DECISION

APPROVING THE SCHEME ON ASSURANCE OF COMMUNICATION NETWORKS IN SEA AREAS AND ON ISLANDS

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;
Pursuant to the May 25, 2002 Ordinance on Post and Telecommunications;
Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 160/2004/ND-CP dated September 3, 2004, detailing a number of articles on telecommunications of the Ordinance on Post and Telecommunications;
Pursuant to the government’s Resolution No. 27/2007/NQ-CP dated May 30, 2007, promulgating the Governments action program to implement February 9, 2007 Resolution No. 09-NQ/TW of the Xth Party Central Committee's 4th plenum, on Vietnam's sea strategy up to 2020;
Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007, approving the Scheme on organization of communication for natural disaster prevention and control at sea;
At the proposal of the Minister of Information and communications,

DECIDES

Article 1. To approve the Scheme on assurance of communications networks in sea areas and on islands with the following principal contents:

I. OBJECTIVES

1. To universalize and provide diversified and quality post, telecommunications and radio and television broadcast services for Vietnam’s sea areas and islands.

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3. To continue fulfilling the targets set in the Prime Minister’s Minister's Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007, approving the Scheme on organization of communication for natural disaster prevention and control at sea.

II. TARGETS

1. By 2015, mobile coverage will reach most inhabited islands under Vietnam’s Telecommunications enterprises will expand mobile coverage to sea areas over 50 km offshore coastal provinces. For inhabited islands, telecommunications enterprises will build high-capacity base transceiver stations for coverage on these islands and offshore.

2. By 2015, most inhabited islands will be provided with post, telecommunication and Internet services for economic development, security and defense maintenance and search and rescue.

3. By 2015, coverage of radio and television programs will reach 100% of island inhabitants.

III. SCOPE

1. To continue upgrading and building public communication networks at sea and on inhabited islands to meet diversified needs for communication for economic development, security, defense, natural disaster prevention and control and search and rescue.

2. To upgrade radio and television systems in service of communication in sea areas and on islands.

3. To upgrade specialized communication systems for marine economic development and coastal communication networks to meet requirements on communication for natural disaster prevention and control at sea.

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IV. IMPLEMENTATION PRINCIPLES

1. To make use and promote existing technical infrastructure and post, telecommunications, radio and television networks.

2. To apply to the utmost scientific and technological advances to building and developing post, telecommunications, internet, radio and television networks for communication in sea areas and on islands.

3. To prioritize investment in technical infrastructure of the communication systems onshore and on islands to guarantee quality and reduce investment costs of systems at sea.

4. To ensure coordinated investment among ministries and branches for economic development in combination with security and defense maintenance.

5. To follow the principles set in the Prime Minister's Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007, approving the Scheme on organization of communication for natural disaster prevention and control at sea.

V. CONTENTS

1. To upgrade infrastructure of public communication networks to meet diversified communication needs in sea areas and on islands.

To make use of existing infrastructure and equipment, develop and increase the frequency of mail and newspaper delivery services to islands, ensuring prompt provision of information for economic development, security, defense maintenance, natural disaster prevention and control and the public.

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To combine existing transmission modes with new transmission networks to islands to ensure sufficient supply of transmission capacity for telecommunications and internet services. For densely populated islands with high demands for telecommunications services, to build high-capacity microwave or marine optical cable transmission routes connected with the mainland; for remote islands, to use the satellite communication method.

To build a system of coastal mobile communication stations and strive that mobile coverage will reach areas over 50 km offshore and high-capacity mobile stations on islands to enable vessels and boats operating around these islands to use mobile telephone services.

To strive to build broadband access networks in coastal areas and on islands to meet demands for application in maritime navigation, shipbuilding, fishery and mining and natural resource exploitation.

2. To expand radio and television coverage for communication in sea areas and on islands

To make the fullest use of existing resources to improve the coverage quality of Voice of Vietnam and Vietnam Television in the east Sea.

To continue developing coastal radio stations under the East Sea coverage project to increase strong, stable, uninterrupted and quality coverage in Vietnam's sea areas with economic activities.

To combine radio transceiving methods, invest in and upgrade the domestic broadcast system to expand coverage and increase it effectiveness and quality. To use radio stations for external coverage to broadcast weather forecast and search and rescue information to help offshore fishermen.

To organize radio stations on each island, receive information from mainland radio stations and re-broadcast them to guarantee that prompt and accurate information reach island inhabitants and fishing vessels operating in neighboring areas.

To coordinate with local coastal radio and television stations to support, exploit and use them for expansion of the national coverage in the East Sea and areas without coverage.

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In places where conditions permit, to operate the cable television system towards increasing optical fibers and underground cable ratios to assure quality and avoid weather impacts.

To make the fullest use of satellite communication methods, especially the use of Vinasat-1 satellite, to enable radio and television coverage to reach a majority of people operating in national seas and on islands and in international seas with numerous and diversified radio and television services while meeting external information and communication requirements of the Party, and State.

3. To assure specialized communication network infrastructure in service of marine economic development

To develop communication systems on floating vehicles and fixed works at sea towards increasing their capacity and quality up to international standards.

To develop satellite broadband access stations and build mobile transceiver stations in combination with using satellite communication methods on floating vehicles and fixed works at sea, contributing to improving communication quality for marine economic development.

To build special-use networks on the basis of public networks and provide broadband connections for maintenance of security and defense at sea and governance by local administrations of islands.

4. To enhance the capacity of coastal communication networks to meet requirements on communication for natural disaster prevention and control at sea.

To continue implementing relevant contents of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007, approving the Scheme on organization of communication for natural disaster prevention and control at sea.

VI. SOLUTIONS

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a/ To increase propagation to raise public awareness about the use of communication networks lo ensure safety under current regulations. To raise public awareness about the responsibility to provide information in service of search and rescue activities;

b/ To raise awareness and increase information and propagation about viewpoints, objectives and orientations for information development in sea areas and on islands for all organizations, enterprises and individuals operating in sea areas and on islands;

c/ To introduce new technologies for communication in sea areas and on islands for the society and people, especially positioning and identification technologies.

2. To complete mechanisms, policies and laws

a/ To complete mechanisms and policies to ensure equality for post and telecommunications enterprises and radio and television broadcast units in providing post, telecommunications, radio and television services for security, defense, natural disaster prevention and control, search and marine economic development:

- To elaborate and amend legal documents and master plans on post, telecommunications, radio frequency, radio and television broadcast in order to complete the legal environment to boost the development of the communication network in sea areas and on islands.

- To work out mechanisms and policies for the State to vide financial support for post and telecommunications enterprises, radio and television transceiving units to provide standard and quality communication services for sea areas and on islands. To formulate mechanisms to support charges and terminal equipment for fishermen to guarantee communication with the mainland.

- To study and develop management mechanisms for existing onshore communication equipment systems (of ship-owners and their relatives) to prevent interference to other communication systems.

b/ To work out mechanisms and policies to protect user rights on the basis of compliance with regulations on standard, quality and charge management.

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a/ Policies to raise investment capital:

- To prioritize the use of state budget, the public-utility telecommunications service fund, aid and foreign soft loans for investment projects to build communication infrastructure for sea areas and islands to perform political tasks assigned by the State.

- To use capital from enterprises and the society for investment projects to build communication infrastructure for sea areas and islands for economic activities, which will receive mechanism incentives and part of funds of the State.

- To adopt mechanisms and policies to provide financial and technological supports for enterprises to implement projects to build communication network infrastructure in sea areas and on islands.

b/ Tax policies:

To adopt mechanisms and policies on tax incentives for technology transfer, import, manufacture and assembly of equipment for communication in sea areas and on islands, creating conditions for considerably reducing sale prices of terminal equipment for fishermen and users.

c/ Human resource training policies:

To raise the capacity of operators of communication equipment and update new technologies for concerned organizations, enterprises and units through training courses on communication operations; to organize training courses on use of communication equipment for fishermen and users operating at sea.

- To boost socialization of the training and retraining of technicians, skilled workers, crew members and fishermen to meet requirements on hi-tech application to communication in sea areas and on islands.

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a/ To study and apply scientific and technological advances to communication in sea areas and on islands and manage positions of, and apply information technology to build database on, vessels, boats and vehicles;

b/ To encourage the transfer of advanced and modern technologies for communication in sea areas and on islands;

c/ To quickly elaborate and promulgate standards and technical regulations for new communication technologies such as identification, positioning, position search and HF (high frequency) two-way communication;

d/ To study methods to effectively use mobile communication systems to increase coverage in sea areas and on islands.

5. To increase international cooperation:

a/ To increase cooperation with international organizations and coastal countries, especially regional countries, in the development of communication at sea and on islands to boost marine economic development and concurrently contribute to maintaining safety and security at sea; to coordinate with organizations in exchange and training of experts in communication techniques and management in sea areas and on islands;

b/ To implement international plans, programs, schemes, projects and agreements on sea, island and oceanic communication after they are approved by competent authorities;

c/ To negotiate international and regional treaties and agreements on communication in sea areas and on islands to ensure Vietnam's benefits at sea;

d/ To make use of international cooperation to raise foreign investment capital sources, especially official development assistance (ODA), to develop communication networks in sea areas and on islands.

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1. The Ministry of Information and Communication

a/ To monitor, urge, review and report to the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Scheme, based on economic development, security, defense, natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue and the people, to propose to the Prime Minister appropriate updates and adjustments to the Scheme;

b/ To formulate mechanisms and policies to provide financial and technological supports for enterprises to implement projects on construction of communication network infrastructure in sea areas and on islands;

c/ To elaborate and promulgate national standards and technical regulations on equipment for communication at sea and on islands under law;

d/ To coordinate with concerned ministries and branches, including the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of National Defense, the National Committee for Search and Rescue, Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam, in performing the tasks related to the establishment of the communications system in service of marine economic development, security, defense, natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue and people at sea;

e/ To direct press agencies in increasing coverage on the sea and islands in service of economic development, protection of marine resources and environment and maintenance of security and defense. To propagate the significance and importance of marine and island economy for the country's sustainable development to increase the public sense of protecting sovereignty and marine cable networks and communication works in sea areas and on islands;

f/ To direct post and telecommunications enterprises in implementing projects to improve the quality of post and telecommunication networks in service of communication in sea areas and on islands;

g/ To plan on, allocate and effectively use telecommunications resources for communication in sea areas and on islands.

2. The Ministry of Transport

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b/ To guide, propagate and disseminate regulations and processes applicable to vehicles operating on the sea;

c/ To elaborate regulations on equipment for vehicles operating on the sea. To monitor vehicles through management and positioning systems.

3. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

a/ To implement an investment project to assist fishermen in installing necessary communication equipment; to continue implementing relevant contents of the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007, approving the Scheme on organization of communication for natural disaster prevention and control at sea;

b/ To direct localities in organizing the registration and registry of fishing vessels and boats according to the decentralization mechanism, to ensure that vessels and boats are furnished with minimum communication equipment required for sea areas in which they are operating;

c/ To coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications in elaborating regulations on communication equipment and the regulation on communication for fishing vessels and boats.

4. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

a/ To direct the provision of information on forecast of natural disasters at sea under the regulation on weather forecast for sea areas and islands;

b/ To integrate communication systems established by ministries and branches into a unified communication system for coordinated and uniform management of sea areas and islands.

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a/ To invest in projects on communication systems of the Border Guard and Naval Force in coastal provinces and cities;

b/ To direct the Border Guard, Naval Force, Vietnam Coast Guard and concerned forces in coordinating and supporting communication for administration work and in special cases.

6. The National Committee for Search and Rescue

To implement an investment project to build the National Center for Search and Rescue Command under the National Committee for Search and Rescue. To continue directing the receipt and processing of information on search and rescue at sea under regulations.

7. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance

Based on the investment list and phases and progresses of component projects approved by competent authorities, to annually allocate state budget funds to ministries, branches and localities for implementation.

8. People's Committees of coastal provinces and cities

a/ To direct and organize the registration and registry of fishing vessels and boats as decentralized; to examine local vessels and boats in observing regulations on safety and communication equipment;

b/ To establish their local databases on management of fishing vessels and boats to be connected with the national database on management of fishing vessels and boats;

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d/ To organize, propagate, disseminate and guide the people in the use of communication equipment for economic development in sea areas and on islands.

9. Voice of Vietnam and Vietnam Television

a/ To continue the East Sea coverage project and projects on television coverage in sea areas and on islands to improve the quality and expand areas of radio and television coverage to ensure that voice of Vietnam's and Vietnam Television’s coverage reach sea areas and islands under Vietnam's sovereignty and in the region;

b/ To proactively develop special programs and sections on natural disaster prevention and control and improve the quality of the weather forecast section, especially during the rainy season, to promptly provide information on weather developments; to concentrate on coverage of economic development and maintenance of security and defense in sea areas and on islands;

c/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with People's Committees and radio and television stations of coastal provinces and cities in, implementing a project to build radio and television relay stations for coverage in the East Sea. To increase radio channels on hydro-meteorological forecast and knowledge on seas and islands for economic development and maintenance of security and defense in sea areas and on islands.

10. Post and telecommunications enterprises

a/ To elaborate plans on network development in conformity with this Scheme;

b/ To formulate and implements project to develop infrastructure, fixed telephone and internet services and VSATs (very small aperture terminals) to island communes and districts; to build BTSs (base transceiver stations) for mobile coverage in sea areas and on islands; to build public access points in island communes and districts; to build specialized communication networks for security and defense and the government's administration; to combine these projects and their use with the effective exploitation of existing and newly built infrastructure;

c/ To study and apply new technologies, especially radio transceiving and mobile technologies to build radio communication systems with wide coverage areas and terminal equipment suitable to transceiving conditions at sea to improve the quality of communication services in sea areas and on islands.

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This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4. Implementation responsibilities

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, the head of the Central Steering Committee for Flood Prevention and Control, the chairman of the National Committee for Search and Rescue, chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, directors general and directors general and telecommunications units and enterprises and radio and television stations shall implement this Decision.

PRIME MINISTER




Nguyen Tan Dung

APPENDIX I

LIST OF INVETMENT PROJECTS
(To the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1041/2009/QD-TTg dated July 22, 2009)

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Project

Agencies in charge

Coordinating agencies

Schedule

Funding source

1

Television coverage in sea areas and on islands (to build television relay stations on inhabited islands)

Vietnam Television, radio and television stations of coastal localities

People’s Committees of coastal provinces and cities

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State budget

2

Radio coverage in sea areas and on islands (the East Sea coverage project)

Voice of Vietnam

Radio and television stations of coastal localities

2010-2015

(Continued implementation of approved projects)

3

Development of infrastructure, fixed telephone and internet services and VSATs to island communes and districts

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Ministry of Information and Communications

2010-2015

State budget, enterprises

4

Construction of BTSs for mobile coverage in sea areas and on islands

Telecommunications enterprises

Ministry of Information and Communications

2010-2015

State budget, enterprise

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Development of public access points in island communes and districts

Post enterprises

Ministry of Information and Communications

2010-2015

State budget

6

Support for fishermen to install necessary communication equipment

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Ministry of Information and Communications

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State budget and the society (additional funds under Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007)

7

Establishment of LRIT system

Ministry of Transport

2010-2012

State budget (additional funds under Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007)

8

Development of AIS system

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2010-2012

State budget (additional funds under Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007)

9

Establishment of VTS

Ministry of Transport

2010-2012

State budget (additional funds under Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007)

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Construction of the National Center for Search and Rescue Command under the National Committee for Search and Rescue

National Committee for Search and Rescue

Concerned ministries, departments and branches

2010-2011

State budget (additional funds under Decision No. 137/2007/QD-TTg dated August 21, 2007)

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Establishment of a specialized communication system for security, defense and administration of local administrations of islands

Telecommunications enterprises

Ministry of Information and Communications

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State budget

Quyết định 1041/QĐ-TTg năm 2009 phê duyệt Đề án đảm bảo mạng lưới thông tin biển, đảo do Thủ tướng Chính phủ ban hành