Võ Thành Thống, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, speaks at the forum. — Photo thitruongtaichinhtiente.vn

HÀ NỘI — The contribution of 5G to Vietnamese GDP growth is forecast to reach 7.34 per cent by 2025, shown by research of the National Institute of Information and Communications Strategy at an online forum on digital transformation yesterday.

The online forum titled "Digital Transformation - Driving Growth and Innovations with 5G" was organised by the Việt Nam Investment Review Newspaper in Hà Nội.

The digital economy is growing very quickly around the world, becoming the key for many economies to reach out globally.

In Việt Nam, despite being heavily affected by the pandemic, the digital economy is expected to reach US$21 billion this year, up 31 per cent over last year, equivalent to Malaysia and only behind Indonesia and Thailand.

The document of the 13th National Party Congress determined that the digital economy will account for 20 per cent of GDP by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030.

Speaking at the forum, Võ Thành Thống, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, said that digital transformation has become even more urgent when the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and changed people's lives and habits, causing unprecedented difficulties and challenges, which forces organisations, individuals and even State management agencies to change and adapt.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has closely co-ordinated with stakeholders, especially the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Information and Communications in jointly researching, advising, proposing and implementing solutions to promote the process of digital transformation and innovation of Vietnamese enterprises.

Lê Trọng Minh, Editor-in-Chief of Việt Nam Investment Review Newspaper, said that 5G was considered an important tool to promote digital transformation in all fields.

Many business models, even entirely new industries and services, are emerging and replacing traditional ones with the help of new technologies.

5G will have a strong impact on the global economy, estimated to create $13.1 trillion and two million new jobs by 2035, said Minh.

With favourable foundations both in terms of the legal corridor being gradually completed and the awareness of businesses and people about the essentials of digital transformation, 5G has strong potential for development in Việt Nam, Minh noted.

In the coming years, it would become a foundation for innovation and growth, he added.

Vũ Quốc Huy, director of the Việt Nam National Innovation Centre (NIC), said that digital transformation did not just stop at the application of information technology, but in fact it was a complete change in thinking, perception and ways in which a business or an apparatus operates.

For businesses, it was also necessary to have a long-term vision in implementing digital transformation, he noted.

The project of the Ministry of Planning and Investment in collaboration with USAID is also consulting and orienting for 100 businesses on digitalisation, not only digitising information but more importantly, building operation processes to manage the business based on database exploitation and analysis.

Commercialising 5G next year

The Ministry of Information and Communications targeted to officially license 5G commercialisation next year, said Nguyễn Phong Nhã, Deputy Director of the Việt Nam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA) under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Nhã said that the ministry has determined that Vietnamese telecommunications must go along with developed countries in the world in research, deployment and application of new technologies, including 5G mobile networks.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has directed telecommunications units and businesses to deploy many solutions. Accordingly, regarding frequencies, it has submitted to the Government for promulgation Decree No 88/2021/NĐ-CP on the collection of fees for granting the right to use radio frequencies, auction, licensing and transfer of the right to use radio frequencies.

The ministry has also promoted and guided mobile telecommunications businesses to test 5G technology and services. Accordingly, telecommunications businesses such as Viettel, VNPT, and MobiFone have now tested 5G in 16 provinces and cities.

Especially, for telecommunications infrastructure, the ministry set a goal of 100 per cent of villages to be covered with fiber optic broadband by 2025.

Nhã noted that the Ministry of Information and Communications aimed to officially license 5G commercialisation next year and soon cover high-tech industrial parks and areas with high demand for use.

“This is the determination of the information and communication industry in bringing Việt Nam along with leading countries in 5G. In the future, VNTA will continue to strengthen co-ordination with telecommunications units and businesses to urgently summarise and evaluate the testing process of 5G networks, develop criteria for coverage and quality for granting licenses; push solutions on using common infrastructure to save investment costs; improve efficiency in network use and exploitation, and master 5G technology through the use of Make-in-Việt Nam equipment," said Nhã. — VNS