Promoting smart tourism

Recognizing that telecommunications infrastructure is the foundation for deploying information technology applications in tourism, the provinceSon LaInvestment has been prioritized in remote and rural areas. Telecommunications companies have deployed 4G mobile networks to all districts and communes in the province.

Specifically, to date, 100% of communes have fixed broadband network coverage (also known as fiber optic network), and 4G mobile network coverage has reached 98.5% of villages and hamlets, and 99.15% of the population.

Widespread availability of fiber optic internet and 4G mobile networks contributes to enhancing the tourism experience in Son La. Photo: sonla.gov

With the widespread availability of internet and mobile phone coverage in most areas, the tourist experience in Son La has been significantly enhanced.

For example, the Son La Provincial Museum has launched an application for visiting the Son La Prison National Special Monument using VR (virtual reality) technology, demonstrating the effectiveness of preserving and promoting the value of historical sites in the digital age.

Visitors can experience a tour of the historical site with 3D images of the space, architecture, and artifacts of the building, along with some videos recreating the activities of the prison in the past, right on the museum's website.

Meanwhile, Moc Chau district is implementing the "Moc Chau Tour" smart tourism application, digitizing services including: sightseeing, local culture, traditional products, cuisine, and accommodation.

In addition, the district has also put into use a 3D interactive smart tourism map; providing detailed panoramic views of 14 attractive tourist destinations (including 11 in Moc Chau district and 3 in Van Ho district) with more than 75 3D images, integrating introductory information, allowing tourists to visit tourist areas, historical sites, or tourist destinations in virtual reality.

Wherever electricity goes, telecommunications will follow.

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has set a target of 100% 4G network coverage for the population by 2025 and 100% 5G coverage by 2030.

To achieve this goal, the Son La Department of Information and Communications has developed a plan for the development of broadband telecommunications infrastructure in the province, requesting telecommunications enterprises to invest in infrastructure to expand connectivity and eliminate "dead zones," so that all citizens can enjoy telecommunications services, access digital transformation, and benefit from its achievements.

"The Department of Information and Communications has directed telecommunications businesses in the area to propose to the corporation to pay attention to and invest in coverage for villages that currently lack mobile coverage. At the same time, the Department has reported to the Ministry of Information and Communications a list of particularly disadvantaged villages without mobile coverage, to support telecommunications businesses in investing in these areas using funds from the Public Telecommunications Service Provision Program."Mr. Pham Quoc Chinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Communications of the province, stated.

According to Mr. Le Duy Duong, Director of Viettel Son La, by September 2024, the company had covered 100% of communes and 95% of villages in the entire province, and aims to build an additional 300 mobile base stations by the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, Mr. Le Minh Thang, Deputy Director of VNPT Son La, also affirmed that VNPT will provide 4G coverage to 100% of communes and villages in the province by 2025.

According to representatives of telecommunications companies, covering the underserved areas in Son La faces many difficulties because the villages and residential areas in these regions have sparse and scattered populations, and the terrain is fragmented.

Some areas lack access to the power grid, so using generators when installing base stations would increase costs; many station locations are on public land, near residential areas, and processing the necessary procedures can take months or even a year.

The Vinh