'5G will help increase high-tech investment in Hai Phong'

Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee Hoang Minh Cuong.

Hai Phong is the first city in Vietnam to have a smart factory operating with 5G technology. Can you share the story with the experience and support solutions that the city has implemented so that Pegatron and Viettel can create this event?

Mr. Hoang Minh Cuong: With the policy of promoting digital transformation, developing digital infrastructure is an important content that creates the foundation for digital transformation. Therefore, in recent times, the city has implemented programs to coordinate with telecommunications corporations to promote the development of digital infrastructure in the area.

These include burying and installing large-capacity fiber optic cables, removing wave depressions, promoting the development of 4G subscribers and broadband fiber optic cables, building and installing large data centers, studying the feasibility of deploying submarine fiber optic cables, and testing 5G technology in important areas such as city centers, tourist attractions, large supermarkets, etc.

Hai Phong is a city with strengths in industry and seaports, so in order to promote the advantages of the 5G network for the industrial and logistics sectors, Hai Phong has proactively implemented a number of promotional activities including: signing a cooperation program with the Ministry of Information and Communications (including the content of promoting the deployment of 5G in Hai Phong); organizing a number of seminars on 5G technology, introducing 5G in scientific seminars, seminars on logistics and industry... to introduce to the business community in Hai Phong; connecting and promoting the search for partners willing to participate; coordinating with large telecommunications enterprises such as Viettel and VNPT to pilot a number of models such as 5G for seaports (at Tan Vu and Dinh Vu ports) and at the factory of Pegatron Group.

Viettel's announcement of the first successful test of 5G Private Mobile Network in Hai Phong is an important milestone, not only demonstrating the technical capacity of the enterprise and the superior features of the 5G network, but also increasing the attractiveness of investors in the high-tech industry to invest in high-tech industrial parks in Hai Phong.

I believe that this success will promote the development of other fields with 5G technology, opening up a bright future for Hai Phong's economy.

Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee Hoang Minh Cuong inaugurated the 5G network in Hai Phong.

What is the advantage of a smart factory operating with 5G PMN compared to other smart factories, sir? If we do not use 5G PMN, do we have any other technological solutions?

5G network has outstanding advantages that are very important for the industrial sector such as: supporting high speed, large connection density, super low latency, good security, flexible coverage model, supporting computing at the network edge... Therefore, 5G can very well support smart factories equipped with many centrally controlled robots, many IoT sensors, or self-driving vehicles...

The application of 5G PMN in manufacturing also promotes the transformation from traditional manufacturing to intelligent automated manufacturing, helping to increase productivity, allowing the application of centralized quality management forms throughout the process, thereby improving product quality.

In fact, high-tech factories and some smart seaports in Hai Phong have previously applied some wireless technologies such as Wifi, LoraWAN in their operations. However, due to the limitations of the above technologies, the application is still mainly limited to providing network connections, limited in coverage area, data transmission speed, number of devices that can be connected, etc.

Using technology with unlicensed frequencies also poses many problems in terms of quality and security. Switching to using 5G telecommunications networks provided by network operators can overcome the above weaknesses, meeting the high-end needs of new-generation high-tech enterprises.

Does Hai Phong have plans to promote cooperation in developing 5G PMN in the port city in the near future, sir?

Hai Phong City is one of the localities with great potential and advantages in socio-economic development, one of the leading localities in administrative reform and competitiveness and is making fundamental changes in the digital transformation career towards building a smart city, creating a solid foundation so that by 2030, Hai Phong will become a modern, civilized, sustainable industrial city of Southeast Asian stature in the spirit of Resolution No. 45-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

With the position of the largest seaport in the North, located in a special geographical location, always at the forefront of the integration wave, many ports have been and are converting to smart port models; gathering many industrial parks, high technology, is a bright spot in attracting foreign direct investment in the fields of high-tech industry, green industry, circular economy, drastic in directing and implementing as well as having initial achievements in digital transformation.

Hai Phong City and Viettel have had many successful cooperations in the digital transformation process in many fields. For example, developing telecommunications infrastructure, undergrounding telecommunications cables, urban planning; supporting the implementation of the Hai Phong City Land Information Portal, testing the Smart Operations Center, monitoring information security for the city; Piloting health records, primary health care, etc.

Viettel is a large enterprise accompanying the construction of digital infrastructure, Hai Phong has great potential for development in all economic and social aspects in the future. This is also the foundation and important condition that creates the city's attraction to domestic and international investment partners.

From this factory, Hai Phong hopes to expand the application of the model to other fields from manufacturing to seaports, airports as well as factories of other large enterprises.

In your opinion, what are the advantages and challenges of such expansion? What can the government do to address these challenges?

The successful testing of the 5G mobile network service exclusively for the Pegatron factory in Hai Phong affirms that Vietnam is keeping pace with the world in the most advanced technology trends. The 5G Private Mobile Network is a rapidly growing trend in the world, especially effective for businesses with factories, warehouses, ports, airports, etc. that require secure and reliable connectivity that wifi cannot meet.

The development of 5G network will be the infrastructure platform for developing smart transportation, smart healthcare, smart education, smart agriculture, etc. 5G technology, along with artificial intelligence, big data analysis, and connectivity, allows Vietnamese enterprises to participate in a diverse connection ecosystem, contributing to socio-economic development, building a modern, civilized, and sustainable industrial city.

Besides its outstanding advantages and great potential, 5G network also poses many challenges. The information technology infrastructure currently deployed in businesses is mostly old technology.

To be ready for 5G technology, businesses will have to change their IT infrastructure. For 5G to develop, there must be accompanying applications, in the field of smart transportation such as self-driving cars, connecting AI cameras to monitor security and order, regulating traffic in real time; smart health such as remote surgery,... requires huge investment resources, but the demand in this field is still limited. Security and network security issues are also a huge challenge.

To solve the above problem, there needs to be a suitable roadmap. In the immediate future, the city will prioritize developing 5G infrastructure in industrial parks, seaports, logistics, and downtown areas.

Promote comprehensive digital transformation, complete digital infrastructure, develop digital data and digital services, and ensure information security. Encourage and support businesses to innovate, produce digital products and services, and form an ecosystem for digital transformation. 5G application will become popular in the future.

In 2022, Hai Phong's DTI digital transformation ranking index ranked 14th in the country, up from 16th in 2021 and 21st in 2020. This figure shows the city's strong movement in digital transformation.

Could you please share what actions the city has taken in the past 3 years to achieve such results?

To achieve the above results, in recent years, the city has focused on directing the implementation of digital transformation, which is the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee issuing a Resolution on digital transformation, the City People's Committee establishing a Steering Committee, issuing programs, actions, and annual plans with specific tasks on infrastructure development, platform development, and digital data.

For two consecutive years 2022 and 2023, the city has chosen the theme of the year as "Promoting urban beautification, building new rural areas and implementing digital transformation". Every year, the budget is prioritized for investment in digital transformation tasks, accounting for 2% of the budget expenditure, about 600-700 billion VND.

Proactively seek the coordination and support of the Ministry of Information and Communications, relevant ministries and branches, and the participation of telecommunications and information technology enterprises; consult and learn from practical experiences of localities, overcome shortcomings and difficulties to complete the set goals and tasks.

Mr. Hoang Minh Cuong said that the successful testing of 5G mobile network service exclusively for Pegatron factory in Hai Phong affirms that Vietnam is accompanying the world in the most advanced technology trends.

According to you, to get into the top 5, top 10 DTI (digital transformation index) rankings, what strategy does Hai Phong need?

The city identifies digital transformation as the "driving force" in development, a central and consistent task in the leadership of Party committees at all levels, in all activities of agencies, organizations, people and businesses to best serve the task of socio-economic development of the city.

Prioritize digital transformation and build smart cities for industries and fields that create momentum and strength for socio-economic development with three pillars: High-tech Industry, Seaports - Logistics, Tourism - Trade.

The head of the Party Committee, agency, or unit is directly responsible for digital transformation in the agency, organization, field, or area under his or her charge.

People and businesses are the center, subject, goal and driving force for digital transformation, building smart cities; participating in investment, construction, management, supervision and operation of smart cities.

If Pegatron's successful model can be replicated, what will Hai Phong's picture be like?

Hai Phong is a port city, an industrial center with 1 economic zone, 14 industrial parks, 13 industrial clusters, 6,000 hectares of industrial land; in recent years, the city's information technology and electronics industry has attracted many large enterprises such as: LG Electronics Group, Fuji Xerox, Haengsung Electronics, VinGroup... attracting over 25 billion USD of FDI.

According to the announcement of the measurement results of the digital economic development index of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Hai Phong's digital economy accounts for over 29% of GRDP, ranking 4th in the country.

If Pegatron's successful model is replicated, Hai Phong will be one of the leading localities in the country in developing digital infrastructure and high-tech industry, soon reaching the goal of becoming a modern, civilized, and sustainable industrial city of Southeast Asian stature before 2030 in the spirit of Resolution 45-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

Thank you!

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/5g-se-giup-tang-dau-tu-cong-nghe-cao-vao-hai-phong-2201250.html