Webometrics global rankings

The Speedtest Global Index released recently by Ookla, an American firm that describes itself as a global leader in network and connectivity intelligence, showed Vietnam's fixed broadband network hit a download speed of 91.6 Mbps in February, up nearly 9% from the previous month's 84.18 Mbps, marking the highest speed ever recorded by Vietnam. With such speeds, Vietnam's fixed broadband rose to 39th position last month from the 45th place in January. The mobile Internet speed, however, dropped from 46.66 Mbps in January to 42.67 Mbps last month, resulting in a ranking of 52nd, falling nine places from January. The result is quite similar to what was recorded by the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) under the Ministry of Information and Communications As measured by the center’s i-Speed tool, the download speed of the mobile network decreased from 40.82 Mbps in January to 36.45 Mbps last month, while that of the fixed network increased from 85.8 Mpbs to 89.73 … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Internet climbs on global speed rankings despite repeated disruptions

The initiative came after Hanoi and HCMC, Vietnam's two biggest cities, were ranked near the bottom in a global ranking of public toilet density of 69 cities by QS Supplies, one of the largest bathroom wholesalers and retailers in the U.K. They have only 0.01 public toilets available per square kilometer, higher only than the Egyptian capital Cairo, which has 0.002. Paris topped the ranking, with the French capital having seven per square kilometer, followed by Sydney (3.64) in Australia and Zurich (2.9) in Switzerland. After the ranking made local headlines, the HCMC People's Committee ordered districts to build more public toilets, starting with District 1. Le Duc Thanh, the district chairman, said the coffee shops that have agreed to let people to use their toilets for free include Highlands, Trung Nguyen, King, Katinat, and Thuc, and the restaurants include Din Ky and Hozzizon. He said the district would call on more businesses to do the same. Vu Nguyen Quang Vinh, the … [Read more...] about 100 cafes, eateries in downtown HCMC to open their toilets to public

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Department of Tourism (DoT) is designing plans to promote itself as a friendly destination for Muslim tourists, local media reported. The department and the private sector in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri and Phuket have held discussions on Islamic tourism to seek measures to attract more high-end visitors from the Middle East. According to Director of the DoT’s Tourist Attractions Development Division Athuek Phrasenmoon, Muslim tourists are now a main target group for the global tourism industry due to this being the fastest-growing market with high spending power. Athuek said Thailand saw 11.8 million international arrivals last year, more than 400,000 of whom came from the Middle East , up 65% compared to the same period in 2019. The total spending of this group also rose 71% from 2019. The DoT said it wants to have a solid plan in place to lure more Muslim tourists to the kingdom while also preparing local authorities and people working … [Read more...] about Thailand aims to attract more high-spending Muslim tourists

A U.S. tech firm has sought to figure out which colleges have the best coders in the world and come up with a final ranking, where a Ho Chi Minh City-based university is placed in the top-three list. HackerRank, which focuses on competitive programming challenges for both consumers and businesses, has hosted a major University Rankings Competition to “figure out which colleges have the best coders.” The Palo Alto-based technology company announced on its website on Wednesday that their final data found that the world’s best coders in the world hail from universities in Russia, China and Vietnam. Russian ITMO University leads the top-three list, followed by China’s Sun Yat-sen Memorial Middle School and the Vietnamese only representative in the ranking, Ho Chi Minh City University of Science came in third place. More than 5,500 students from 126 schools from around the world participated in the event, with the participating ranked based on both number of participants and high … [Read more...] about Vietnam college among universities with best coders in world: report

ROUNDTABLE: Seeking a boost for inbound tourism Speaking at the opening of the roundtable discussion, VIR's Editor-in-Chief Le Trong Minh shared, " Tourism is one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing economic sectors in the world today. Its importance in creating jobs and promoting growth is addressed in some of the Sustainable Development Goals in the United Nations Development programme." He cited statistics showing Vietnam's tourism created more than 1.3 million direct jobs in 2019, contributing 9.2 per cent of the country's total GDP (equivalent to $32.8 billion). This is a significant number, but it remains low compared to the global average. Vietnam has yet to unlock the full potential of its tourism industry. "Despite the economic volatility, the recovery of inbound tourism will bring many advantages, such as creating jobs and improving labour mobility. As the manufacturing industry is struggling due to a shrinking export market, tourism is a viable on-site … [Read more...] about VIR’s rountable discussion sheds lights on the recovery of inbound tourism

Senior executives from 52 US firms are taking part in the biggest business mission ever organised by the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) to Vietnam this week as the two countries mark the 10-year anniversary of their Comprehensive Partnership (2013-2023). Ted Osius, president and CEO of the USABC, noted US firms have an increasing interest in ASEAN, especially in Vietnam, amid global economic difficulties, adding this is a vibrant and growing area. “American companies are seeing strong trends in the expansion of a global manufacturing hub and supply chain in Vietnam in such industries as semiconductors, fast-moving consumer goods, agriculture, the digital economy, finance, and healthcare. The US business community is also seeing renewed interest to cooperate in the aerospace, defence, and security sectors,” said Osius. Among them, Elon Musk's SpaceX is looking for opportunities to develop the satellite internet service market in Vietnam and the region in general. … [Read more...] about Largest-ever US trade delegation seeks more trade and investment

Since my license was about to expire, I could either go to one of these places to wait in line or register online. I started with the first method. When I arrived at those offices at the start of the day, they were no longer receiving people and I was told to return early the next morning at 6 a.m. So I turned to online registration, not wanting to waste time. But "online" did not mean quick, or simple. The first step is a medical examination, followed by going to the ward's People's Committee to complete procedures for a digital certificate. Only a health certificate with a certified digital signature is accepted. The ward officer walked me through the steps and emphasized that I needed to create an account on the National Public Service Portal before I could get an e-certified medical certificate. The second step was for me to register for a Portal account using my mobile phone number as the primary means of authentication. My first few attempts were unsuccessful, but then I … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s online administration procedures still far from a game-changer

USABC President and CEO Ted Osius (second from right) speaks at the meeting on March 21. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has voiced his hope that US enterprises will become the biggest investor in Vietnam to seize every cooperation opportunity in the countries’ development process on the basis of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefits. He made the remark at a meeting with a business delegation of the US - ASEAN Business Council (USABC) in Hanoi on March 21. Highlighting the two countries’ comprehensive and fruitful relations, Minister Dung said the US is currently the second largest trading partner and one of the leading export markets of Vietnam. It is also an important ODA provider and the 11th biggest among the 142 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation. Vietnam highly values the fruitful investment and business activities of US investors and hopes they will maintain their trust and … [Read more...] about Minister hopes US becomes biggest investor in Vietnam

USABC President and CEO Ted Osius (second from right) speaks at the meeting on March 21. — VNA/VNS Photo Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has voiced his hope that US enterprises will become the biggest investors in Viet Nam and seize every opportunity in the countries’ development process on the basis of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefits. He made the remarks at a meeting with a business delegation of the US - ASEAN Business Council (USABC) in Ha Noi on Tuesday. More than 50 companies, including defence, pharmaceutical and tech firms are joining the biggest-ever US business mission to Viet Nam from March 21-23 to discuss investment and sales opportunities in the booming Southeast Asian nation. Highlighting the two countries’ comprehensive and fruitful relations, Minister Dung said the US is currently the second-largest trading partner and one of the leading export markets of Viet Nam. It is also an important ODA provider and the 11th biggest among … [Read more...] about Minister hopes US becomes biggest investor in Viet Nam

The article said Vietnam is looking to shift away from heavy industry and becoming more selective in the sectors it promotes for foreign investment. “Building upon its status as a manufacturing hub for global brands, it is orienting itself towards technology, embracing more technical industries.” The author said that the Vietnamese government has made a concerted effort to attract investment through a variety of incentives. In ASEAN, the country ranks behind only Indonesia and Singapore in terms of international trade relationships. One of the most promising recent developments has been its strategic partnership with the Republic of Korea, which has already brought in nearly USD 18 billion in investment from Samsung alone. Japan is a long-standing trading partner of Vietnam, and in the past decade, Japanese corporates have relocated production to the country en masse. Meanwhile, the E.U. is a major partner for Vietnam – the country’s third largest export market and its fifth … [Read more...] about Vietnam attracts foreign investment to build sustainable future