The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications plans to connect 2,715 kilometres of submarine fiber optic cable network from Hong Kong to Preah Sihanouk, Chea Vandeth, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, said yesterday.
The project, which will be launched this year, is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, the minister said in a press conference at the office of the Council of Ministers.
He said that after the completion of this network connection, the internet capacity in the country will be wider than before, and the users would not have to worry about a weak internet connection. Besides, the country will also have access to cheaper internet services.
“We have about 640 kilometres of submarine cable network and we are considering 2,700 kilometres from Hong Kong,” Vandeth said.
He also pointed out that the country has around 17.8 million internet subscribers, exceeding the country’s total population of 16 million because many people have subscribed to more than one internet service.
The minister said about 17.48 million have subscribed to the mobile internet service and 312,233 to the fixed internet service.
“The high number of internet users has importantly contributed to the development of e-commerce in Cambodia,” he said.
Vandeth said e-commerce has seen rapid development in recent years and that the market value of e-commerce in Cambodia was $970 million in 2021 and is projected to rise to $1.1 billion in 2022.
“E-commerce market value is predicted to reach $1.78 billion in 2025,” he said.
Cambodia currently has five mobile phone operators and 38 internet service providers, the minister said.
Around 13.2 million people in the country use Facebook while there have been 2 million users on Instagram.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
