Vietnam has become the first country to be granted intellectual property rights in cyberspace, after being granted a license to develop the countrys first public wi-fi network, the country’s telecommunications authority said Wednesday.
The agreement, which also granted rights to other companies to use the service, comes in response to an increase in the use of Wi-Fi by people in the region, especially in rural areas.
The move came after the country was granted an exception to its 1996 agreement to allow international telecommunication companies to offer their services to Vietnamese consumers.
The Wi-fi license covers Vietnam’s existing public wifi network that is accessible by any device, including mobile phones, which allows people to connect to it using their mobile devices.
That is a feature that has made Wi-FI the preferred way for rural and urban users in Vietnam to access wireless internet services.
The deal also includes the provision of rights to third parties to license their content in the country, as well as the right to use trademarks, copyright, and patents.
The agreement also grants rights to use other intellectual property in the Vietnamese public wi‑fi network.
The Vietnam Public Telecoms Service, or PHTS, is the country s largest telecommunications company.
It provides internet access for the majority of the population and was established in 1976.
It has been providing public wi–fi services in Vietnam since 2009.
The Vietnamese government has been keen to bring Internet access to rural areas in order to improve economic opportunities for Vietnamese consumers, and the country is working on a plan to improve the nations infrastructure and expand its public wi‐fi network in order for the country to achieve this goal.
