The city expects the free Wi-Fi internet access to make it easier for Hanoians and tourists to navigate around the inner city. In July, the city's bus operator Transeco installed free Wi-Fi hot spots in 200 buses for bus routes No.86, No.11 and No.12.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are not the only cities to provide free Wi-Fi coverage. Tourism hubs including Hoi An, Hue and Da Nang in the central region and Hai Phong and Ha Long in the north have been wireless since 2012.
Nearly 49 million people, more than half of Vietnam's population of 90 million, are online as of June 30, 2016, according to statistics compiled by Internet World Stats.