Da Nang has provided free Wi-Fi at tourist sites, and such public spaces as the People's Committees of districts, wards, and communes; hospitals; traditional markets; and some dormitories for workers, thereby aiming to popularise smart mobile devices for the people.

The city provides free Wi-Fi for social housing apartments for workers. IN PHOTO: A social housing apartment complex in the Hoa Cam Industrial Park. Photo: T.L

According to the municipal Department of Information and Communications, more than 300 free public Wi-Fi devices are operating the city, whilst about 1,000 Wi-Fi points are deployed for free by enterprises in airports, train stations, hospitals, medical centres, cultural houses, and concentrated boarding houses for workers.

As of September 24, 2024, the city had had 40 boarding houses that have benefited from the free Wi-Fi installation support policy. Free Wi-Fi devices installed in boarding houses for workers are connected to the city's urban network system with an internet access speed of more than 40Mbp/s.

Mr. Nguyen Van Bau, a worker at the Murata Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd. based in the Hoa Khanh Industrial Park shared that thanks to the city's support policy, he and other workers have saved several hundred thousand of VND in internet fees each month.

In 2024, the city will continue to carry out the project on applying and developing information technology to expand the Wi-Fi system to cultural houses in wards and villages in Hai Chau and Hoa Vang districts.

According to the plan, by the end of 2024, the city will complete the installation of free Wi-Fi systems at 41 village cultural houses in communes of Hoa Phu, Hoa Ninh, Hoa Lien and Hoa Bac in Hoa Vang District; and at 96 points in 13 wards in Hai Chau District.

Ms. Ho Thi Thanh, a resident of Nam Duong Ward, Hai Chau District, expressed that thanks to the installation of free Wi-Fi systems in walking gardens and parks in late August 2024, she can exercise while listening to music, reading newspapers, watching security cameras, and controlling household appliances easily and conveniently.

“In addition, when going to administrative areas and traditional markets in the area, free public Wi-Fi service also helps me a lot in carrying out procedures, making payments, and looking up information very effectively” she added.

The city's cooperation with enterprises to deploy a free public Wi-Fi system at cultural houses, community houses or tourist attractions is an effective solution to support people in looking up information, communicating, and promoting the Da Nang brand. At the same time, this policy will support the plan to popularise smartphones, as well as realise the goals of digital transformation, digital economy, e-government.

Vice Chairwoman of Hai Chau District People's Committee Phan Thi Thang Loi said that in order to help people easily access information via the internet to serve daily life activities such as downloading digital applications, using digital platforms, looking up information, submitting administrative procedures online, participating in online courses, updating news, etc., the district authorities have approved the policy of installing free Wi-Fi systems at cultural houses, community centers, parks, and walking gardens in the locality.

From now until the end of 2024, the People's Committees of 13 wards will coordinate with telecommunications enterprises to install Wi-Fi systems at 96 locations with an estimated operating cost of about VND 288 million/year funded by the local budgets.

Hai Chau District will direct, disseminate and promote the activities of the community digital technology team, organize exchanges, and provide training courses on the effective use of the Wi-Fi system, thereby contributing to promoting digital transformation among the people.

Such enterprises as the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) and the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) are the city's main partners in providing free Wi-Fi in the city.

Previously, VNPT Da Nang coordinated with the municipal Department of Information and Communications to conduct inspections and field surveys at the Hai Van Gate relic site to supplement infrastructure and telecommunications - information technology services.

It is known that VNPT Da Nang has installed and completed the coverage of high-speed public Wi-Fi at important locations in the Hai Van Gate and neighboring areas.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Hai, Director of VNPT Da Nang, said that the expansion of Vinaphone mobile coverage (under VNPT) is aimed at serving people and tourists to the Hai Van gate, enhancing the promotion of the image of the tourist city to countries around the world.

In the coming time, VNPT will continue to invest in expanding to optical transmission. Along with the Hai Van Gate, VNPT Da Nang has installed free Wi-Fi systems at a number of other tourist destinations in Da Nang.

Reporting by CHIEN THANG - Translating by M.DUNG, V.DUNG