DECISION

APPROVING THE MASTER PLAN ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM IN VIETNAM’S SEA BORDER AREAS, SEA AREAS AND ISLANDS THROUGH 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 09-NQ/TW of February 9, 2007 of the X^th Party Central Committee’s 4^th plenum, on Vietnam’s marine strategy through 2020;

Pursuant to the Law of the Sea of Vietnam which was passed on June 21, 2012, by the XIII^th National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

Pursuant to the Law on Telecommunications which was passed on November 23, 2009, by the XII^th National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at its 6^th session;

At the proposal of the Minister of Information and Communications.

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Article 1. To approve the master plan on development of the information and communications system in Vietnam’s sea border areas, sea areas and islands through 2020, with the following principal contents:

I. VIEWPOINTS

1. To develop the information and communications network infrastructure and expand its coverage to provide modem, diverse and synchronous services to Vietnam’s sea border communes, sea areas and islands to disseminate the Party’s and the State’s policies on seas and islands with a view to turning Vietnam into a country with a strong marine economy, ensuring socio-economic development in sea areas, islands and coastal areas in combination with the national defense.

2. To make the best use, and promote the efficiency, of the existing information and communications infrastructure for synchronously implementing this master plan and integrating it with other related schemes, programs and projects.

3. To step up the socialization of investment-attracting resources of enterprises to develop information and communications infrastructure in Vietnam’s sea border areas, sea areas and islands.

II. OBJECTIVES

1. By 2020, to develop broadband fixed and mobile telecommunications networks and expand digital television coverage to provide telecommunications and digital television services to sea border communes, island districts and sea areas within 100 km offshore. To further expand coverage areas and raise quality of at-sea radio broadcasting services for fishermen.

2. By 2020, to ensure that all sea border and island communes will have public postal service stations and be equipped with grassroots public address systems.

III. CONTENTS OF THE MASTER PLAN

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a/ Public telecommunications network

- To develop the broadband network access to households, and expand the coverage areas to provide broadband communication services to individuals and organizations around the clock in sea border communes, 12 island districts, islands of over 10 km² and the vicinity.

- To upgrade equipment and increase antenna height to expand the coverage of mobile telephone services in Vietnam’s sea areas within 100 km from the coast, vessel anchoring areas, traditional fishing grounds and sea areas with marine economic activities.

- To further develop the broadband VSAT network on the basis of using Vinasat satellites to provide telecommunications services to residents in sea areas and islands.

- To build optic-fiber cable lines from the mainland to islands, linking islands or within islands and broadband microwave transmission lines in island districts to meet the requirements of economic development, tourism, security and national defense.

b/ Public postal networks and grassroots communications system

- To build postal service stations more densely and increase the frequency of mail and newspaper delivery services to island districts, islands of over 10 km² and sea-border communes.

- To build material facilities and equipment serving grassroots information and communications activities, including commune-level public address systems, postal service stations and commune-level postal and cultural stations in Vietnam’s sea-border areas, sea areas and islands.

c/ Transmission, radio and television broadcasting networks

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- To set up FM radio broadcasting systems in island districts, islands of over 10 km² and the vicinity in order to improve the quality of radio broadcast coverage.

- To develop digital terrestrial television, satellite television (DTH), cable television and IPTV networks to provide high-quality and diverse television services to island districts and islands of over 10 km² and the vicinity.

- To build infrastructure to provide mobile television services in Vietnam’s sea areas to serve fishermen working at sea.

d/ Special-use information networks serving the natural disaster prevention and control

To build special-use networks on the basis of the special-use fixed satellite system (VSAT of frequency band C), special-use satellite mobile communications system (INMARSAT), radio telecommunications system (HF, VHF, UHF) and special-use communications vehicles serving security, national defense, natural disaster prevention and control, and management by administrations in islands, island districts and communes.

dd/ Communication networks of other ministries and sectors

- To continue to upgrade and complete the existing satellite communication systems and build new satellite systems serving the meteorological observation, weather forecast, collection of data on natural resources and environment, and high-speed data and image exchange so as to promptly inform activities at sea to the mainland.

- To build physical, scientific and technical facilities and databases serving the use and storage of sea and island data.

- To upgrade and complete the communication system for management of at-sea fishing activities, and system for observation of fishing ships, fishing areas and aquatic resources by the satellite technology and digital technology on VHF/MF/HF frequency bands.

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a/ To supply public-utility postal services to residents in Vietnam’s sea border areas, sea areas and islands;

b/ To provide fixed and mobile telecommunications and broadband Internet services to sea border areas and islands along the coast; to provide mobile services in sea areas within 100 km from the coast; to provide telecommunications services via the VSAT satellite network to island districts, sea areas and outpost islands;

c/ To develop cable, digital terrestrial and IPTV television services in sea border areas, to develop satellite and cable television services in island districts and communes; to develop at-sea mobile television services; to develop high-quality radio broadcasting services on FM, SW and MW.

3. Supply of terminal devices for residents in sea areas and islands

To provide fishermen with communications devices, terminal devices, integrated devices for installation on fishing ships to receive weather information, fishing ground forecasts from coastal stations, and send information on ship locations and sea security situation back to coastal stations; highly sensitive radio receivers, ICOM devices for long-range communication and mobile digital satellite television receivers.

IV. SOLUTIONS

1. Improving mechanisms, policies and laws

a/ To further improve legal documents and master plans on post, telecommunications, radio frequency, radio and television broadcasting, grassroots information, etc., in order to improve the legal environment to promote the development of information and communications systems in Vietnam’s sea border areas, sea areas and islands;

b/ To formulate mechanisms and policies for the State to provide development assistance in the form of incentives on tax, capital and human resources under law for post and telecommunications enterprises, and radio and television transmission and broadcasting units to provide standard and quality communication services to sea areas and islands;

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2. Development investment policies

a/ To prioritize the use of the state budget and public-utility telecommunications service fund to build network infrastructure for information and communications between sea border areas, sea areas, islands and grassroots communication systems to perform political tasks assigned by the State;

b/ To step up the mobilization of capital from enterprises and the society to build communications infrastructure for sea border areas, sea areas and islands to serve economic activities, which will enjoy mechanism incentives and funding supports from the State.

c/ Capital sources for implementing this master plan include: central and local budgets, enterprises’ investment, public-utility telecommunications service funds and lawful contributions from organizations and individuals in accordance with law;

d/ Enclosed with this Decision is the list of key projects and tasks.

3. Researching and applying modem technologies

a/ To research and apply new technologies to expand the coverage of radio and television broadcasts and mobile services, apply new technologies which can stand the marine environment and use new energies and power sources for stable and uninterrupted operation of equipment;

b/ To closely coordinate research, training and technology transfer among research institutions, schools and information and communications units in order to quickly apply scientific and technological research results to marine information and communications activities in sea border areas, sea areas and islands;

c/ To research, apply and develop information and communications systems for natural disaster warning, especially in coastal areas, which is accessible for local people.

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1. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall:

a/ Monitor, urge, summarize and report to the Prime Minister on the master plan implementation, and based on the development to propose to the Prime Minister necessary updates and adjustments to the master plan;

b/ Formulate mechanisms and policies to support information and communications enterprises in implementing projects on construction of information and communications infrastructure for sea areas and islands;

c/ Direct post and telecommunications enterprises and radio and television broadcasting units to expand their coverage areas and raise the quality of communications services in sea areas and islands under this master plan;

d/ Direct press and communications agencies to intensify information on sea areas and islands to serve the economic development, protection of the marine environment, security and national defense;

dd/ Coordinate with related ministries and sectors in performing tasks related to the construction of communication systems and sharing information to serve the marine economic development, security, national defense, natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue and for people living on the sea;

e/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries, sectors and coastal provincial-level People’s Committees in, providing terminal devices for residents in sea areas and islands.

2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall:

a/ Continue to complete and upgrade communication systems on natural disaster warning, and agricultural development in sea areas and islands as well as communication systems managing fishing activities;

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3. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall build information and communications systems for weather forecast and sea and island data management systems.

4. The Ministry of National Defense shall:

a/ Build communication systems for the Border Guards, Naval Force and Marine Police and coordinate with related forces in ensuring the communication serving the administration work and in special cases;

b/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security in, protecting information and communications infrastructure in Vietnam’s sea border areas, sea areas and islands.

5. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall balance state budget sources for investment in and implementation of projects and tasks under this master plan.

6. Provincial-level People’s Committees of localities having sea borders, sea areas and islands shall:

a/ Direct local radio and television stations in coordinating with one another in implementing projects on expansion of radio and television broadcasting coverage to no-service sea border areas, sea areas and islands;

b/ Arrange broadcasting time in the mass media and grassroots public address systems;

c/ Update information to e-portals and websites; provide online phone answering, voice mail, television and Internet services to receive and report people’s information in a diverse and convenient manner;

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dd/ Direct the training and re-training of cadres and civil servants performing the information and communications tasks in sea border areas, sea areas and islands.

7. Voice of Vietnam and Vietnam Television shall expand the radio and television broadcasting coverage to sea-border areas, sea areas and islands to achieve the objectives and follow orientations in this master plan.

8. Post and telecommunications enterprises shall:

a/ Implement projects on building infrastructure and providing post, telecommunications and radio and television broadcasting services in sea border areas, sea areas and island under this master plan;

b/ Research and apply new technologies, especially radio transmission and reception, mobile and radio and television broadcasting technologies to build radio communication systems with wide coverage areas and terminal devices suitable to conditions at sea in order to improve the quality of communication services in sea areas and islands.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees, general directors of Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam, general directors and directors of post and telecommunications corporations and enterprises shall implement this Decision.-

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* All appendices are not translated.

Quyết định 1939/QĐ-TTg năm 2014 phê duyệt Quy hoạch phát triển hệ thống thông tin và truyền thông các vùng biên giới biển, vùng biển, đảo Việt Nam đến năm 2020 do Thủ tướng Chính phủ ban hành