Ho Chi Minh City eyes free public Wi-Fi by 2030 in smart city push

Ho Chi Minh City plans free wi-fi in all public spaces by 2030 under smart city drive that eyes Singapore, Shanghai models The city's People's Committee Office announced on July 30 that Vice Chairman Nguyen Manh Cuong had signed a decision approving the smart city development scheme for 2026-2030, with a vision extending to 2045. Ho Chi Minh City now spans roughly 6,800 sq.km, more than triple the 2,095 sq.km it covered before absorbing the former Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces in 2025. Its population is about 14 million, according to General Statistics Office figures, making it the country's most populous city. Under the scheme, 5G is to reach 95% of the population and 6G will be piloted in selected key areas. Free wireless internet on city buses is slated for this year. A draft of the scheme published by the city's Department of Science and Technology states that Ho Chi Minh City has not built an urban digital twin, that its integrated operations center remains at phase one, and that decision-making still relies largely on sector-by-sector reports rather than real-time data. The draft credits Barcelona with the approach, and cites Singapore's sensor platform, Seoul's citizen participation tools and Shanghai's centralized command center as further models. The same document counts 12 large data centers, 1,272 servers and more than 200 GIS layers on the municipal digital map. Of the city's shared databases, 30 of 45 are integrated, and 70 of 91 open datasets have been published. People use smart devices in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, April 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Ho Chi Minh City plans a digital twin platform integrating above-ground, underground and aerial spatial data with real-time IoT sensor feeds to simulate scenarios before they are built. Administrative records and outcomes are to be fully digitized, and all eligible public services delivered end-to-end online. The city wants 85% of applications processed online and digital signatures held by 70% of adults. Satisfaction among residents and businesses using those services is set at 99%. 70% of municipal information systems are to run on cloud platforms. 80% of databases are to be digitized and linked to central government systems, and 85% of departmental data integrated into the city's shared data platform. For transport, all traffic lights on main arterials and key intersections are to exchange data in real time to detect congestion and accidents. Smart cameras are to cover all key roads and public areas. Public transport is to run entirely on green energy with interoperable electronic ticketing, extending a commitment the city made in 2024 to convert its bus fleet by 2030. Every resident is to have an electronic health record, and every medical facility is to offer remote consultation. Students and teachers are to hold digital learning accounts and core learning materials are to be digitized. The city also plans a 1,000 digital schools program. New urban plans are to incorporate smart city solutions and be prepared and managed on a GIS platform. Seventy percent of new Category II or larger buildings are to adopt building information modeling. The scheme further targets a digital economy contributing 30-40% of gross regional domestic product, at least 300 innovative startups and two concentrated digital technology parks. A decree issued in October requires Class I urban areas including Ho Chi Minh City to reach level 3 sustainable smart city maturity before 2030. The city set a 2030 goal of joining the world's top 50 smart cities. By 2035 it aims to become one of three national smart city operations hubs, serving as a coordinating center for data, technology and innovation. By 2045 it targets the highest maturity level under Vietnam's national sustainable smart city criteria, and status as an advanced smart city and leading science, technology and innovation hub in the Asia-Pacific. On the IMD World Competitiveness Center's Smart City Index, the most widely cited such measure, Ho Chi Minh City placed 105th of 148 cities this year and Hanoi 97th. IMD found both scored on technology comparably to many European capitals and ranked among the world's highest for public trust in online government services. Subsidiary of VnExpress License number: 71/GP-CBC, Ministry of Information andCommunications, September 22, 2021 Editor-in-Chief: Pham Van Hieu Email: [email protected]: 028 7300 9999 - Ext 8556 10th floor, Block A FPT Tower, 10 Pham Van Bach, Cau Giay Ward, Hanoi