Phu Tho takes the lead in developing digital infrastructure

If more than a decade ago, Phu Tho was still among the most disadvantaged provinces, with areas with gaps and “blank areas” in mobile phone signals as well as poor digital infrastructure, then up to now, the province is one of the leading localities in digital transformation, especially the rapid and remarkable development of digital infrastructure and accompanying utilities serving the people.

Eliminate the “blank area” of telecommunications infrastructure.

Determining that digital infrastructure must be one step ahead because it is the foundation and premise for digital transformation, Phu Tho province has promptly developed and implemented Plan No. 3927/KH UBND dated October 5, 2022, on developing digital infrastructure in Phu Tho province to 2025.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Quang and delegates visited the digital technology exhibition booth of enterprises at the Workshop on Digital Economy and Digital Society Development in Phu Tho province in October 2024.

In just the past few years, Phu Tho has focused on investing in upgrading over 3,800 BTS stations; 4G coverage with over 1,600 stations, and in October this year, 5G broadcasting was deployed. Broadband optical cables are provided to 100% of state agencies and nearly 80% of households. Currently, 100% of villages in extremely disadvantaged areas are covered by mobile information; over 80% of the adult population has smartphones. In 2023, Phu Tho will be among the leading groups in digital infrastructure development nationwide (ranked 6th out of 63 provinces and cities). Digital infrastructure is one of the indicators assessed as a strength that increases the ranking score of Phu Tho’s Local Innovation Index.

Many digital transformation applications in economic and social fields have been effectively implemented by agencies, units, businesses, and people in the province. Specifically, many enterprises in the province have proactively applied information technology to production and business. Along with investing in modern equipment and production lines, enterprises have applied production management software systems, overall enterprise management, and connected devices using IoT technology to automate production line management; they look up product information on social networking platforms...

Deploying digital infrastructure development at the Department of Information and Communications, this is the leading unit in directing the implementation of digital transformation in Phu Tho province.

As a leading unit in developing digital infrastructure in Phu Tho province, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Trung, Director of Viettel Phu Tho, said: When it was first established in 2004, Viettel Phu Tho only had 3 BTS stations, 100 mobile subscribers, 12 ADSL subscribers, 1,700 fixed subscribers, and the facilities were still lacking. Up to now, Viettel Phu Tho has brought telecommunications and information technology to every corner of life, contributing to improving people’s knowledge, providing people’s needs with good service quality, and at the same time meeting the requirements of ensuring national defense and security. Viettel Phu Tho has focused on building a strategy to invest in network infrastructure and expand services, creating breakthroughs, especially developing BTS stations, expanding peripheral networks, and developing ADSL services in Viet Tri city; building and installing BTS stations to expand coverage with the strategy of building a network “taking rural areas to surround urban areas,” "the network goes first, business follows.".

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Quang and delegates visited the booth displaying digital technology products of Viettel Phu Tho.

In addition, units such as tax, health, education, agriculture, and rural development have introduced specialized application software that connects two-way to support and perform operations on medical examination and treatment completely in the network environment; electronic school records software; software for electronic tax declaration and payment, electronic customs declaration, electronic treasury, and electronic insurance; online business registration; and the “Agritech - Digital Agricultural Chain” application and non-cash fee and charge payment applications... help digital transformation spread widely in life.

Digital infrastructure creates momentum for economic and social growth.

Speaking at the workshop on developing the Digital Economy and Digital Society of Phu Tho province in 2024, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Quang emphasized: Digital transformation is a long-term strategy, in which developing digital infrastructure creates new growth momentum, contributing to the sustainable development of the province!

Officers of the Department of Information and Communications regularly inspect and supervise to ensure the stable operation of the information security monitoring system of Phu Tho province.

2024 is also the third year, along with the whole country in general, Phu Tho province focuses on popularizing digital infrastructure and creating digital applications to develop the digital economy—a new driving force for economic growth and labor productivity. Phu Tho province has developed a specific plan to clearly assign responsibilities to all levels and sectors to focus on promoting and diversifying communication work. Activities focus on popularizing and instructing the use of digital applications and digital solutions from the province to the grassroots. Notably, the organization of the workshop “Developing the digital economy and digital society in Phu Tho province” with orientations and solutions for developing the digital economy and digital society in the area; displaying and introducing digital technology products, services, and digital applications to serve the development of the digital economy and digital society. At the same time, deploy the campaign activities “Go to every alley, knock on every door, and guide each citizen to use digital services and applications to develop the digital economy” of the Community Digital Technology Team from October 1 to October 10, 2024, in communes, wards, and towns in the province.

The Digital Technology Team of Hung Vuong area, Gia Cam ward, Viet Tri city, launched the campaign “Go to every alley, knock on every door” in response to the National Digital Transformation Day in 2024.

Phu Tho province has focused on directing and deploying information technology infrastructure and digital transformation implementation platforms in a centralized and unified manner throughout the province, such as: integrated platform system, data sharing, wide area network system, online conference system, smart operation center, and information security monitoring center and digital data center. The above systems operate stably and continuously, meeting the technical and exploitation requirements of e-government towards digital government. National databases (DBs) that create the foundation for digital government development have been built and completed to ensure connectivity, sharing, and consistency from the central to local levels. The province’s data warehouse and digital transformation portal have been deployed; specialized databases have been actively deployed by agencies and units under the direction of ministries and branches, gradually meeting the requirements for exploitation and use in state agencies.

Viettel Phu Tho installs and broadcasts 5G BTS stations in Viet Tri City.

In the coming time, Phu Tho will continue to focus on developing digital connection infrastructure for people, covering fiber optic cable networks and broadband mobile networks to all villages, hamlets, and residential areas; ensuring stable mobile network signals in low-lying areas to create conditions for people to enjoy digital transformation services and utilities. In addition, to develop digital infrastructure, the province actively mobilizes the participation of large corporations and enterprises to support digital transformation in the area. In which, select enterprises to effectively support digital transformation, create spillover in the business community, and increase the proportion of the digital economy in the general economy of the province. Continue to promote the role of press agencies, media, grassroots radio stations, and social networks in propaganda work on digital transformation to fundamentally and comprehensively change awareness. From there, create determination in the entire political system, active participation of enterprises, and consensus of the people in implementing digital transformation.

Comrade Nguyen Minh Tuong, member of the Provincial Party Committee and director of the Department of Information and Communications, affirmed: The successful implementation of the digital transformation task in 2024 is of great significance, contributing to the completion of the goals and tasks of the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025. With the drastic direction of the provincial leaders and the determination of all levels and sectors in the province, with the initiative and efforts of the entire Information and Communications sector, the digital transformation in the province will certainly have many new results, contributing to the socio-economic development achievements of Phu Tho province in the following years.

Ngoc Ha