IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The Lao and Vietnamese governments have agreed to continue cooperation in the development of cyber security, e-government solution, and postal service.

The commitment to ongoing cyber security, e-government solutions and postal cooperation was made in Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday between Lao's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications, local daily Vientiane Times reported Wednesday.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications handed over a platform for massive open online courses (MOOCs) and a security operations centre (SOC) system to the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications on January 11.

These are two projects that the Vietnamese ministry assisted the Lao side to develop under their memorandum of understanding signed on September 1, 2021 and agreements reached at a meeting on October 11 the same year.

The Vietnamese military-run medium cluster Viettel plans to roll out 5G technology in Laos by year-end. this is often Vietnam’s third overseas launch of the service.

The country aims to expand this list to four Southeast Asian nations.

Viettel, that is that the Vietnam’s largest mobile carrier, has been testing 5G in Union of Burma and Asian country through native arms since summer, and in its domestic market since last month, seeking to supply cheap service.

The development of smart cities in Luang Namtha and Oudomxay provinces will soon get underway as authorities in charge are finalising negotiations on project agreements.

Addressing the annual meeting of the planning and investment sector in Vientiane recently, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Investment, Dr Sonexay Siphandone, briefed participants on the progress of these projects.

Oudomxay is speeding up efforts to create a smart city as part of a master plan to transform the province into a socio-economic development hub for the northern region, the province’s Party leader has said.

Addressing the recent 11th Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, provincial Party Committee Secretary Khamphanh Pheuyavong said the planned smart city would be comprehensively systematic. It will comprise industrial, logistics, trade, residential, service and green areas.

Ministry of Post and Telecommunications E-Government Center Director General Phonpasit Phissamay told Xinhua Thursday that such regulations would allow officials to check if people post incorrect or inappropriate information on social media. The government is examining and comparing models adopted by neighboring countries in an effort to find a constructive solution that works for the people of Laos.

The government is targeting the use of local domains for email and internet sites which will facilitate the management of online communication.

The direction was revealed at the annual national meeting of the post and telecommunications sector, which began yesterday in Vientiane, led by Minister of Post and Telecommunications Dr Thansamay Kommasith.

Authorities have banned the sale of land in 12 villages in southern Vientiane after the government gave the green light for a private company to build a planned smart city.

The government has given permission for Duangchalern Development Construction Group Co, Ltd. to carry out a feasibility study on the development of a smart city in southern Vientiane over an area of 2,900 hectares.

The Laos government has teamed up with international organisations to help blind people in Laos gain easier access to information and communication technology through new software.

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications partnered with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Thailand's National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) to develop the Lao Text to Speech Synthetic Software.