Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam Post𓆏 and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) officially opened its eighth, and largest internet data centre (IDC) in Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Hanoi on October 25.

This is the largest IDC in Vietnam, with investment from VNPT, including modern technology that meets international technical standards. VNPT IDC Hoa Lac will be the safest choice for data of international brands, large economic corporations, and for businesses undertaking their digital transformation journey. The IDC has a total usable area of up to 23,000 sq.m of floor space, with a scale of up to 2,000 racks, the largest in Vietnam currently. It has achieved Uptime Tier III Certification of a Constructed Facility, construction and installation (TCCF), Design Documents (TCDD) and will soon be certified for Operational Sustainability (TCOS). The equipment in the IDC is from famous brands such as Cumin, Hitachi and Siemens. The centre has super-speed network connectivity, an average of 2Gbps/rack for domestic connections and 0.5Gbps/rack for international network connections, thanks to its advantage of being the leading telecommunications network in Vietnam. Huynh Quang Liem, General Director of VNPT Group, said that with IDC Hoa Lac, VNPT currently own eight data centres in major provinces and cities including Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. All of these centres fully meet strict domestic and international standards. IDC Hoa Lac is the largest and most modern centre in Vietnam, capable of providing the most advanced data services in the country, and ready to meet the "tailored" requirements of all customer segments domestically and internationally, he said. It is expected that VNPT Group will continue to seek opportunities to cooperate with partners and investors to build new regional and world-class data centres, using green and sustainable technology. VNPT plans to accompany government and businesses in realising national digital transformation, aiming to turn the country into the region's digital hub, said Liem. To realise this ambition, the group invested and built data centres covering all three regions in recent years, with seven systems meeting international standards and the digital transformation needs of customers from government organisations to domestic businesses, he said.

Backbone of the digital economy

The Prime Minister has clearly stated his views and emphasised the essential and mandatory nature of digital infrastructure. This is the key infrastructure of the digital economy. Currently, the Ministry of Information and Communications is working on a draft decision of the Prime Minister approving the Digital Infrastructure Strategy until 2025 and orientation to 2030. The goal of the strategy is to bring the country's digital infrastructure development in line with developed countries in the world, becoming a driving force for economic development. Besides network infrastructure development, the most important components of digital infrastructure are cloud computing and data centres. Data centres are considered the "heart" of the internet and the "backbone" of the digital economy. They play an important role in storing, processing, and managing huge amounts of data, helping with a smooth and rapid digital transformation process. The data centre market in Vietnam is expected to reach 1.03 billion USD by 2028, a significant increase compared to the figure of 561 million USD recorded last year, according to Research and Markets. Vietnam currently has 39 data centres built by large investors such as VNPT, Viettel and CMC. In the national digital infrastructure building strategy, Vietnam aims to have 100% of government agencies by 2025, and 70% of businesses using cloud computing in domestic units. This is a strong motivator for domestic businesses to invest more in the data centre field. At the end of 2022, VNG Joint Stock Company officially opened a new data centre in Ho Chi Minh City, marking an important milestone in providing neutral level III infrastructure for domestic and foreign businesses. The new data centre meets international standards with a scale of 7,800m2 and a usable floor area of up to 12,400 sq.m. Meanwhile, Viettel has also built a data centre in Vietnam with a total capital of up to 6 trillion VND. The centre is expected to come into operation soon./.