5G expansion and AI help operators brace for Tet traffic surge
Luu Manh Ha said Viettel’s data traffic is projected to rise between 16 and 20 percent compared to normal days. Sharing with VietNamNet about network readiness for Tet Binh Ngo, a representative of VNPT said that compared with the two weeks prior to Tet, total voice traffic has increased by about 12 percent. Compared with the same period last year’s Tet, voice traffic has decreased by around 18 percent. In Hanoi, voice traffic increased by more than 7 percent and is expected to gradually decline toward the final days of the year as people return to their hometowns. Data traffic during Tet Binh Ngo is projected to rise by more than 18 percent compared to last year.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 16, 2026 05:19 UTC
17 fireworks sites to light up HCMC on Lunar New Year’s Eve
Ho Chi Minh City will organize fireworks at 17 locations, including four high-altitude and 13 low-altitude sites. Ho Chi Minh City will organize fireworks displays at 17 locations - including four high-altitude and 13 low-altitude sites - across central areas and key gateways on Lunar New Year’s Eve of the Year of the Horse. The fireworks will last 15 minutes, from 0:00 to 0:15 on February 17, 2026, the first day of the lunar new year. - Reserve tables at restaurants or hotels with good views of the fireworks. - Bring light snacks, drinking water, tissues and devices such as power banks if arriving early.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 16, 2026 04:39 UTC
Data centers face higher power tariffs as ministry clarifies policy
28 dated April 7, 2014 of the Prime Minister on the structure of retail electricity tariffs, it issued Circular No. Known collectively as Circular 16, these documents provide guidance on applying retail electricity tariffs based on customer categories and usage purposes. As a result, Circular 16 did not specify a separate electricity user category for data centers, and such facilities were subject to production electricity tariffs. Thus, data centers operated by telecommunications and television enterprises for their own activities are subject to production electricity tariffs. Therefore, the proposal to apply production retail electricity prices to data centers has both practical and legal grounds.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 16, 2026 04:34 UTC
Banks offer diverse solutions to support SMEs
In practice, SMEs typically have limited financial reserves, while their production and business activities depend heavily on short-term capital turnover and daily cash flow. In response, many banks have adjusted their approach, shifting from appraisal models based mainly on collateral to assessments centred on cash flow and operational capacity. Banks have also stepped up investment in digital platforms and specialised financial solutions for SMEs, expanding their services beyond lending to include cash flow management, corporate digital banking and electronic payments. Some banks approach SMEs from a cash flow management perspective. Meanwhile, VPBankSME has adopted a broader approach to capital and management solutions, developing support packages based on actual cash flow and business cycles.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 16, 2026 03:43 UTC
Thousands of new classrooms in Ho Chi Minh City set to open in early 2026
Tran Dai Nghia Primary School project in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Hung Hoa Ward has reached 90% completion and is expected to be put into operation in early 2026. The project has a total investment of 156 billion VND (6 million USD), and construction has reached around 90%. In the same area, the Binh Tan Construction Investment Project Management Board is also building Binh Hung Hoa Junior High School. Meanwhile, the upgrade of Block C at Marie Curie High School in Xuan Hoa ward has reached 80% completion. Tran Van Sy, Director of the Hoc Mon Construction Investment Project Management Board, said several projects in Hoc Mon, Ba Diem, Xuan Thoi Son and Dong Thạnh communes have recently been completed and put into operation.
Source:Tuoitre News
February 16, 2026 03:42 UTC
Vietnam repositions its national image for a new era
In this geoeconomic movement, nations compete not only by GDP but also by image, technological capacity, institutional quality, living environment, and national values. According to Google & Temasek, Vietnam's digital economy reached $30 billion in 2023 and could rise to $55 billion by 2025, among the fastest-growing groups in Southeast Asia. The momentumDocuments for the 14th Party Congress set a double-digit GDP growth target and a GDP per capita of $8,500 by 2030, rising to the higher-middle-income group. With the right strategy and execution, Vietnam has an opportunity to become an ASEAN digital economy hub. More than VND2.87 quadrillion in public investment for 2021–2025, the largest ever, is gradually shaping a new connectivity network: the North–South Expressway, Long Thanh International Airport, Hanoi and HCMC ring roads, and national digital infrastructure.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 16, 2026 02:03 UTC
New invoicing rules cut corporate compliance costs
The draft adds regulations for issuing summary invoices to non-business individual customers to suit the specific operational characteristics of industries with high transaction frequencies. The proposal to allow daily or monthly summary invoices, based on detailed data from the internal management systems of service providers, reflects a change in management methodology. The responsibility of businesses shifts from issuing mass individual invoices to ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and traceability of transaction data. This approach aligns with international trends, where many countries have transitioned to tax management based on structured transaction data, allowing for smarter analysis, cross-checking, and risk assessment. They pave the way for deeper applications of big data analytics and artificial intelligence in tax and public finance management.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 16, 2026 01:03 UTC
When a small Vietnamese team outsmarts a giant
Bach Dang River: A river of war, or a river of wisdom? The Bach Dang River Historical Site that honors three national heroes, Ngo Quyen, Tran Hung Dao, and Le Dai Hanh. Four reflections from Bach Dang RiverThe Bach Dang River offers four powerful reflections on identity, strategy, character, and insight. The Bach Dang River Historical Site that honors three national heroes, Ngo Quyen, Tran Hung Dao, and Le Dai Hanh. Photo: Hana BuiThe Bach Dang Framework for modern businessVietnam today continues to surprise the world as a rising economic force.
Source:Tuoitre News
February 16, 2026 01:02 UTC
HCMC medical school adds interviews to medical residency admissions
Previously, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at HCMC applied interviews in resident doctor admissions. At the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at HCMC, resident doctors work approximately 62–64 hours per week. Resident doctors are essentially “training doctors,” meaning they have already graduated as doctors but are undergoing specialized training. Ideally, in addition to receiving salaries, resident doctors should be granted provisional practice licenses immediately upon admission. The essence of medical training is clinical learning, which requires direct patient contact and care.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 16, 2026 00:03 UTC
Tiny couple celebrates wedding with 500 guests
The couple met in 2016 when Hung was teaching at the Living Willpower Center in Hanoi, while My was living in her hometown. The couple held their wedding in November 2019 in both the groom’s and bride’s hometowns. In Nghe An, Hung’s family prepared 80 wedding tables, welcoming about 500 guests. In 2021, with 630 million VND in hand, the couple "ventured" to buy an apartment in Hanoi to build their own nest. The couple came together from empathy and live together with respect and understanding.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 15, 2026 23:02 UTC
Canada seeks to deepen trade, investment ties with Vietnam: minister
Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu. Vietnam is an increasingly important partner for Canada, with bilateral ties strengthening steadily in recent years, he added. CPTPP gains, defending rules-based tradeWhen the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) took effect in 2018, two-way trade stood at CA$6.5 billion (US$4.8 billion). It has since more than doubled to over CA$15 billion ($11 billion), reflecting strong growth in bilateral commerce. Amid mounting pressure on the global free trade order, he congratulated Vietnam on serving as CPTPP chair this year and stressed shared priorities in upholding rules-based trade.
Source:Tuoitre News
February 15, 2026 21:37 UTC
SpaceX’s Vietnam unit licensed to provide Starlink services, appoints local CEO
A Starlink satellite Internet antenna mounted outdoors. In the initial phase, the system will be permitted to deploy four ground gateway stations and provide satellite Internet access to up to 600,000 user terminals, regulators said. Starlink Services Vietnam Co., Ltd. has a charter capital of about US$1.15 million. Satellite Internet is intended to serve areas where fiber-optic cables and conventional telecommunications infrastructure are unavailable or unreliable. Starlink is a low Earth orbit satellite Internet network developed by SpaceX, founded by American billionaire Elon Musk.
Source:Tuoitre News
February 15, 2026 15:10 UTC
German son-in-law masters Vietnamese Tet traditions
A German son-in-law fluent in Tet traditionsHeiko prepares the year-end offering tray and joins his wife’s family in visiting ancestral graves. The German son-in-law helps his parents-in-law arrange the Tet offering meal. On the first day of Tet, Heiko accompanied his wife’s family to visit relatives and extend New Year greetings. After learning about the origins of banh chung and banh tet, he became very excited. Videos capturing the German son-in-law celebrating Tet with his wife’s family were shared on TikTok and drew millions of views.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 15, 2026 10:09 UTC
Watermelon carvers earn up to $194 each daily as Tet nears in Vietnam’s Dong Thap
Nguyen Thi Yen Anh from Trung An Ward, Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam carves the word ‘Tai’ (Wealth) into a watermelon to make the fruit more meaningful for Tet (Lunar New Year) display. Among stalls selling flowers and holiday gift baskets, displays of intricately carved watermelons stood out, their green rinds etched with raised characters symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. Nguyen Thi Yen Anh from Trung An Ward, Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam holds a watermelon carved with the word ‘Tai’ (Wealth) for Tet display. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi TreA stall sells carved watermelons for Tet display on Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Dao Thanh Ward, Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre
Source:Tuoitre News
February 15, 2026 09:24 UTC
Applying KPIs to state leaders: a new governance era
That tool is a quantitative set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), where the political fate of "commanders" is tied to eloquent figures. In traditional governance thinking, a leader's position is often viewed through the lens of power and political qualities. Theory shows that without output monitoring tools such as KPIs, leaders, who possess superior information, tend to choose safe options, remain inactive, or maximize personal interests instead of the public interest. Globally, applying KPIs to senior leaders is no longer novel. To remove it, Vietnam needs a governance mindset shift, from “cadre management” to “performance management.”Based on international experience, a roadmap for building KPIs for leaders can be outlined around three main pillars.
Source:VietNamNet News
February 15, 2026 09:04 UTC