling to making Vietnamese products, to mastering technology and creating technology. IT and communication enterprises must take the lead in the Make in Vietnam strategy.

Mastering 5G equipment is of national strategic significance. The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Information and Communications to create all conditions for businesses to produce and popularize 5G equipment.

The Ministry of Information and Communications needs to put into operation the 4.0 Policy Research Center that the Minister signed with the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Regarding the press and media, the Prime Minister stated that the press must honestly represent the mainstream of Vietnamese society, create social consensus and trust, and especially create an aspiration for a strong and prosperous Vietnam.

Seriously and proactively implement the approved Press Plan, no delay allowed. Any governing body that fails to meet the previously announced deadline will be temporarily suspended to complete the plan.

The grassroots information system such as loudspeakers in wards and communes, and even oral propaganda, is considered the largest and most effective propaganda system. The Ministry of Information and Communications needs to have a project and direct the technological innovation of this system.

So after "4 tigers, will Vietnam become the 5th tiger?", the answer is yes. Maybe because Vietnam has the Lac bird like the legend of Lac Hong's descendants. The tigers are all stronger, run faster, faster, the bird is weaker, slower but reaches the finish line faster than the tiger because the bird's flight path is always shorter, more open, and more flexible than the road - the Prime Minister compared and emphasized: Our country must find its own wings, choose for itself a path to modernity in the direction of socialism, realizing the aspiration of 2045. That must probably be a flight path, not a beaten path. That is also a reason why the Government considers the digital economy an important driving force for development, bringing Vietnam forward quickly, taking shortcuts in development.

In the coming new term, the Ministry of Information and Communications will be appropriately named and discussed in the Government, but Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc proposed a new name for discussion: "Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy".