HA NOI (Biz Hub)— Over 90,000 new .vn domains were activated in the first 11 months of this year, bringing the total number of national domain names to 263,900, according to the Viet Nam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC).

The increase has helped the country to keep its number one position in Southeast Asia for national domain registration and activation.

Domains with Vietnamese names accounted for 127,166, said the centre, which is a subsidiary of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The VNNIC said it earned a revenue of VND143 billion (US$6.8 million) from domain activation and subscription fees in 2013, 15 per cent above its annual target.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, internet service providers (ISPs) in Viet Nam earned VND15 trillion (more than $714 million) in revenue last year, with VND5 trillion ($238 million) coming from 3G network services.

Between 2009 and 2013, the number of internet users increased by 170 per cent, and broadband availability climbed 7.5 times compared with 2005-09.

Viet Nam's internet penetration is at 35.6 per cent, while 40 per cent of the country's online population are aged between 15 and 24.

The number of internet users is expected to reach 60 million by 2018, with total revenue from internet services and content hitting VND100 trillion ($4.7 billion). — VNS