Launching Internet VN: Receive e-mail by ... bike

The delivery of e-mail was initially done by . bike. This means that the e-mail is sent via modem from Australia to Hanoi and then sent to the receiving place by . bike.

Today the Internet has become popular in all areas of Vietnam with nearly 8 million users, but few know it has been used for the first time in more than 10 years in our country.

About Professor Rob Hurle

Born in 1940, after graduating from university, Rob became a biology teacher at Victorian state high schools (Australia) for 4 years. Then Rob became interested in computers and joined CSIRO, which is considered Australia's National Natural Science Center.

In 1987, when he became a professor at the Australian National University, Mr. Rob was not only an IT expert but also studied social and human sciences. Prof. Rob has research works in literature, Indonesian and Malaysian languages.

GS Rob is currently researching in depth about Vietnamese history. GS Rob's wife, Mrs. Clare, also has many debts with Vietnam.

The reporter pioneered a conversation with Prof. Rob Hurle - 65, Asian Studies Department (Australian National University - ANU), who is considered one of the first bricks for the Internet of Vietnam.

Original idea

What causes GS to start Internet connection in Vietnam?

In the late 1980s, at ANU, when I was working with a number of Vietnamese students, I was very sad because when I came back to the country, they did not have the opportunity to use large computers like Australia.

I came up with an interesting way to try the modem to help them access the computer system in Australia.

Heard that GS brought a modem to Vietnam?

This story is silly. In 1991, my wife and I traveled to Vietnam, the only country in Southeast Asia that we have never been to. Hoping to solve the difficulties of Vietnamese computers, I brought a modem.

I told Australian alumni working in Hanoi about the idea of ​​using the phone to access computer systems in Australia. Silly at the phone call from Vietnam to Australia so high that my idea failed.

So does GS give up the idea?

The special impression of Vietnamese friends on this trip made me not give up my determination. Later, the computer at ANU was also replaced by smaller ones with higher configurations for UNIX systems.

I have contacted many people in Australia, USA and especially Mr. Tran Ba ​​Thai at the Information Technology Institute in Hanoi (IOIT) to discuss his ideas.

We decided to conduct a communication experiment to Vietnam. I had to write some software for the UNIX system to be able to use the communication modem to Vietnam and then let people in Vietnam know how to access our UNIX system and access the Internet.

Successful experiment. In 1992, the Information Technology Institute in Hanoi had its own e-mail box to exchange e-mails with me. And perhaps it is the first time that people in Vietnam send e-mail abroad. However, when connecting we often have to call from Australia.

Receive e-mail with . bike

Could you please tell us about the post-experimental progress?

Our experiments are of interest to Telstra Telecom Company. I and a colleague at the University of Tasmania were sent to Hanoi by this company in September 1993.

Here we met with IOIT experts and discussed the Internet development plan in Vietnam. Realizing that the need to exchange e-mail is especially necessary for researchers, IOIT has set up a separate system to distribute e-mail to state agencies, universities or Individuals in need.

The delivery of e-mail was initially done by . bike. This means that the e-mail is sent via modem from Australia to Hanoi and then sent to the receiving place by . bike.

When did the 'e-mail bike' period end?

We receive an Australian Government support to pay for daily phone charges and equipment to start building the Internet in Hanoi.

IOIT initially connects with Hanoi University and then other State agencies such as Institute of Archeology, Center for Environmental Research, National Library .

Prepare e-mail for former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet

So is the beginning of Vietnam Internet different in Australia?

At the beginning of the Internet in Vietnam only served state agencies, universities . and not for commercial purposes. People can not use it widely because the price is too expensive and not yet popular. This is similar to the Internet in Australia on the first day of the 1980s.

Are Vietnamese officials interested in the Internet?

We received a lot of support. In 1994, we also visited Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet's Office, installed equipment and programs for computers to be able to send and receive e-mail.

We also set up our own e-mail box for Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet with the domain name .vn. On April 3, 1994, Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet received an e-mail from Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt talking about his official visit to Vietnam in the next few days. Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet sent an e-mail to Prime Minister Carl Bildt.

When is the Internet commercialized in Vietnam?

By 1995, the demand for Internet use increased rapidly. We run out of money (funding from the Australian Government) should start collecting money from Vietnamese who use e-mail.

At first there was opposition, but most people supported. The amount of information transmitted from Vietnam increased too fast, doubling every 5 months.

We are a small group in ANU who is in charge of intermediaries so we have to work very hard to ensure operations.

We have to constantly change the modem with faster and faster capacity, but still cannot meet the Internet demand from Vietnam . It was not until 1997 that Telstra Company established a direct data link. dedicated to the Internet from Vietnam to Australia .

Thank you GS!