The launch of third generation (3G) mobile phone services topped the list of 10 most outstanding information and communication technology events, a journalists’ club based in Hanoi said Tuesday.

The government has also granted 3G licenses to MobiFone, military-run Viettel, and a joint venture between Hanoi Telecom and EVN Telecom.

The closure of Yahoo!360, the social networking service, leading to the boom of Vietnamese services, ranked second, the Vietnam ICT Press Club said.

It was followed by the regulation restricting each person to only three mobile-phone SIM (subscriber identity module) cards.

The spat between the Electricity of Vietnam and the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group over the price to be paid for stringing up cables on the former’s electric poles also found a place.

Another wrangle was the one between the Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team and Hanoi-based Bach Khoa Internetwork Security (BKIS).

The dispute arose following a complaint from the Korean Computer Emergency Team saying BKIS had investigated into cyber attacks in South Korea and the US in July without its consent.

ICT journalists also voted for Viettel’s allegations against Mobifone’s unhealthy competitive practices.

The other events were the government’s first-ever online meeting with authorities from 63 provinces and cities in March; the use of digital signatures at government agencies; the unveiling of a project to make Vietnam a strong ICT player; and EVNTelecom’s laying of an intra-Asia cable.

ICT Press Club was established in 2003 by some 30 journalists reporting on information and communication technology.

Reported by Truong Son