Coverage gaps persist, while connectivity capacity and data use are still limited. These shortcomings have become a major bottleneck in the province’s digital transformation, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Facing new development demands, Điện Biên has identified the completion of digital infrastructure as a top priority, laying the foundation for a sustainable digital economy, digital government and digital society.

Digital infrastructure is seen as a decisive backbone for the development of the digital economy, digital society and digital government. At present, Điện Biên province has five telecommunications service providers. The provincial authorities have directed telecom firms to step up investment, expand coverage and improve connectivity in telecommunications and information technology to meet digital transformation needs. To date, the broadband fiber-optic network has been significantly expanded, while mobile networks have been continuously upgraded, gradually forming a foundation for delivering digital services to residents and businesses.

Across the province, there are 1,125 base transceiver stations (BTS), with around 60 new stations added each year. Of these, 1,087 are 4G stations and 44 are 5G, providing an important platform for advanced digital services. The total number of mobile subscribers is estimated at nearly 500,000, equivalent to 78 subscriptions per 100 people. Fiber-optic transmission infrastructure has reached 100% of commune and ward centers, while the proportion of households with broadband fiber internet is estimated at over 60%, up sharply from 36% in 2021. At the same time, about 75% of residents now use smartphones, reflecting broader access to digital technology and creating favorable conditions for online public services, e-commerce, and digital education and healthcare.

However, significant challenges remain. Rugged mountainous terrain, scattered populations and many villages located far from administrative centers drive up infrastructure investment costs while offering low commercial returns. Many remote, highland and border areas still suffer from “coverage blind spots” with unstable connections, particularly during the rainy and flood season, directly affecting residents’ access to digital services. Although fiber-optic lines have reached commune centers, extending them to villages, especially highland hamlets, faces obstacles related to terrain, land availability and investment resources. Shared infrastructure has yet to be effectively utilized, leading to fragmented and inefficient investment that has failed to generate strong momentum for comprehensive digital transformation.

Currently, only about 94% of households province-wide have access to electricity, with rural areas reaching nearly 93%. This limitation directly affects the ability to invest in and operate telecommunications infrastructure reliably. In addition, digital human resources, especially high quality IT professionals, remain scarce and do not meet demand. In rural areas and ethnic minority communities, digital skills are uneven, while reliance on traditional services remains prevalent. As a result, the use of digital utilities has not kept pace with infrastructure investment. This has become a major constraint, undermining network coverage effectiveness and service quality in some localities.

For example, in Chiềng Sinh commune, two villages - Huổi Nôm and Hua Sát- still lack access to the national power grid, making investment in telecommunications and IT infrastructure particularly difficult. Without a stable electricity supply, telecom operators struggle to deploy base stations.

According to Đỗ Văn Sơn, Chairman of the Chiềng Sinh commune People’s Committee, the absence of electricity limits residents’ ability to use smartphones, access the internet, engage with online public services and utilize digital platforms for agricultural production and consumption. Government operations in these villages are also significantly affected.

Statistics show that fiber-optic broadband coverage in residential areas such as villages and residential clusters currently stands at only about 88.5%. Mobile network coverage (3G, 4G and 5G) reaches roughly 98% of residential areas, yet long standing coverage gaps remain, mainly in highland and border villages with challenging terrain and low population density. For telecom companies, high investment costs combined with slow capital recovery continue to pose major barriers to infrastructure expansion in these areas.

These realities indicate that bottlenecks in Điện Biên’s digital infrastructure development go beyond technical issues or funding constraints. They are closely linked to essential infrastructure such as electricity and transport, as well as the population’s digital skills. Without addressing these constraints simultaneously, expanding coverage, improving service quality and advancing comprehensive digital transformation will be difficult, especially in remote, border and disadvantaged communes.

Recognizing these limitations, Điện Biên is adopting flexible, context specific solutions. Rather than relying solely on corporate resources, the province has strengthened its coordinating role, fostering closer cooperation among departments, local authorities and telecom operators to identify precisely areas lacking coverage or suffering from poor service quality. Based on this assessment, investments are prioritized along a clear roadmap, avoiding dispersion and focusing on resolving each coverage gap decisively. At the same time, digital infrastructure investment is being integrated with other infrastructure development programs. Wherever the power grid is extended, telecom infrastructure is planned in parallel to optimize resources and reduce costs.

Telecom companies are encouraged to apply technologies suited to mountainous terrain, such as low capacity base stations and solar powered BTS in areas without stable grid electricity. Alongside technical investment, Điện Biên has identified improving the capacity to use and leverage digital infrastructure as a fundamental, long term solution. The province is prioritizing IT training for officials and civil servants, particularly at the grassroots level, while stepping up digital literacy campaigns for rural and ethnic minority communities. Through community digital technology groups, residents are guided in using smartphones, accessing the internet safely, completing online public services, making cashless payments, and promoting and selling products on digital platforms.

When digital infrastructure is fully developed and effectively operated, it will not only underpin the digital economy and digital society but also serve as a vital bridge, bringing knowledge, opportunities and modern services to highland and border areas, contributing to sustainable development in the new phase.