Illustrative image (Photo: Viettel) The Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a programme on public utility telecommunication services from now to 2020.
Accordingly, emergency telecommunication services and the fixed telephone subscriber number searching services will be provided free of charge to all citizens while access to broadband internet at public telecommunication service points will be charged at public telecom service rates.
Impoverished households and households living just above poverty line will be entitled to the use of fixed telephone service or post-paid mobile phone service at public telecom service rates.
Besides, the households in these groups will be supported to access television programmes which supply essential information and serve political functions via the digital televisions system.
Fishermen on boats operating at sea will be exempt from charges when using the marine telecommunication service for searching and recuing activities through the coastal informational station system. They are also entitled to use marine mobile telecom services (HF, VHF telephone services) supplied by the coastal informational station system at public telecom service rates.
Schools, hospitals and People’s Committees at communal level can use broadband internet services at public telecom service rates.
Estimated cost for the programm is 11 trillion VND (524 million USD), to be sourced by the Vietnam Public Utility Telecommunication Service Fund.-VNA
