Vietnamese internet users will be able to access FASTER, the fastest undersea optical cable in the world, by the end of this year, according to Mr. Dang Tung Son, Deputy General Director of CMC Telecom.

MobiFone has begun a pilot project to provide a new 4G service in certain parts of Hanoi, HCMC and Danang.

 The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho plans to solicit investment in and offer incentives to the information technology industry.

 The MobiFone Telecommunications Corporation (MobiFone) launched the north-south transmission backbone at a ceremony in Hanoi on July 1.

 Google has announced it offered free access for large and small-scale businesses in Vietnam to Google Apps for Work by the end of June this year, according to ICT news.

 The government has enforced Decree 41/2016/ND-CP regulating the authorisation for foreign organisations and individuals to conduct scientific research in Vietnam’s territorial waters.

VietNamNet Bridge – Many unique computer cases were displayed at an exhibition last weekend in HCM City, during a hand-made computer case competition held by Intel Vietnam.

 Thanks to cloud computing, Vietnamese executives can manage their companies from anywhere using Microsoft’s reasonably priced software.

  Mobile e-commerce (m-commerce) is set to boom in Vietnam in the upcoming years and companies need to forge plans to cash in on the growing popularity of this retail channel.

 The Ministry of Information and Communications on July 30 requested offices, organisations and businesses nationwide promptly take measures to ensure their information security following hackers’ attacks at Vietnam’s airports.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Asia-American Gateway (AAG) submarine cable has resumed full operation after six days of maintenance, with Internet connectivity from Vietnam to international routes back to normal.

 Advances in Natural Sciences Magazine: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology has become the first Vietnamese journal to be selected in Thomson Reuters' ISI list which includes high quality scientific journals.

Telecom group Viettel's Bankplus has been the winner of the gold award at the 11th Annual 2016 IT World Awards held in San Francisco yesterday. This is the first time a Vietnamese IT product has been honoured with the prestigious award.

 The MobiFone Telecommunications Corporation (MobiFone), the second biggest mobile operator in terms of subscribers, is set to start piloting its 4G and MobiTV services on July 1.

 The 9th International Conference on Integrated Circuit Design and Technology and the 4th Solid State Systems Symposium opened in Ho Chi Minh City on June 28.

 The Russian Federation Space Agency (Roscosmos) and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) have signed an MoU on expanding cooperation in outer space, Roscommos’ press service announced on June 27.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s Dao Xuan Hoang, 34, won the first prize for an education app at the Global Innovation through Science and Technology Competition 2016 in the US.

An interagency inspection team consisted of the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture-Sports-Tourism recently launched a series of raids across the country, targeting companies suspected of using unlicensed software.

AirCraft Company Vietnam-Germany GBR has submitted a plan to develop a $200 million solar power plant in central Quang Tri province.

 Vietnam ICT COMM 2016, an exhibition of information and communication products and technology in Vietnam, will take place here on July 20-22.