The program permanently provides free broadband Internet access to educational institutions nationwide, aiming to bring information technology (IT) application into all activities of the Education sector; with the criterion that investment in education is an investment in the future. This is also one of the actions expressing Viettel's gratitude to society. Such programs will certainly continue to be replicated by Viettel.

COMMENTARY

"The program shows the soldier's heart, although the education (Ministry of Education and Training) does not assign tasks to the army, which live and work with the spirit of where it is difficult then there a brave soldier, has solved the problem of the army. Education in Information Technology is an infrastructure problem. If we don't have a soldier's will, it will probably be slow, it will take much longer for us to spread the Internet to schools nationwide like that. "

Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan - Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front

"Having connected schools, we set a much larger goal, which fundamentally changes the way schools connect to the Internet. It's the fiber-optic ultra-wideband connection for all schools, enabling teaching and learning applications to grow. We are doing something that even the United States is striving for to bring broadband Internet to 15,000 American schools by the end of President Obama's term. The even bigger difference is that all that connectivity is provided for free by a business. In addition, this cooperation does not just stop at providing connection infrastructure, Viettel also supports the education industry in terms of content, IT application, construction of a national database on Education, implementation of the system. The e-educational system, including building an online learning materials repository, online teaching and learning system, educational television channel, on-demand learning channel on fiber optic television. Total investment is up to many trillion VND, annual maintenance cost is over 500 billion VND."

Major General Nguyen Manh Hung - Minister of Information and Communications - Former General Director of Viettel Group

IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS

• 30,593 Is the number of educational institutions across the country that have been connected and upgraded to the Internet from 2008 to 2013.
• More than 25 million teachers and students nationwide have access to the Internet through the program "Education network connection", bringing the total number of internet users in Vietnam to 34 million, contributing to bringing Vietnam to the next level. Nam is in the Top 20 countries with the largest number of Internet users in the world.
• 81% is the percentage of educational units connected to use broadband services (Leased Line Internet, FTTH, ADSL, 3G) through the program "Education Network Connection".
• 23,000 is the number of kilometers Viettel has deployed for the program "Education network connection" from 2008 to 2013.
• 500 billion VND is the total investment Viettel invested from 2008 to 2010 to maintain the implementation of the program "Education network connection".
• VND 100 billion As a regular cost for each year to implement the program "Connecting Education Network" in the period 2008-2013.
• 96% Is the percentage of communes across the country that have been provided optical fiber internet connection during the 2008-2013 cooperation period between Viettel and the Ministry of Education and Training within the framework of the program "Education network connection".
• 46,000 Is the number of establishments. Education and schools throughout the country are committed by Viettel to be connected to the ultra-wideband Internet by fiber optic cable until 2015.
• 20,000 Is the number of schools that Viettel commits to deploying the SMAS school management system software until June 2015.