Vietnam’s Construction Ministry and the Republic of Korea’s SK group signed a memorandum of understanding on the 19-week study Wednesday.

“First, the [local and South Korean] experts will cooperate to study and form the ideas,” said Deputy Construction Minister Nguyen Van Lien. “They could begin with a ‘u-building’ to start, and then a ‘u-urban area’.”

The term “ubiquitous” is used to describe such urban areas in South Korea, where “u-cities” are being developed in which all chief information structures (housing, health, economy, the state) share data and computers are be built into houses, streets and office buildings in a huge broadband convergence network.

The network offers residents wireless broadband internet services from anywhere in the city, home networks, multimedia broadcasting and video conferencing technologies. 

Such a u-city in Vietnam could be equipped with radio frequency identification and an intricate sensor network to help regulate and operate essential municipal utilities such as waste management and traffic control.

Some developers have even thought to create “smart cards” whereby residents could use the same card for home entry, public transport, parking meters, movie tickets and rentals.

Reported by Tuyet Nhung – Translated by The Vinh