The above information was given by Mr. Nguyen Phu Tien, Deputy Director in charge of the National Digital Transformation Agency (Ministry of Information and Communications), at the workshop "Promoting digital transformation in the northern midlands and mountainous areas" organized by Tien Phong Newspaper in coordination with the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and the People's Committee of Yen Bai province on June 9.

Mr. Nguyen Phu Tien said that digital transformation in Vietnam started in 2020, focusing on three pillars: digital government, digital economy and digital society. According to the orientation of 2030, Vietnam will become a digital nation.

In the national digital transformation program, there are 8 priority areas, all of which are people-centered. In digital transformation, no province is the same, depending on conditions, characteristics, and advantages, localities have different priorities.

"The midland and mountainous provinces in the north have their own landscapes, agricultural products, and culture. This region should start digital transformation from those advantages and focus on smart tourism, smart agriculture, and experiential tourism...", Mr. Tien shared.

According to Mr. Tien, state agencies and local authorities must develop technical infrastructure, connect transmission lines, and provide telecommunications coverage so that people can access and use online public services.

Recently, the Ministry of Information and Communications has sent documents to provinces and centrally-run cities to review and provide additional information to villages and hamlets with low signal. Reports from 40/63 localities show that in 2023, a number of villages and hamlets across the country will have no mobile signal. Many of these are in extremely difficult areas, most of which do not have electricity.

Early next week, the Ministry of Information and Communications will hold an online meeting with 63 localities on this issue. "The Ministry of Information and Communications is pushing to eliminate telecommunications signal depressions, about 200 points, most of which have no electricity. We are working with other sectors such as the electricity sector to eliminate signal depressions; at the same time, we are also proposing that the public telecommunications service fund invest in them," said the Deputy Director in charge of the National Digital Transformation Agency.

Regarding investment in technical infrastructure in low-frequency areas in mountainous areas with difficult terrain, Mr. Tran Manh Ha, Deputy Director of VNPT IT Region 1, said that following the direction of the Ministry of Information and Communications, VNPT and other telecommunications enterprises are implementing coverage in rural and disadvantaged areas. In 2021 - 2022, the Ministry of Information and Communications has covered more than 200 villages...

Speaking at the workshop, journalist Le Xuan Son, Editor-in-Chief of Tien Phong Newspaper, said that the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is one of the leading forces in implementing digital transformation. In 2023, the Central Youth Union also chose the theme of Youth Month as "Youth Pioneers of Digital Transformation". As the mouthpiece of the Central Youth Union, Tien Phong Newspaper is making great efforts to communicate this task.

According to Mr. Son, digital transformation has initially penetrated into every village and hamlet, contributing to improving people's lives and narrowing the gap between mountainous areas and plains. "Through the workshop, we hope to contribute to raising awareness of the role of digital transformation, creating a forum for exchanging and sharing good models and experiences in digital transformation in the region; at the same time, acting as a bridge between digital transformation solution service providers and local authorities, businesses and people. Thereby promoting digital transformation activities in the region," Mr. Son shared.