Circular No. 21/2025/TT-BKHCN stipulates the contents and procedures for approving telecommunications number pools planning and internet resource planning, and the implementation of such approvals.

CIRCULAR

REGULATIONS ON THE CONTENT AND PROCEDURE FOR APPROVING TELECOMMUNICATION NUMBER POOL PLANS AND INTERNET RESOURCE PLANS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF APPROVALS

Pursuant to the Law on Telecommunications dated November 23, 2023;

Pursuant to the Law on Planning dated November 24, 2017 and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Planning, the Investment Law under Public-Private Partnership Model, and the Bidding Law dated November 29, 2024;

Pursuant to Decree No. 163/2024/ND-CP dated December 24, 2024 of the Government detailing certain provisions and measures for implementing the Law on Telecommunications;

Pursuant to Decree No. 115/2025/ND-CP dated June 3, 2025 of the Government detailing certain provisions of the Law on Telecommunications regarding management of telecommunications number pools, Internet resources, compensation when the State recovers telecommunications numbers, Internet resources; auctioning rights to use telecommunications numbers, Internet resources, and national domain names ".vn";

Pursuant to Decree No. 147/2024/ND-CP dated November 9, 2024 of the Government on managing, providing, and using Internet services and information on networks;

Pursuant to Decree No. 22/2025/ND-CP dated February 11, 2025 amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 37/2019/ND-CP dated May 7, 2019 of the Government detailing certain provisions of the Law on Planning which has been amended and supplemented by Decree No. 58/2023/ND-CP dated August 12, 2023 of the Government;

Pursuant to Decree No. 55/2025/ND-CP dated March 2, 2025 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Science and Technology;

At the proposal of the Director of the Telecommunications Department;

The Minister of Science and Technology issues this Circular to regulate the content and procedure for approving telecommunications number pool plans and Internet resource plans and the implementation of such approvals.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular details Clause 2, Article 49 of the Law on Telecommunications concerning the content and procedure for approving telecommunications number pool plans and Internet resource plans and the implementation of such approvals.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to agencies, organizations, and individuals participating in drafting, reviewing, publishing, implementing approval, and adjusting telecommunications number pool plans and Internet resource plans, as well as other agencies, organizations, and individuals related thereto.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

1. A telecommunications number pool plan is a specialized technical plan aimed at organizing and allocating the operational space of telecommunications number pool resources.

2. An Internet resource plan is a specialized technical plan aimed at organizing and allocating the operational space of Internet resources.

Article 4. Content of the Plan

1. The content of the telecommunications number pool plan and Internet resource plan includes regulations on the name, structure, length, and technical features of telecommunications numbers and Internet resources ensuring compatibility with international telecommunications number pool and Internet resource plans and availability within the telecommunications network and Internet.

2. The list of telecommunications number pool plans includes:

a) International and national number structure planning;

b) National number planning;

c) Service code and number planning;

d) Technical routing code and number planning;

e) Emergency service number and shared number planning;

f) Code and number planning serving public interest, national defense, and security.

3. The list of Internet resource plans includes:

a) National domain name ".vn" planning;

b) Internet address (IP address) planning;

c) Network identification number planning.

Article 5. Establishing, reviewing, and approving planning tasks

1. The planning agency shall establish the planning task based on the assessment of conditions, resources, current socio-economic development status of the country, objectives, and priority development directions of the industry.

2. The contents of the planning task include:

a) Basis for planning;

b) Views and objectives of planning;

c) Scope and objects of planning;

d) Determination of key tasks of the plan;

đ) Draft content of the plan;

e) Time limit for planning, planning schedule, and responsibilities of relevant agencies in organizing the planning process;

g) Planning period;

h) Methods of planning;

i) Costs of planning;

k) Other contents (if any).

3. The planning agency shall prepare a submission form for the planning task to be approved by the Minister of Science and Technology.

4. The planning agency for telecommunications numbering is the Telecommunications Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

5. The planning agency for Internet resource is the Vietnam Internet Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Article 6. Organizing public consultation on planning

1. After approval of the planning task, the planning agency shall develop the planning contents, organize public consultations with directly affected entities, related agencies, organizations, and individuals; and post the consultation dossier on the Ministry of Science and Technology's electronic portal.

2. The consultation dossier includes:

a) Draft submission form for plan approval;

b) Draft decision on plan approval.

3. Written comments on the draft plan must be submitted within ten days. The planning agency shall compile, incorporate, and respond to comments, and perfect the planning dossier.

Article 7. Reviewing the Plan

1. Regulations on the Planning Review Board.

a) The Minister of Science and Technology shall establish the Planning Review Board for telecommunications numbering and Internet resources;

b) The Planning Review Board consists of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman (if any), and members. The Chairman is the Minister, and the Vice-Chairman is the Deputy Minister responsible for the sector. Members include representatives from units under the Ministry, Provincial Departments of Science and Technology, and related telecommunications enterprises (if any). The permanent office of the Planning Review Board is determined by the Chairman;

c) The Planning Review Board is responsible for reviewing the plan content according to the assigned task. In necessary cases, the permanent office may organize collective opinions from the Ministry’s leadership, experts, professional associations, and other related organizations before presenting to the Planning Review Board;

d) The Planning Review Board disbands after completing its task;

đ) The permanent office of the Planning Review Board is responsible for drafting and submitting to the Minister of Science and Technology for issuance of the decision establishing the Planning Review Board for telecommunications numbering and Internet resources; receiving, studying, and processing the dossier, providing the dossier for review to the members of the Planning Review Board through direct meetings or opinion forms; organizing meetings of the Planning Review Board at the request of the Chairman; drafting the minutes of the meeting, the review report, and other tasks assigned by the Chairman.

2. The dossier for review includes the following documents:

a) Draft submission form for plan approval;

b) Draft decision on plan approval;

c) Summary and explanation of opinions received from agencies, organizations, individuals, and directly affected entities; copies of comments;

d) Impact assessment report.

3. The main contents of the review report include:

a) Compliance with the approved planning task;

b) Compliance with national industry planning;

c) Consistency of the draft plan with the legal system and compatibility with related international plans (if any);

d) Feasibility of the plan.

4. Regulations on the review of the plan.

a) The Planning Review Board will only conduct reviews when it receives all required documents as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article. If necessary, the Planning Review Board has the right to request additional information or explanations from the planning agency regarding related contents;

b) Within ten days from the date the planning agency submits the dossier for review, the Planning Review Board is responsible for conducting the review according to the provisions of this Circular;

c) The Planning Review Board operates collectively, conducts discussions openly, and decides by majority vote using ballots;

d) The plan is eligible for approval if at least 50% of the Planning Review Board members agree;

đ) After obtaining the results of the Planning Review Board, the permanent office sends the review report to the planning agency to complete the dossier for plan approval;

e) From the date of receipt of the review report, the planning agency is responsible for revising and perfecting the dossier for submission to the Minister of Science and Technology for approval of the plan.

Article 8. Implementation of the approval of the planning scheme

1. The dossier for the approval of the planning scheme includes the following documents:

a) Application form for the approval of the planning scheme;

b) Draft decision on plan approval;

c) Summary report, explanation on the adoption of opinions from agencies, organizations, individuals, and direct affected entities of the draft planning scheme; copies of comments;

d) Impact assessment report;

đ) Planning scheme review report;

e) Report on the adoption and explanation of the opinions of the Planning Scheme Review Board (if any).

2. Within ten working days from the date of receipt of the Planning Scheme Review Board's review report, the planning scheme drafting agency shall revise and complete the dossier to submit to the Minister of Science and Technology for approval of the planning scheme.

3. The Minister of Science and Technology shall issue a decision to approve the planning scheme.

Article 9. Publication of the planning scheme

Within fifteen days from the date the planning scheme is approved by the Minister of Science and Technology, the planning scheme drafting agency shall be responsible for publishing the planning scheme on the Ministry of Science and Technology’s electronic portal; through mass media and via conferences and seminars disseminating legal normative documents.

Article 10. Implementation of the planning scheme

From the date the approval decision becomes effective, the planning scheme drafting agency shall be responsible for organizing the implementation of the planning scheme.

Article 11. Provisions on adjustment of the planning scheme

1. Adjustment of the planning scheme shall be carried out when there is one of the following grounds:

a) There is an adjustment or change in the telecommunications number pool, internet resource planning at the international level, which alters the content of the planning scheme;

b) Due to the development of science and technology, fundamentally changing the implementation of the planning scheme;

c) To ensure national defense and security requirements;

d) When the planning scheme encounters difficulties or inconsistencies in actual implementation;

đ) When the utilization rate of the telecommunications number pool, internet resources according to the planning scheme reaches over 70%.

2. The planning scheme drafting agency shall be responsible for organizing the preparation of the planning scheme adjustment to submit to the Minister of Science and Technology for approval. The procedures, formalities, and authority for adjusting the planning scheme shall be implemented as stipulated for the establishment, approval, publication, and implementation of the planning scheme under this Circular.

Article 12. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from November 20, 2025.

2. The Director of the Office, the Director of the Telecommunications Department, the Director of the Vietnam Internet Center, the Heads of agencies and units under the Ministry, the Chairmen, General Directors, and Directors of telecommunications enterprises, and related agencies, organizations, and individuals shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.

3. During the implementation process, if any difficulties arise, they should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Science and Technology (Telecommunications Department) for consideration, guidance, and resolution./.