Vietnam - Internet to 2009

Synopsis

The Vietnamese government had for a long time been very cautious about allowing free access to online information, considering it ‘a potential source of harm to the political, social and cultural integrity of the country’. As a result, Vietnam came late to Internet, the first service being offered in 1997. The high cost of access and slow connections subsequently kept the country’s total Internet subscriber-base low for some time. The number of Internet users grew from about 10,000 in 1998 to an estimated 21 million by early 2009, almost 25% of the population, as the market continued to grow strongly. The government said in 2008 that it would inject US$6.3 billion over a two year period to lift user Internet penetration in country to 35%. This report looks at the development and regulation of Internet in Vietnam.

Note: This is an archived report and has not been updated since the start of 2010.