Quang Tri Information and Communications Sector: Leading in Socio-economic Development

 

 

In recent years, Quang Tri province has had its own advocacies and policies to develop the postal-telecommunication-information technology network in the province to ensure the process of industrialization and modernization as well as serving security and defense.

 

The infrastructures of landline, internet and mobile networks have covered throughout the province with 100 percent of communes having telephones and mobile wave; 139/141 communes, wards and towns having high speed internet connected to the centre. There are 3 companies proving 3G service including Quang Tri Telecommunications, Viettel and Mobifone with over 6500 subscribers. There are also optic cable companies providing services in the centre of the city and towns with high speed service FTTx having 1000 subscribers and IPTV over 700 subscribers. Telephone users density by the end of March 2012 reached 77 subscribers per 100 people and high speed Internet (ADSL) users density was 3.63 subscribers per 100 people. The total number of base transceiver stations (BTS) operating in the province are 1123 stations. Revenue from telecommunications companies in 2011 was over 550 billion VND.

 

The province also has many policies to encourage private enterprises to develop their business in information technology field. In the province, there are 57 enterprises engaged in this field, mostly focused on providing hardware and network infrastructure. The number of enterprises producing and delivering software solutions is very limited (about 8 percent). The total annual turnover of information technology enterprises is estimated at more than 200 billion VND.

 

 

Identifying the role and significance of telecommunication and information technology in socio-economic development and security and defense, the sector is always active in developing the quality of telecommunication and information technology.

 

Firstly, the sector has advised the provincial party committee to issue the resolution No. 8 – NQ/TU on information technology and post-telecommunications development by 2015. This is the foundation for the development of telecommunications and information technology of Quang Tri province. The resolution has set a target that by 2015, the province focuses on improving modern information technology infrastructure; widely applying telecommunication and information technology in all fields and sectors for socio-economic development; striving for almost all officials and employees of agencies, units, enterprises and classes of people to use IT and the Internet.

 

Secondly, to enhance communication and education activities to raise people’s awareness about the position, role and significance of telecommunication and IT in the process of promoting industrialization and modernization of the country, especially in economic integration; the province continues to realize the directive of the Political Bureau (session VIII) 58-CT/TW on boosting and developing IT application.

 

Thirdly, the province continues to build IT infrastructure, human resources and e-government platform for Quang Tri province, mainly focused on implementing series of projects such as: building geographic information system (GIS) for socio-economic development and management of the province; implementing World Bank plan on telecommunication and IT development of Quang Tri; encouraging all economic sectors to invest in telecommunication-IT infrastructure to meet the demand of socio-economic development of the province; encouraging Quang Tri’s IT firms to create a link with other big domestic and foreign enterprises to produce high quality IT products; creating favourable conditions for domestic and foreign enterprises engaged in investment and building manufacturing facilities, installation of electronic equipment and IT in Quang Tri.

 

Fourthly, the province promotes building and implementing synchronously data network used in Party and State agencies.

 

Lastly, the province promotes IT applications by building information direction system, monitoring and managing from the province to districts and towns to ensure system directing, managing and exchanging information smoothly in time; builds information systems, and database for the state management, socio-economic development; promotes investment in upgrading the equipment and modern IT system; promotes the development and application of IT in education, health, taxation, customs, science and technology and national security; creates favourable conditions, and supports small and medium business in IT applications for business operations.