Vietnam: Snapshot of the Internet around 1990

2012.3.21/7.6/7.8/7.11/10.1

By Le Thuy Cam

Hanoi Institute of Information Technology, part of the National Center of Natural Sciences cooperated with Germany University made effort to launch the Internet with the possibility of exchanging emails in Vietnam in 1991 but it was not until late 1992, the first international connection was established.

Assistance from the Australian telecommunications company, Telstra in 1993 saw the service automated using UUCP protocols and in 1994, a grant from the Australian Department of Employment Education and Training expanded the service to provide email to the Hanoi University. This network soon grew into the first international Vietnamese network, VARENet (Vietnam Academic Research and Educational Network). In parallel to VARENet was NetNam, a network also established by Hanoi Institute of Information Technology. With the assistance of Canada’s International Development Research Center and its Pan Asia Networking project, NetNam was launched in 1994. By 1996 Netnam had attracted several hundred users, including 60 NGOs operating in Vietnam at the time.

Vietnam was positioned in early 1996 to establish a full-time, unlimited connection to the global internet. The first ISP and licensed Internet Access Provider (IAP) was VDC, a stated-owned subsidiary of Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT). After the packet switched network VIETPAC was built and served in 1992, VNPT authorized VDC as an investor to build packet switched exchange VIETPAC. VIETPAC network was a public data packet switched network with the DNIC (Data Network Identification Code) 4520.

In 1996, VDC launched online email using internet protocol X400 connecting the packet switch X25 with domain name (vnd.vn). So far, VDC has been the top Internet connection service provider (Internet Exchange Point) in Vietnam (IXP).