A teacher at Ngô Quyền Kindergarten uses AI software at a class in Bắc Giang City, Bắc Giang Province.— Photo courtesy of Bắc Giang Province

BẮC GIANG — The northern province of Bắc Giang has continued to focus on the development of a digital society, improving the effectiveness of digital transformation efforts across the locality from now until 2025.

The director of the provincial Information and Communication Department, Trần Minh Chiêu, said that the province was concentrating on building a safe and reliable digital environment for the community.

The province is building networks and establishing policies for a digital society within the community, offering information on digital safety; developing a platform for providing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for residents and businesses to enhance their knowledge and skills in digital technology and transformation, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital transformation process.

Specifically the province is focused on building digital services on the e-Government platform and creating smart cities where residents can choose services according to their needs, such as using online public services, accessing smart healthcare, smart education, smart transportation and real estate information and securing employment and e-commerce facilities.

The province plans to deploy and develop free Wi-Fi systems at 100 locations including tourist areas, hospitals and bus stations to serve the province's digital social development.

In addition, the province is committed to bringing in online interactive channels for residents to participate in, to supervise the construction and implementation of policies, laws, and decisions of State agencies; establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) centre to answer questions and support residents in digital transformation.

The province will be putting in schemes to ensure that an all-fibre optic network will cover the region to commune level.

Telecommunications businesses in the province were accelerating the proliferation of the internet and electronic devices throughout the province, such as providing network access devices for particularly difficult to access areas, while supplying affordable digital devices to promote digital transformation throughout the province.

Relevant agencies and businesses were promoting electronic payments, creating favourable conditions for people and businesses to go cashless in the province.

Furthermore, the province was building a convenient information technology application system on mobile devices to support the dissemination of policies, laws, education on gender, human rights, women's rights, children's rights and reducing child marriage and same ancestor marriage among ethnic minority communities, while also providing job support.

The province has 209 community digital technology groups at commune, ward and town level and 2,128 community digital technology groups at hamlet level, with over 17,000 members so far.

The Provincial Youth Union has directed its grassroots youth members to play a core role in participating in the activities of community digital technology groups.

The Standing Committee of the Youth Union of Bắc Giang City, in collaboration with the city's Culture, Information and Sports Centre has launched a digital map of historical and cultural landmarks in the city while the Provincial Youth Union maintains the website: tourism.bacgiang.gov.vn. — VNS