Addressing the opening ceremony on March 21, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son said the event is significant as it promotes the United Nations’ millennium development goal on improving connectivity in remote areas.
He stressed Vietnam’s IT and communication industry is developing strongly, with the application and widespread coverage of modern technologies, and plays an important role in promoting socio-economic development.
The minister suggested that it is necessary to further modernise infrastructure for the sector as well as improve the quality of human resources, thus curtailing the technological gap between urban and rural areas.
The festival, the first event of its kind, will last for two days and activities will include presenting computers and installing internet access for local people. Several workshops and exhibitions on IT and technological solutions also are being organised during the event.
On the occasion, IT organisations and enterprises pledged to donate 160 desktop computers and 256 palmtop to northern mountainous provinces.
The festival, which follows the successful “PCs for life” initiative launched by the ministry at the 2009 World Information and Technology Forum in Hanoi, will be held annually and alternately in localities across the country.
