VNA: VIET NAM'S INTERNET SERVICE HAS NEARLY 39,000 SUBSCRIBERS

[Dao Van <daotb@yahoo.com>]

VIET NAM'S INTERNET SERVICE HAS NEARLY 39,000 SUBSCRIBERS

Ha Noi, Nov.  21 (VNA) -- Viet Nam now has a total of 38,677 subscribers
to the Internet service which was launched in November 1997, according
to the General Department of Post and Telecommunication. 

The Viet Nam Post and Telecommunication Corporation (VNPT) provides the
service to 24,489 subscribers or 65 percent of the total; the Company
for Financing and Promoting Technology (FPT) serves 11,114 subscribers;
Netnam serves 1,663; and the Sai Gon Post and Telecommunication Service
Corporation
(SPT) serves 1,411.

To carry out the Prime Minister's Decision No.  21/CP dated March 1997
and other documents aimed at developing the Internet service in Viet
Nam, the country has set up two international gates for Internet
service, one in Ha Noi and another in Ho Chi Minh City, connecting
itselt with other countries and territories including Australia,
Hongkong, America and Japan through five channels. 

Viet Nam has so far had five Internet Service Providers (ISP), including
the Vietnam Datacommunication Company (VDC) under the VNPT, the Company
for Financing and Promoting Technology (FPT), Netnam (under the
Institute for Telecommunication Technology), the Saigon Post and
Telecommunication Service Corporation (SPT), and the Military Electronic
Telecommunication Company (Vietel). 

Moreover, about 16 Vietnamese Internet Communication Providers have set
up many websites in the Internet, thus helping subscribers in Viet Nam
to get access to more information. 

Vietnamese citizens, mainly from businesses, account for 65 percent of
the total Internet subscribers, according to the VDC.  Businesses who
advertise on the Internet's websites this year increased 10 percent over
1998, it added. 

VDC plans to supply a new Internet service for Vietnamese at the
beginning of December this year at a cheaper price. 

Viet Nam now has 1.8 Internet subscribers per 100 telephone subscribers,
twice last year's figure. 

The E-mail service is widely used by subscribers as it is much cheaper
than using fax machines. 

Charges for accessing the Internet service will be reduced to a
reasonable rate and price parity will be applied to all subscribers in
the whole country, says the General Department of Post and
Telecommunication.--VNA



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