Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Vietnam to provide Internet service on Spratly Islands
Associated Press Hanoi, June 7
Vietnam will provide free Internet access to its soldiers posted on the territorially disputed Spratly Islands, an official said on Monday.
State-owned Vietnam Telecommunication International will set up the satellite link there, and Vietnam Datacommunication Company will provide the Internet connection, said VTI company director Nguyen Huu Khanh.
It's unclear when the Navy will transport the equipment to the island, which had its first phone line installed in 1999 for calls to Vietnam's mainland, he said.
"With e-mail exchanges with relatives and friends, it will help the soldiers there feel closer to the mainland and also help to boost their spirits," he said.
The Spratlys, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) off the country's southern coast, straddle one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and are believed to have rich oil and gas reserves. The islets are claimed in whole or in part by Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia.
In April, Vietnam angered other claimants when it launched a tourist boat trip to the island.
© HT Media Ltd. 2004.