Full speed internet in Vietnam before World Cup final
Repair work on the vexed AAG cable is expected to be completed two days before the final match of the football World Cup.
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After nearly a month of disruption, the internet is set to return to full speed on July 13, giving Vietnamese fans some cause for cheer ahead of the football World Cup final in Russia.
A Tuoi Tre report says repairs to the undersea Asia America Gateway (AAG) cable, notorious for frequent breakdowns, which began on July 8, will allow normal service to resume by July 13.
Many Vietnamese fans watching World Cup matches on their tablets and smart phones will be relieved to know they will no longer face sluggish speeds on international websites.
The latest technical problem with the cable began on June 16, on the section between Vietnam's southern beach town of Vung Tau and Brunei.
It was the third signal loss so far this year on the AAG cable, following two instances in January and May.
Connected in November 2009, the US$560-million AAG cable handles more than 60% of the country’s international internet traffic.
The system runs more than 20,000 kilometers (12,420 miles), connecting Southeast Asia and the US, passing through Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Since its debut, the cable has encountered a “very high” risk of rupture and been under frequent repair, affecting all service providers in Vietnam.
The cable suffered technical errors at least five times in 2017.
More than 50 million people in Vietnam, or more than half of the country’s population, are internet users.
