blackout

Cell phones still work along with 3g service.

khanh44 wrote:

I hear Vietnam gets lots of blackout. So if the power goes out will the cell phone still work and specifically would I still be able to access the 3g network. Can't live without my internet.

Yes, out in the province, it's a weekly thing.  You can use your cellphone during blackouts.  3G uses the cellular networks.

The problem is a supply and demand thing with the government building electricity generators at a snail's pace and people buying appliances left and right.  Furthermore, areas with factories have higher priority for electricity so generally HCMC and Biên Hòa getting the power while the countryside gets blackouts. 

You can just buy a power generator here if you're concerned about the electricity.

Typically, no.  I have never had any problem with mine.  Hey, as far as I know, stay close to the major cities and you are good to go!

Read these threads:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=200087https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=146016

The electric power goes off from time to time, but everyone here survives, and so will you.

thaks might have to start building some solar panels.

khanh44 wrote:

thaks might have to start building some solar panels.

Until you piss off someone and they come in the middle of the night to smash it with a hammer....or steal it while you sleep.  Might be cheaper to set up a hamster wheel and hire some locals to spin it. 

Not much as India

Most I've the time I've lived in Cần Thơ (a khu vực in the south called Nam Long) outages were monthly or less.  Past few months, sometimes 3 days a week.  It's infuriating.  Some repair in progress but this us inexcusably long.  We have a generator but don't like to use it all day. 

On generator or inverter, Internet still works.  Also have a 3G-to-WiFi router and a 3G iPad, iPhone, Android.

I hope they finish the repairs soon.  Friend of mine is moving, he's so sick of the outages.

Yup, they can really ruin your days, especially when it gets hot.  But, in the city centers, we don't get them that often.  And on days that we do get blackouts, I hit the major hotels or restaurants.  They have everything there.

ChrisFox wrote:

Most I've the time I've lived in Cần Thơ (a khu vực in the south called Nam Long) outages were monthly or less.  Past few months, sometimes 3 days a week.  It's infuriating.  Some repair in progress but this us inexcusably long.  We have a generator but don't like to use it all day. 

On generator or inverter, Internet still works.  Also have a 3G-to-WiFi router and a 3G iPad, iPhone, Android.

I hope they finish the repairs soon.  Friend of mine is moving, he's so sick of the outages.

Good to know because I think you said you do software and most of my business is run online so having backup is vital. Good to know Android works too.

I'm thinking getting the Nexus 7 FHD LTE for mobility. It seems to accomplish everything I need in Vietnam. Great taking pictures without carrying my bulky camera gear. Not too big that I can stuff it in my pocket or bag. Can surf the internet with either wifi or 3g without using a 3g USB dongle.

Yeah mostly I write iOS software for social networks so I need to be online to test.  Have to learn Android but I don't like java, oh well.

Wasn't that long ago that you had to add a PCMCIA or USB accessory to a laptop just for WiFi.  Now they're starting to include 3G?  Cool.

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

khanh44 wrote:

I hear Vietnam gets lots of blackout. So if the power goes out will the cell phone still work and specifically would I still be able to access the 3g network. Can't live without my internet.

Yes, out in the province, it's a weekly thing.  You can use your cellphone during blackouts.  3G uses the cellular networks.

The problem is a supply and demand thing with the government building electricity generators at a snail's pace and people buying appliances left and right.  Furthermore, areas with factories have higher priority for electricity so generally HCMC and Biên Hòa getting the power while the countryside gets blackouts. 

You can just buy a power generator here if you're concerned about the electricity.

I'd rather have occasional blackouts instead of that horrendous dam they're building to block the Mekong!

ChrisFox wrote:

Yeah mostly I write iOS software for social networks so I need to be online to test.  Have to learn Android but I don't like java, oh well.

Wasn't that long ago that you had to add a PCMCIA or USB accessory to a laptop just for WiFi.  Now they're starting to include 3G?  Cool.

lol wasn't long ago I was installing NIC cards in PC's to get "high-speed" internet and checking for the neccessary 8 mb RAM.

It's 4G now but Vietnam hasn't got there yet so backward compatibility to 3G.

khanh44 wrote:

I hear Vietnam gets lots of blackout. So if the power goes out will the cell phone still work and specifically would I still be able to access the 3g network. Can't live without my internet.

Just had a 40 hr blackout, 3G worked well, but could have done with a hydro powered battery charger, the river was 8.5 metres higher than usual.