Vietnam internet to be expensive

Vietnam internet to be expensive

HANOI (Reuters): Vietnam said yesterday it was more or less on
track to launch public access to the internet in mid-November,
but installation and monthly subscription costs may be beyond the
reach of most of its 77 million population.

An official at the Directorate-General of Posts and
Telecommunications told Reuters that the latest in a string of
planned start dates, Nov. 14, was looking good.

"Well we've missed so many target dates before that this one
must be more likely," he said.

He added that installation and monthly subscription costs
respectively had been set at 450,000 dong (US$36.80) and 50,000
dong ($4) per subscriber. Online charges will be about three
cents a minute.