CIRCULAR

PROVIDING FOR CONTENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR APPROVAL OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS NUMBER STORAGE AND INTERNET RESOURCES PLANNING SCHEMES, AND PLANNING SCHEME APPROVAL

Pursuant to the Law on Telecommunications No. 24/2023/QH15;

Pursuant to the Planning Law No. 112/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 163/2024/ND-CP dated December 24, 2024 elaborating some Articles and providing measures to implement the Law on Telecommunications;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 115/2025/ND-CP dated June 03, 2025 on elaboration of some Articles of Law on Telecommunications regarding management of telecommunications numbers and Internet resources, compensation upon the State’s withdrawal of telecommunications codes or numbers, and Internet resources; auction of rights to use telecommunications codes or numbers and Vietnamese domain names “.vn”;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 147/2024/ND-CP dated December 09, 2024 on management, provision and use of Internet services and cyber information;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 70/2026/ND-CP dated March 09, 2026 elaborating some Articles of the Planning Law;

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At the request of the Director General of the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority;

The Minister of Science and Technology hereby promulgates a Circular providing for contents and procedures for approval of telecommunications number storage and internet resources planning schemes, and planning scheme approval.

Article 1. Scope

This Circular elaborates clause 2 Article 49 of the Law on Telecommunications on contents and procedures for approval of telecommunications number storage and internet resources planning schemes, and planning scheme approval.

Article 2. Regulated entities

This Circular applies to agencies, organizations, and individuals involved in the formulation, appraisal, announcement, approval, and adjustment of telecommunications number storage and internet resources planning schemes, and other relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Article 3. Definitions

1. “telecommunications number storage planning scheme” means a sectoral detailed planning scheme aimed at organizing and allocating the operational space of telecommunications number storage and Internet resources.

2. The telecommunications number storage and Internet resources planning period is the period of application of the information and communications infrastructure planning scheme.

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1. Contents of telecommunications number storage and Internet resource planning schemes shall comprise regulations on the names, structures, lengths, and technical specifications of telecommunications codes and numbers, and Internet resources, ensuring their conformity with international telecommunications number storage and Internet resource planning schemes and their usability within telecommunications and Internet networks; ensuring their conformity and realization of the information and communications infrastructure planning scheme.

2. A list of telecommunications number storage planning schemes shall be composed of:

a) Planning scheme for international and national number structures;

b) Planning scheme for national numbers;

c) Planning scheme for service codes and numbers;

d) Planning scheme for technical routing codes and numbers;

dd) Planning scheme for emergency numbers and common numbers;

e) Planning scheme for codes and numbers serving public interest, national defense, and security purposes.

3. A list of Internet resources planning schemes shall be composed of:

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b) Internet address (IP address) planning scheme;

c) Planning scheme for network codes.

Article 5. Formulation of planning tasks

1. The planning authority shall develop planning tasks in accordance with the principles of planning telecommunications number storage and Internet resources specified in clause 1 Article 49 of the Law on Telecommunications, and on the basis of an assessment of the country’s conditions, resources, and socio-economic development status, objectives and priority orientations for industry development.

2. Details of planning task development consist of:

a) Bases for planning scheme formulation;

b) Planning viewpoints and objectives;

c) Scope and entities of the planning scheme;

d) Determination of key tasks of the planning scheme;

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e) Time limit for planning scheme formulation, planning scheme formulation plan and responsibilities of related authorities for organizing planning scheme formulation;

g) Planning period;

h) Methods for planning scheme formulation;

i) Costs of planning scheme formulation;

k) Other contents (if any).

3. The planning authority shall develop and submit tasks of formulating telecommunications number storage and Internet resources planning schemes to the Minister of Science and Technology for his/her consideration and approval.

4. The authority in charge of formulating telecommunications number storage and Internet resources planning schemes is the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority (as the presiding authority) and Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (as the cooperating authority) affiliated to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Article 6. Organizing collection of opinions on planning schemes

1. After the approval of the planning tasks, the planning authority shall develop the contents of the planning scheme, organize the collection of opinions from directly affected entities, agencies, organizations and individuals related to the planning scheme; publish the dossier on collection of opinions on the draft planning scheme on the web portal of the Ministry of Science and Technology and on the National Planning Information System.

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a) A draft of the application form for planning scheme approval;

b) A draft of the planning scheme approval decision.

3. The collection of written opinions on the draft planning scheme shall be conducted within 30 days. The planning authority shall consolidate, accept and explain opinions, and complete the planning scheme dossier.

Article 7. Planning scheme appraisal

1. Regulations on Planning Scheme Appraisal Council.

a) The planning authority shall propose the composition of the Appraisal Council and the standing body of the Appraisal Council and submit it to the Minister of Science and Technology for issuance of a decision on establishment of a Council for appraisal of telecommunications number storage and Internet resources planning schemes;

b) The Planning Scheme Appraisal Council is composed of a Chair, Deputy Chair (if any) and members. The Chair is the Minister and Deputy Chair is the Deputy Minister in charge of fields. Members include representatives of units affiliated to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Departments of Science and Technology and telecommunications enterprises concerned (if any). The standing body of the Planning Scheme Appraisal Council shall be decided by the Council’s Chair;

c) The Planning Scheme Appraisal Council shall appraise contents of planning schemes according to its assigned duties. Where necessary, the Council’s standing body shall organize collection of opinions of the Ministry’s leaders, experts, socio-professional organizations and other related organizations before submission to the Planning Scheme Appraisal Council;

d) The Planning Scheme Appraisal Council shall dissolve itself upon completion of its assigned duties;

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2. A planning scheme dossier submitted for appraisal comprises the following documents:

a) A draft of the application form for planning scheme approval;

b) A draft of the planning scheme approval decision;

c) A summary of accepted opinions and explanations for opinions of agencies, organizations, individuals and entities under direct impact of the planning scheme; photocopies of opinions;

d) An impact assessment report.

3. A planning scheme appraisal report is primarily composed of:

a) Conformity with approved planning tasks;

b) Conformity with the sectoral planning scheme;

c) Consistency of the draft planning scheme with the legal system, compatibility with relevant international planning scheme (if any).

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4. Regulations on appraisal of a planning scheme:

a) The Planning Scheme Appraisal Council shall carry out appraisal only when receiving all documents specified in clause 2 of this Article. Where necessary, the Planning Scheme Appraisal Council is entitled to request the planning authority to provide additional information and explanations for relevant contents;

b) Within 10 days from the date on which the planning authority sends the dossier submitted for appraisal, the Planning Scheme Appraisal Council shall appraise the planning scheme as prescribed in this Circular;

c) The Planning Scheme Appraisal Council shall operate on a collective basis, hold discussions in an open manner and make decisions under the majority rule;

d) The planning scheme will be eligible to be submitted for approval if at least three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the Planning Scheme Appraisal Council vote to approve it without or with amendments or supplements;

dd) After receiving the results of the Planning Scheme Appraisal Council, the Council’s standing body shall send the planning scheme appraisal report to the planning authority for completion of the dossier submitted for approval of the planning scheme.

Article 8. Approving planning schemes

1. A dossier submitted for approval of a planning scheme shall comprise the following documents:

a) An application form for planning scheme approval;

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c) A summary of accepted opinions and explanations for opinions of agencies, organizations, individuals and entities under direct impact of the planning scheme; photocopies of opinions;

d) An impact assessment report;

dd) A planning scheme appraisal report;

e) A report on acceptance of and explanation for appraisal opinions of the Planning Scheme Appraisal Council (if any).

2. Within 10 days from the date of receiving the planning scheme appraisal report from the Planning Scheme Appraisal Council, the planning authority shall correct and complete the dossier to be submitted to the Minister of Science and Technology for planning scheme approval.

3. The Minister of Science and Technology shall promulgate the planning approval decision.

Article 9. Methods of announcement and disclosure of planning schemes

1. Within 10 days from the date on which a telecommunications number storage or Internet resources planning scheme is approved by the Minister of Science and Technology, the planning authority shall announce it.

2. Methods of announcing the planning scheme:

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b) Update the planning database on the National Planning Information System;

c) Announce the planning scheme via mass media.

Article 10. Implementation of planning schemes

From the effective date of the planning scheme approval decision, the planning authority shall organize the implementation of the planning scheme.

Article 11. Regulations on planning scheme adjustment

1. A planning scheme will be adjusted in accordance with the principles set out under Article 51 of the Planning Law and when any of the following grounds exists:

a) Any adjustment or change to the international telecommunications number storage or Internet resource planning scheme results in a change to the contents of the planning scheme;

b) The development of science and technology results in fundamental changes to the implementation of the planning scheme.

c) Requirements for national defense and security assurance need to be satisfied;

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dd) More than 70% of the telecommunications number storage or Internet resources planned for use have been utilized;

e) The planning scheme contradicts a planning scheme which concretizes the former.

2. The planning authority shall prepare a report on assessment of implementation of a telecommunications number storage or Internet resources planning scheme when any of the grounds specified in clause 1 of this Article exists.

3. Each planning authority shall organize adjustment of planning schemes and submit the adjusted planning schemes to the Minister of Science and Technology for approval. Procedures for and power over adjustment of planning schemes are the same as those for formulation, appraisal, approval, announcement and implementation of planning schemes as specified in this Circular.

Article 12. Effect

1. This Circular comes into force from July 01, 2026.

2. The Circular No. 21/2025/TT-BKHCN dated October 06, 2025 of the Minister of Science and Technology shall cease to have effect from the effective date of this Circular.

3. Chief of Office, Director General of Vietnam Telecommunications Authority, Director of Vietnam Internet Network Information Center, heads of agencies and units affiliated to the Ministry, Presidents, Directors General and Directors of telecommunications enterprises, and agencies, organizations and individuals concerned are responsible for the implementation of this Circular.

4. Difficulties that arise during the implementation of this Circular should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Science and Technology (Vietnam Telecommunications Authority) for consideration, instructions and resolution./.

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THE MINISTER




Vu Hai Quan