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In recent days, Internet users in Vietnam have encountered problems using international services such as downloading content and images on Facebook, sending gmail or watching YouTube. APG and AAE-1 are two of the five undersea cable routes that account for most of the Internet connection capacity from Vietnam to the world, along with three other undersea cables, namely AAG, IA and SMW3. (illustrative image) Internet service providers (ISPs) in Vietnam told VietNamNet that two of five undersea cable routes that account for most of the Internet connection capacity from Vietnam to the world have been interrupted. Specifically, the Asia Africa Europe 1 (AAE-1) undersea fiber optic cable had a problem on the morning of May 26. The operator detected a voltage drop on the S1H branch of the AAE-1 route. According to the initial assessment, there was an error causing a partial break of the fiber on the S1H.1 segment of the cable route. ISPs in Vietnam have not received a repair plan to fix the problem on the AAE-1 undersea fiber optic cable. Put into operation in July 2017, AAE-1 fulfills the role of improving Internet connection quality towards Europe and the Middle East as well as providing additional capacity and redundancy towards the connection direction to Hong Kong (China) and Singapore. While the incident that occurred on the morning of May 26 on the AAE-1 undersea cable route has not been fixed, according to a representative of an ISP in Vietnam, another undersea cable line, APG, had cable maintenance in the direction of Hong Kong (China) from 12am on June 5 to 10pm on June 10. The Asia Pacific Gateway - APG international undersea fiber optic cable route was put into operation in mid-December 2016, after four years of construction. With the participation of four domestic carriers, APG is considered a cable route that offers a stable transmission line with a large capacity for Internet users in Vietnam. Capable of providing a …

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Microsoft Vietnam, Vietnet-ICT and The Dariu Foundation have partnered to create the ‘Enabling Boat,’ an empowerment project targeting young programmers in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The ‘Enabling Boat,’ a months-long project aimed at empowering southern Vietnam’s tech-savvy youth, launched at the Saigon-Vinh Long Hotel in Vinh Long Province on April 10 with support from the sponsors who implemented the venture. Vietnet-ICT and The Dariu Foundation, a Swiss NGO active in promoting education initiatives in Vietnam, implemented the project with funding provided by Microsoft Vietnam as part of the larger YouthSpark Digital Inclusion (YDI) program. Local teachers and students display innovative educational practices at the ‘Enabling Boat’’s launch ceremony on April 10, 2018. Photo: Tien Bui YDI aims to provide an environment conducive to teaching computer science in middle and high schools across Vietnam. Now in its third phase, the YDI set the primary objective for the enabling boat as reaching young students in the three Mekong Delta provinces of Vinh Long, Tien Giang, and Hau Giang. According to Khoa Pham, director of corporate external and legal affairs for Microsoft Vietnam, Microsoft’s contribution for the project totaled US$3 million. A panel discussion at the launch ceremony to exchange ideas between the sponsor, implementers, and beneficiaries of the project. Photo: Tien Bui Microsoft Vietnam is also willing to work with educational organizations in disadvantaged areas to provide bundles of licensed software at cost-effective prices. The ‘Enabling Boat’ project aims to achieve its objectives by boosting students’ technological competence via computer science training and programming courses in Scratch/Kudo aboard an actual boat equipped with 30 laptops and Internet access. In 2018, the project’s goals include training 35,000 students aged 6-17 in digital skills, with 10,000 of those exposed to coding. A 9th …

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Waiting for staff at a coffee shop to make ca phe sua da (Iced coffee with condensed milk) for a customer, delivery worker Nguyen Anh Khoa sanitized his hands three times while wearing two layers of masks. "The Covid-19 threat is lingering everywhere, and I am vigilant but tired of it," he said. Two masked baristas were silently making beverages to deliver to online customers amid the sounds of an espresso machine. On the counter was a note reminding them to wash their hands every 30 minutes. "All I want now is no worries about the coronavirus, so I can have more passengers, make more money and return to things I used to do in the pre-pandemic era," Khoa said, adding he wished to have the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible. The 43-year-old is among millions of people in the southern metro who are looking forward to post-pandemic life and a return of serenity. People walk to a medical site in HCMC's Binh Thanh District for coronavirus tests, May 27, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa. As of Sunday the city has had 1,527 Covid cases in the latest wave, behind only Bac Giang with 5,330. It has detected several worrisome coronavirus clusters that have sparked infections in all 21 districts and Thu Duc City. On June 15 the city government decided to extend mandatory social distancing by another two weeks. The new outbreak, which began at the end of April, has taken a toll on the mental wellbeing of people of all ages. Many are depressed without personal contact with friends and family and by being cooped up for long due to lockdowns and social distancing. Normal pre-pandemic activities such as going to a bar, attending a concert or even having a family gathering now seem far-fetched. Due to fears of infection and the current semi-lockdown, some people cannot leave HCMC to meet their families in rural areas or even hang out with friends. Nguyen Thi Xuan, who sells sticky rice on Ly Thai To Street, said she had planned to visit her …

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