The Minister of Post and Telecommunications for Cambodia, Chea Vandeth, recently revealed the country's plans for 2024. These will include an underwater cable that will run from Hong Kong to Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.
The cable will replace a considerably older version that was connected more than ten years ago .
A loan from the Chinese government will be used to fund the new underwater cable. According to the minister, the sale of internet services will pay off the full loan in ten years. The project will last for thirty years. This will generate revenue in addition to paying back the debt.
The Minister stated that the telecommunications ministry is trying to deploy up to 1,000 internet expansion antenna masts in several of Phnom Penh's districts. This will be in addition to connecting the submarine cable. The Ministry considers internet booster and repeater devices to be harmful to internet speed, so they will also be taken down.
After the COVID-19 outbreak, the demand for internet services in Cambodia dramatically grew. Despite the fact that the country has relied on infrastructure that was connected 15 years ago, the development of internet services in Cambodia that are faster and more affordable will consequently be well known.
There are 38 internet service providers, as well as five onshore and submarine operators of fiber optic infrastructure, present in the country. In Cambodian waters, there are around 640 kilometers of submarine fiber optic cable.
