Vietnam cities go Wi-Fi

THUA THIEN-HUE, 20 June 2012: The Thua Thien-Hue Provincial People’s Committee says it will offer free Wi-Fi throughout Hue City to lure more tourists to the former imperial capital. It is now the third Vietnamese tourist destination to make the move to free Wi-Fi.

The provincial people committee deputy chairman, Phan Ngoc Tho, said the project aims to develop user friendly access to internet services throughout the downtown districts visited by tourists.

“It will help to improve the city’s tourism infrastructure, introduce Hue’s images to international friends and improve tourist service quality as well as help tourists gain free access to the internet.”

To cover Hue City with free internet Wi-Fi, the committee has instructed relevant agencies and the Hue City People’s Committee to survey and start the project in tourist areas and public places across Hue using weather protected Wi-Fi routers.

“We are learning from the example of Hoi An that has already embarked on a free Wi-Fi service,” the deputy chairman said.

Currently, Hoi An and Halong Bay are the  two other tourist destinations offering free Wi-Fi for visitors, but they have started a trend that will hopefully force hotels at all tourist destinations to offer free Wi-Fi instead of charging exorbitant fees.

By 2015, Quang Ninh province home to the famous World Heritage Halong bay will provide free Wi-Fi service at economic and tourist hub cities such as Uong Bi, Cam Pha, Van Don and Mong Cai.

Tourists welcome the service as it saves them the expense of paying for internet access at expensive resort hotels. Guest houses and homestays were the first to offer free Wi-Fi in Hoi An. But as a general rule the higher the category of hotel accommodation the less likely it will be prepared to offer free Wi-Fi to guests.