The ICT reference frame for smart urban development (version 1.0) has just been issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications as a basis for localities in Vietnam in the process of building and implementing development of smart city projects.

This reference framework is a set of ICT components at the logical level and the functions of smart urban areas to align smart areas, applications, and urban services to ensure consistency and co-existence set in smart urban development.

Presiding over the formulation, promulgation and guidance of localities to apply the ICT Reference Framework (ICT) for smart urban development is one of the tasks of the Ministry of Information and Communications assigned by the Prime Minister at the Decision No. 950 on August 1, 2018, approving the project on sustainable urban development in Vietnam for the period of 2018 - 2025, orientation to 2030.

In fact, in Vietnam, in recent years, many provinces and cities across the country have planned and started to build pilot projects on smart urban development, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da. Nang, Thua Thien - Hue, Binh Duong, Da Lat, Thai Nguyen, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and Can Tho. However, through reflection from some provinces and cities, over time, localities have encountered difficulties, constraints and problems in the implementation of the Smart City Model projects due to lack of ICT Reference Framework for the development of smart cities.