Hanoi to get 14 more free wi-fi hotspots

Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) will set up and manage them.

Four will go up before October 10, the 1,010th anniversary of the capital, at 48 Hang Ngang Street where President Ho Chi Minh drafted the Declaration of Independence giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Vietnamese Women's Museum, the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, and the Van Phuc silk weaving village in Ha Dong District.

Local residents and tourists can use the high-speed Internet without any restrictions to read the news, search for information, watch videos/movies, listen to music, and access public services.

The system will use a high-speed transmission line and there will be no limit on the number of people accessing it simultaneously.

The hotspots are being set up as part of a plan to boost tourism and create a foundation for e-governance and smart city.

Since 2017 free wi-fi has been available at many places in Hanoi, and has received much positive feedback.

Experts in city development reckon free public wi-fi is imperative for urban development but needs a balance between convenience of access and system security, and warn that allowing free access poses the risk of attacks.

They also warn that users should install security software in their devices and desist from sensitive operations such as financial transactions, sending important emails and logging into social media accounts when using public wi-fi.

Last year Hanoi received 29 million visitors, up 10 percent from 2018, including seven million foreigners, a 17 percent increase.