Ho Chi Minh City will provide free high-speed Wi-Fi throughout public places

Ho Chi Minh City is embarking on an ambitious plan to transform into a smart city by 2030, with a significant focus on upgrading its digital infrastructure. A key objective is to ensure that 100% of public areas will offer free high-speed Wi-Fi. This initiative is part of a broader vision that also includes achieving 95% 5G population coverage and piloting 6G technology in strategic zones.

The "Smart Urban Development Project for the 2026-2030 period, with a vision towards 2045" designates the development of digital infrastructure as a cornerstone for building a smarter city. The goal is to enhance service quality, improve governance efficiency, and ultimately elevate the living standards of the city's residents.

To realize these goals, the plan emphasizes the synchronized development of telecommunications infrastructure, broadband internet, and the Internet of Things (IoT) across the entire city. This digital infrastructure is designed to meet the demands of data connectivity and sharing, supporting the management and operation of a smart urban environment.

Furthermore, the project includes the establishment of a data center for smart city operations, which will connect to the national data center. Ensuring cybersecurity, information safety, and personal data protection for the entire smart city system are paramount. The city also plans to develop a Digital Twin platform, integrating real-time data from various sources, including spatial, ground, underground, and aerial data, along with IoT sensors, to enable comprehensive urban simulation and management.

The digital infrastructure development is intrinsically linked to narrowing the digital divide and enhancing the digital literacy of the population and workforce, fostering a digital citizen community actively involved in urban development and management. The plan prioritizes open standards, modular design, and scalability to avoid vendor lock-in.