VNGEONET imprint: Mastering digital space, building solid future

In the digital era, precise positioning in digital space serves not only the surveying and mapping sector but also plays a vital role in planning, transportation, and agriculture, as well as in ensuring national sovereignty. To meet this demand, the National Satellite Positioning Network (VNGEONET) was established, becoming a fundamental digital infrastructure platform for positioning Viet Nam's present and future.

A nationwide digital positioning infrastructure

VNGEONET was built by the Department of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of Viet Nam starting in 2016 and completed by the end of 2019, with a total of 65 stations installed across Viet Nam. This system includes 24 Geodetic CORS stations that serve as a reference frame and 41 NRTK CORS stations that provide high-precision real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS measurement services.

The 24 base reference stations (Geodetic CORS) are robustly designed, drilled deep into stable ground layers, and distributed relatively evenly nationwide, approximately 200 km apart. These are the "base points" that form the foundation of the national spatial coordinate system.

Concurrently, the 41 real-time positioning stations (NRTK CORS) are arranged more densely in the Red River Delta, Central Coast, and Southern regions, with an average distance of 50-80 km. These stations, combined with the Geodetic CORS stations, provide real-time dynamic data with centimeter-level accuracy.

Thanks to this rational distribution, the network has formed a nationwide system of stations, enabling continuous real-time positioning data connections and creating stable links between regions across Viet Nam.

If the positioning stations are the "eyes and ears" receiving information, the central processing and control station in Hanoi is the "heart" of the entire system. This center receives, processes, and analyzes data from all 65 national satellite positioning stations nationwide before providing it to users.

The central control station is equipped with a modern server system that integrates advanced storage and security technologies to ensure information security and maintain stable, continuous 24/7/365 operation. Alongside this, specialized software from Leica processes data in real time, delivering precise positioning information with a latency of less than 1 second.

At each station, satellite signal receivers manufactured by Leica ensure stable reception and high accuracy, contributing to the synchronization and reliability of the entire network.

Providing online digital data for multiple sectors

From the VNGEONET network, the system collects and provides two main groups of data daily. The first is real-time kinematic (RTK) data, used in the national coordinate and altitude system, supporting instant positioning with centimeter-level accuracy. This solution helps users, from state management agencies to businesses and individuals, to conduct surveys, determine locations, or navigate quickly and accurately.

The second is 24-hour static measurement data, continuously collected from positioning stations and stored in the international standard RINEX format. This type of data serves post-processing and in-depth research, such as geodynamics, structural deformation, climate change, and atmospheric studies.

Thanks to these data sources, the VNGEONET network is increasingly being applied not only in traditional fields such as surveying, mapping, and land management but also in other areas. These include smart agriculture, transportation, construction, geological hazards, landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, logistics, tectonic plate shifts, and scientific research.

According to Tran Phuc Thang, Director of the National Satellite Positioning Network Management Center (under the Department of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of Viet Nam), since its official launch in 2019, the Department has continuously improved its data exploitation methods. Initially, data was provided free of charge to organizations and individuals to encourage the application of satellite positioning technology, helping to replace traditional methods, increase labor productivity, and enhance the intellectual content of products.

Since September 2024, VNGEONET data has been provided as a paid service for the exploitation and use of surveying and mapping information. Service registration and use are conducted entirely online at https://gddt.vngeonet.vn.

Thang also noted that the system has issued over 8,000 user accounts to date, generating significant revenue that contributes positively to the state budget. The retained funds help maintain and service the system, ensuring its effective, sustainable management, operation, and exploitation.

Looking to the future: expanding and upgrading the system

Since becoming operational, the VNGEONET network has proven indispensable for surveying, resource management, disaster response, and environmental protection.

More than just a modern technological achievement, this system is a symbol of strategic vision, demonstrating Viet Nam's capacity to master digital space technology.

Tran Phuc Thang stated that in the 2026-2030 period, the Department of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of Viet Nam will continue to implement Phase 2 of the VNGEONET network. According to the plan, approximately 100 new stations will be installed to complete nationwide coverage, ensuring high-precision positioning services in all regions, including border and island areas.

In parallel, the Department will continue to refine technical regulations and processes for data exploitation and security. This aims to strengthen management and share data effectively and sustainably, ensuring data security and safety in the digital space.

In the future, as VNGEONET expands, the system will connect with other systems, such as geostationary satellites, telecommunications satellites, meteorological systems, autonomous systems, and ground-based data collection systems. This will help Viet Nam build a "dynamic digital map" that reflects all movements within the country in real time, supporting social governance, economic development, and the firm protection of territorial sovereignty.