Tinh Van Group's Communications Director Assumes Role as Head of Inspection Board of Vietnam Internet Association (VIA)

2020-12-15 10:54:44

On December 15, 2020, at the Sheraton Hotel (Hanoi), the Third Congress of the Vietnam Internet Association (VIA) for the 2020-2025 term took place. The slogan for the new term is “Innovation, development of the Internet ecosystem, promoting National Digital Transformation.” This congress elected the Executive Committee for the third term, the President, Vice Presidents, and the Inspection Board. Mr. Phan Quang Minh – Communications Director of Tinhvan Group – was re-elected to the Executive Committee for the third term and concurrently serves as Head of the Inspection Board of the Vietnam Internet Association.

Vietnam Internet has made remarkable progress

Speaking at the congress, Mr. Hoang Minh Cuong, Director of the Telecommunications Department – Ministry of Information and Communications, emphasized that since the Internet arrived in Vietnam in 1997, Vietnam's Internet has developed remarkably. To illustrate this, Director Hoang Minh Cuong informed that Vietnam is among the top 20 countries with the highest number of Internet users (IU) in the world. According to the General Statistics Office in 2019, the Internet user rate reached 68.7%, while the global average was 51.4%. Currently, this rate is only lower than developed countries (86.7%), developing countries (44.4%), and Asia-Pacific countries (44.5%). “It can be said that Vietnam's Internet user rate is significantly higher than the regional average and we have reached 80% of that of developed countries.”

Meanwhile, data on the percentage of households with Internet access in Vietnam currently stands at 71.3%, while the global average is only 57.4%. This figure is 85% in developed countries and 53% in Asia-Pacific. Thus, Vietnam's rate is higher than the regional average, reaching 83.7% of that of developed countries, nearly on par with developed nations. According to data from We Are Social, the average Vietnamese person spends about 6 hours and 42 minutes per day on the Internet, of which 2 hours and 33 minutes are on social media. 94% of Vietnamese Internet users go online daily. According to Mr. Cuong, this index is significantly higher than the global average, showing that Vietnamese people are highly interested in information and the Internet.

Also according to data from the Telecommunications Department, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam's mobile broadband growth rate in 2020 increased by 22.45%, and fixed broadband increased by 13.33% compared to the same period. Currently, fixed broadband in households reaches 15.68 million, accounting for 58.34% of households, representing very strong growth in 2020 during the period of social distancing and remote work.

“These are positive figures, especially when in 2020 the whole world was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and had to undergo social distancing. Accordingly, the whole world shifted to a new normal state, with remote work, remote education, remote healthcare, and e-commerce becoming the main methods of maintaining social life. The role of telecommunications and the Internet has become even more evident,” affirmed Director Hoang Minh Cuong.