Along central streets in Điện Biên Phủ ward, utility poles burdened with dozens of intertwined telephone, internet, and cable television lines remain a common sight. Numerous deteriorated and obsolete cable lines have yet to be retrieved, left hanging loose in the air or sagging near ground level.

A bundle of sagging power and telecommunications cables directly in front of her home previously hindered entry, exit, and goods transportation for the family of Hoàng Thị Huyền in Điện Biên Phủ ward. Concerned about safety hazards, her family financed a steel post in early April 2026 to elevate the bundled wires temporarily. Following repeated petitions, nearly two months ago, Điện Biên Power Company erected a utility pole to raise the overhead power line.

Facing this situation, Điện Biên Power Company collaborated with telecommunications enterprises to launch multiple campaigns to bundle and organize overhead lines along urban streets. In parallel, the company has focused investments on undergrounding the power grid in key zones to eliminate overhead clutter systematically.

Recently, Điện Biên Phủ Power Branch completed undergrounding works at the Huổi Phạ village Substation featuring a 569-meter 22kV medium-voltage underground cable system housed in newly built cable trenches. Following commissioning, the power route servicing Huổi Phạ village and Him Lam Eco-tourism Area became open and clear, resolving previous overhead entanglements.

Trần Văn Long, Head of Điện Biên Phủ Power Branch, stated that the central area extending from the roundabout and ceremony ground of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory Monument to A1 Hill has undergone synchronous undergrounding across medium- and low-voltage networks. For newly invested or upgraded roads, the power sector installs underground distribution systems from the outset to ensure long-term synchronization, urban aesthetics, and safety.

According to Điện Biên Power Company, the unit has completed grid undergrounding across 12 streets and zones, totaling 17.4 kilometers of medium-voltage lines and 28.5 kilometers of low-voltage lines, alongside investing in 42 synchronized substations.

Beyond the electricity sector, telecommunications enterprises have also executed cable undergrounding roadmaps. To date, Viettel Điện Biên has completed undergrounding across key routes, notably finalizing backbone cable undergrounding and subscriber cutovers along Võ Nguyên Giáp Street. Units such as FPT Telecom and MobiFone are also coordinating with project developers to install underground cable networks across resettlement zones and ongoing construction projects.

Although the power sector and telecom providers have actively carried out cleanup and undergrounding initiatives, tangled and sagging wires on utility poles still linger along several streets. According to service providers, undergrounding technical infrastructure requires extensive resources and high workloads that must synchronize with urban infrastructure projects, preventing completion in the short term. Nguyễn Văn Tiến, Deputy Director of IT Solutions at Viettel Điện Biên, noted that across Điện Biên Phủ and Mường Thanh wards alone, approximately 8,000 to 10,000 subscribers and nearly 100 backbone routes spanning roughly 200 kilometers require undergrounding. This massive scope has led Viettel Điện Biên to target completing its network undergrounding across the two wards over the 2026-2030 period.

A civilized urban center is defined not only by wide streets and modern architecture, but by synchronized, safe, and neat technical infrastructure. Consequently, accelerating undergrounding progress according to schedules is being executed decisively by the People’s Committee of Điện Biên Phủ ward. The ward People’s Committee has issued plans and official notices requiring units to speed up undergrounding milestones. Under local regulations, all telecommunications and television cables remaining attached to utility poles after June 30, 2026, are designated as urban safety corridor violations subject to enforced dismantling. Violating enterprises must bear all remediation costs and compensate clients for service disruptions.

Undergrounding power and telecommunications infrastructure secures urban aesthetics while enhancing system safety, mitigating electrical risks and fire hazards, and ensuring service quality. Alongside administrative enforcement, relevant units must intensify coordination, mobilize resources, and expedite synchronized infrastructure investments to prevent piecemeal execution and avoid prolonged construction delays.

With local government determination and active participation from the power and telecommunications sectors, overhead cable clutter is expected to be eliminated step by step, building Điện Biên Phủ ward into a civilized, modern provincial center.