According to the Ha Long Bay - Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board, the planned locations for the broadcasting points include: Vung Vieng fishing village (northeast), Hon Ran - east of Cong Do island, Ba Men temple area, Tien Ong cave, Trong cave, Luon cave, Hon Dinh Huong, Cap Tao lagoon, Tung Sau lagoon, Tra San, Cat Lan, and Co cave area.

Trong Mai islet in Ha Long Bay. Photo: *Lilly*.

Ha Long Bay spans 1,553 km2 and features 1,969 islands. Annually, this popular tourist destination welcomes over 2 million visitors. However, many areas within the bay lack phone signal and internet connectivity. This impacts tourist experiences and complicates search and rescue operations.

In late 2025, Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairwoman of Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, requested the Department of Science and Technology to collaborate on research and propose comprehensive solutions to achieve complete telecommunications coverage in Ha Long Bay. This initiative aims to support tourism development, ensure national defense and security, and facilitate search and rescue efforts.

Starlink, the satellite internet service developed by SpaceX and owned by billionaire Elon Musk, operates with low-Earth orbit satellites approximately 550 km from the ground. This low-Earth orbit satellite internet system is expected to supplement existing telecommunications infrastructure, enhancing connectivity, particularly in areas where terrestrial transmission infrastructure is difficult to deploy or where backup capabilities need strengthening.

Le Tan