Wizard deadliest catch

More importantly, unlike previous technologies most of which had to be imported, Vietnam has gradually mastered and is now capable of producing 5G equipment, a strategically important step in Vietnam’s development of information and communications technology.

Off to a good start

Viettel was the pioneer in announcing commercial 5G trials in late November with coverage in the Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh and Hai Ba Trung Districts of Hanoi, where owners of 5G-enabled devices can now use the service for free at a speed of up to 1.5 gigabits per second, far higher than 4G.

Later in mid-December, Vinaphone also announced its 5G coverage in some central districts in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as well as two demonstration centres so that those without 5G devices can experience the new technological features.

Mobifone also quickly caught up by piloting commercial 5G services in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to some experts, mobile carriers’ rush to roll out 5G services at this time is merely competition between brands and does not precisely reflect what the domestic telecommunications market will look like in the future.

With 3G and 4G technologies, Vietnam was a latecomer, but with 5G, Vietnam is one of the frontrunners. Although the trials are just an initial step in the long process to widespread rollout, the carriers’ efforts have demonstrated the local communications sector’s capacity and readiness to provide the new technologies to the people.

With exceptionally fast speeds, extremely low latency and very high density (up to one million devices in one square kilometre), 5G is expected to revolutionise how society functions in the future, especially in the fields of advanced technology, healthcare, transport and education, laying the foundation for Vietnam to master and apply new technologies as well as succeed in its national digital transformation drive.

Taking on challenges to rise up

Vietnam is pioneering 5G, an opportunity to master new technologies and catch up with the development pace of the world. But its position as a trailblazer means Vietnam cannot learn from anyone else’s experience and will have to find its own path to development. 5G will bring with it tremendous opportunities in the future but there are already also quite a few challenges at present.

First of all, carriers face a risk that 5G-enabled devices have not yet been widely popular with consumers at the time of mass rollout and that 5G business models are as of yet not proven to be effective.

In addition, demand for this technology is not yet very high, making carriers find it hard to balance costs and benefits. However, experts state that if Vietnam wants to develop, it needs to see a radical change of mindset and it must dare to meet the challenges head on, otherwise Vietnam will always be a technologically backward country.

The history of Vietnam’s communications sector has shown that successes have followed the appropriate decisions to embrace new technologies. In the early years of the Doi Moi reform when 95% of the world was still using analogue communications, Vietnam took the bold step and adopted digital communications immediately, resulting in the country achieving remarkable progress in this sector.

Then in 1997, Vietnam once again showed its progressive mindset by agreeing to open the door to the internet, opening a new living space and digital space for each of its citizens, connecting Vietnam with the world and laying a significant foundation for Vietnam to enter into important agreements such as the bilateral trade agreement with the United States and accession to the World Trade Organisation, helping deepen the country’s international economic integration and speed up national development.

The launch of 2G technology in 1993, followed by 2.5G, 2.75G and then 3G and 4G, has brought mobile phones, a luxurious item during the 1990s, to 100% of the population at the lowest possible cost. But it should be acknowledged that when transitioning to 3G and 4G, Vietnam fell behind the rest due to a failure to update policies and the management mindset, a lag in technology and lack of new competitive factors.

The fourth industrial revolution is taking place at a rapid pace around the world and 5G is one of the key technologies in this revolution thanks to its high speeds and low latency, essential to many sectors. Therefore all countries should take advantage of this opportunity and Vietnam is also taking proactive steps to get on-board the 5G train.

Vietnam has certain advantages as it can produce many types of equipment and infrastructure necessary for 5G. The Ministry of Information and Communications has affirmed that mastering 5G equipment is strategically significant nationally and Vietnam is one of the few countries capable of doing so. From now on Vietnam will actively act as a pioneer alongside the rest of the world with regards to technology, helping further stimulate the communications sector, making an even greater contribution to the country’s socio-economic development.

A province-wide ban on mobile karaoke services as well as food shipment to quarantine centers has been ordered by the leader of An Giang Province in southern Vietnam after the locale logged five new cases of COVID-19 transmission.

The direction was stated on Tuesday by Nguyen Thanh Binh, chairman of the An Giang People’s Committee, during his visit to COVID-19 prevention facilities, including control posts along the bank of the Binh Di River in Long Binh Town and the quarantine wards at Luong The Vinh High School in An Phu Town.

The fight against COVID-19 in the province is facing considerable threats as volatile developments of the epidemic have been reported in Cambodia, which adjoins An Giang, district-level officials reported during Binh’s visit.

Tran Hoa Hop, chairman of the An Phu District People’s Committee, said the campus of Luong The Vinh High School has been utilized to quarantine those entering the province from Cambodia since reports of the latest outbreak in the neighboring country first arrived on February 20.

“COVID-19 cases were reported in areas of Cambodia that are very close to Long Binh Town, which seriously concerned us as the topography in the border area here is tricky and harboring risks of illegal enttry,” Hop said.

Tu Quoc Tuan, director of the An Giang Department of Health, stated that the agency has required local hospials to prepare for COVID-19 treatment as the number of infected individuals among the Vietnamese diaspora in Cambodia is soaring.

“Our resolution is sending suspicious cases to COVID-19 wards of our district-level hospitals to prevent them from penetrating further into the country,” Tuan said.

Chairman Binh pointed out that the provinces surrounding An Giang have seen imported cases from Cambodia, which calls for stricter patrols to detect illegal entrances via canal networks.

“Quarantine wards must ensure safe distancing between each room and bed. Food from outside must be prohibited,” he underlined.

“Considering its risk of enabling transmission, mobile karaoke must also be banned in the whole province.”

A form of entertainment that thrives off the crowds at street stalls in Vietnam, mobile karaoke is often run by a duo, one of whom will try to catch attention by singing onto a portable loudspeaker while the other will sell snacks to the drinkers or diners.

They also let singing enthusiasts take over the micro at a certain price.

This is not the first time mobile karaoke has been brought up as a pressing issue by Vietnamese authorities.

On Friday, the Ho Chi Minh City government ordered relevant authorities to crack down on mobile karaoke services following complaints about their loudness at night.

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Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (Source: Metropole)

Hanoi – Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has been awarded a five-star rating – the top level of recognition from Forbes Travel Guide in its independent assessment of luxury hotels, restaurants and spas.

This is the second consecutive year Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has had its name in the rankings.

In Forbes Travel Guide’s review for 2021, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi was praised as “a supremely beautiful hotel, inside and out”.

Every corner is a compelling photo opportunity, especially in the gleaming historic wing and all-white inner courtyard, the review said.

According to the review, Metropole Hanoi has a strong sense of pride in its Vietnamese heritage. Its staff dons an eye-catching array of ao dai costumes, walls glow with local art and ceramics, and detailed explanations of Vietnamese culture are sprinkled throughout the luxury hotel.

Situated at 15 Ngo Quyen street in Hanoi since its opening in 1901, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi draws deeply from a century of stories to weave a rich, nostalgic guest experience in the heart of the Vietnamese capital.

Over the years, Metropole Hanoi has checked in many an illustrious character, including novelist Graham Greene, writer Somerset Maugham and movie star Charlie Chaplin.

Forbes Travel Guide, established in 1958, is the oldest travel guide in the US, and is the creator of the original Five-Star rating system for hotels. The guide’s ratings are among the most highly respected in the hotel industry.

Its five-star rating is meant to designate “outstanding, often iconic properties with virtually flawless service and amazing facilities”.

VNA

Coral is seriously damaged by crown-of-thorns starfish. — Photo provided by Nguyễn Văn Giởi

Gia Lộc

BÌNH THUẬN — During a dive on a small island off the coast of Bình Thuận Province, Nguyễn Văn Giởi and other tour guides were able to see hundreds of poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish, which are coral predators.

“When diving to look at coral reefs on Hòn Tranh isle, we saw crown-of-thorns starfish seriously devastate the coral reefs,” said Giởi, a tour guide on Phú Quý Island in the south-central coastal province.

He and other tour guides on the larger island of Phú Quý decided to set up a team “to catch these poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish to save coral.”

According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, crown-of-thorns starfish are marine invertebrates that feed on coral and occur naturally on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and when conditions are right, they can reach plague proportions and devastate hard coral communities.

The institute’s research has revealed that crown-of-thorns starfish are a major cause of coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef.

These starfish can grow to over 50 centimetres in diametre, and one individual can consume over 13 square metres of coral reef per year, according to the New Heaven Reef Conservation Programme’s team in Thailand.

When Giởi and other members of the team have free time, they go to Hòn Tranh isle to catch crown-of-thorns starfish.

“In one day, we can catch nearly 500-700 starfish. We often catch them in summer because the water is warm for diving,” Giởi said.

A member of a tour guide team catches crown-of-thorns starfish. Photo provided by Nguyễn Văn Giởi

Compared to the past, more and more crown-of-thorns starfish are appearing because of an imbalance in the marine ecosystem, he said, adding that starfish predators such as giant triton snail and sea urchins are overfished on the island to serve tourism.

Sea urchins play a critical role in maintaining the balance between coral and algae.

Nguyễn Trọng Tấn, another member of the team, said: “Diving to see coral reefs on Hòn Tranh isle appeals to tourists. So when coral is lost by crown-of-thorns starfish, tourists will no longer like to come to the island. His job as a tour guide also will be affected.”

Tấn has called on other tour guides to join his team to catch crown-of-thorns starfish when they have free time.

Crown-of-thorns starfish are coral predators. Photo provided by Nguyễn Văn Giởi

Crown-of-thorns starfish are very poisonous and dangerous for divers, he said. When their spines accidentally hit a diver, it causes swelling and severe inflammation which could be life-threatening.

Giởi said: “We’re very careful when catching starfish. We are working for sustainable tourism development on the island.”

The Bình Thuận Province’s Fisheries Division estimates that each 100 square metres contains 50-60 crown-of-thorns starfish.

Bình Thuận Province has two marine reserves in Cù Lao Câu and Phú Quý islands.

Phú Quý Island is surrounded by a thick ring of coral reefs. Its deepest point is 42 metres. The island has 72 species of seaweed, 134 species of stony coral and 15 species of mollusks.

According to the Fisheries Division, 10 years ago, the sea surrounding the island was recognised as having the most beautiful coral reefs in the country. However, over the last several years, coral reefs have been devastated or lost.

That is why the province set up the marine reserve on the island.

The division has been working with the island’s People’s Committee to carry out a crown-of-thorns starfish monitor programme. Their staff dive to catch and find them.

It has also asked for help from the Directorate of Fisheries and Institute of Oceanography in Khánh Hòa Province’s Nha Trang city to provide the optimal methods to kill them. — VNS