Telecommunications Sector Outlook
TELEPHONE SERVICES
(a) TELEPHONE IN PHNOM PENH
Presently in Phnom Penh the telephone services are supported with Cross-bar Exchange,
Digital Exchange and Cellular Telephone system. The whole system are being
managed/operated by MPTC with five other foreign enterprises under Joint- Venture and
Business Cooperation Contract schemes. The telephone subscribers have been stated about
3,000 before Cellular services established in 1992. The telephone- penetration rate is
about 1.4/100 inhabitants.
The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) signed a contract with an Australian
Company OTCI in February 1993 to install payphones after one year market trial. Public
phone booth stands were installed at important facility throughout the city for locals,
tourists and foreigners. Debit cards for payhones with value ranging from US$2, 5, 20 and
100 each are also available for purchase by the public. Recently MPTC has announced 20%
reduction of international telephone services for Off-peak on Saturdays and Sundays, which
is subject to the trend of public opinion. Through 1993-1994, subscribers including
Cellular -Telephone services is as follows.
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TYPE 1993 1994 / Oct.
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Switching
PENTA 2,828 2,800
CONTA/AXE
AXE 104 A,B 624 1,900
Cellular Telephone
System 4,810 9,200
Total 8, 262 13,990
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Source: Information from MPTC
(b) TELEPHONE IN PROVINCES
Administrative region in Cambodia consists of nineteen (19) Provinces and two (2)
Municipalities with 150 Districts to be divided. The telecommunication services in
provincial area is limited due to aged and imperfect exchange facilities. Presently
provincial services are supported with UNTAC equipment’s and serviced by Satellite
Communications System which connect seventeen (17) major provinces via a Hub Station.
These services are used by government authorities free of charges.
The services in provincial area are also covered with HF Transceivers with eight (8)
frequency ranges. There are two HF bases station in Phnom Penh which are located at MPTC
and Tuol Svay Prey. The calling rate including Telegram services is about fifty (50) times
per day between the hours of 07:00 to 17:00. As for VHF Radio Network in Cambodia, this
system had been supported by the ex-Soviet Russian-made facilities , but presently VHF
link is only maintained for the Kampong Cham link.
The cellular telephone services are actually provided by the four (4) joint venture
companies with MPTC in Cambodia. At present, the number of subscribers accommodated in the
cellular telephone systems is approximately 9,200 as of October. 1994. Despite higher
charge and fee, the number of subscribers is remarkably increasing with high demand from
government authorities,, foreign embassies, business offices, hotels and restaurants.
(i) CAMTel is a joint venture company of MPTC and CP group (Thai), and commences
a service in October, 1992 in Phnom Penh. CAMTel system applies the AMPS-800 system, and
its service is provided by two (2) base stations in Phnom Penh.
(ii) CASACOM is a joint venture company of MPTC and SAMART (Thai), and service has
begun in Phnom Penh and four (4) provinces since November 1992. CASACOM system applies NMT
(Nordic Mobile Telephone System), and its service areas are not only in Phnom Penh, but
also in three (3) provinces (Battambang, Siem Reap, Kompong Cham) and Sihanoukville. These
base stations are connected by terrestrial microwave systems in -Phnom Penh and satellite
systems between Phnom Penh and provinces.
(iii) CAMSHIN is a joint venture company of MPTC and SINAWATRA (Thai), and provides
a cellular service in Phnom Penh since August, 1993. CAMSHIN system is different from the
other three (3) cellular/WLL (Wireless Local Loop) systems. The subscriber terminal is
installed at customer premises with power supply system (charger and batteries). This
system uses the radio frequency 450 MHz and 800 MHz bands.
(iv) TRICELCAM is a joint venture company of MPTC and Technology Resources
Industries Berhad (TRI, Malaysia), and provides service in Phnom Penh since October, 1993.
TRICELCAM system applies ETACS. and its service areas are covered by three (3) base
stations in Phnom Penh. These base stations are connected each other by the 8 GHz/15 GHz
microwave systems. The service area is approximately l5 Km x 15 Km in Phnom Penh.
TRICELCAM has a plan to expand the service areas in Sihanoukville and Kompong Cham.
TELEX SERVICES
TELEX network is connected to Sydney Exchange System in Australia through the INTELSATTE
support.
PAGING SERVICE
Paging service is also available in Cambodia at present and is served by a Singaporean
company PHONELINK.
INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE SERVICES
UP to now the MPTC has been conducting international communications business jointly with
OTC International limited.
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TARIFF SYSTEM
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SUBSCRIPTION FEE
The following fees are assessed when
subscribing for a telephone (for a first
subscription).
(1) Installation Fee
Penta Conta subscriber
(only for domestic use)
between 60,000 and 100,000 riels
depending on the distance from the
exchange.
AXE subscriber
(both international and domestic use):
US$100
(2) Dropwire Fee
150 riels/per meter
(3) Deposit
Penta Conta subsciber
20,000 riels
AXE subscriber:
US$200+20,000 riels
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The monthly telephone rate for subscribers is divided into two categories. One is for
Penta Conta exchange subscribers without IDD (International Direct Dialing) service, and
the other is for AXE104 exchanges subscribers with IDD service.
(a) Charge for Domestic Telecommunications
The charge for local calls is free, while the charge for toll cars depends on minutes but
not distance. The charge for toll calls which is available by a manual board is 3,000
riels per3 minutes. The charge for a public telephone use is US$ 0.2 per minute. As for
the charge of telegram is 50 riels per word. A telex is not used domestically.
(b)Charge for International Telecommunications
IDD Service: A per-minute system is used. The tariff is shown in the Table below.
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Outgoing Telephone Fax Telegram Telex
(p/min.) (p/min-) (p/word) (p/min.)
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Australia,Russia-13 state,
Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland
& Czecho 3.80 (3.00) 6.00 0.17 3.80
Thai 3.80 (3.00) 6.00 0.47 4.00
Vietnam, Laos,
Hong Kong, Japan,
New Zealand, Cuba 4.00 (3.20) 6.00 0.23 2.80
Asian Continent 4.50 (3.60) 6.00 0.63 4.90
European Continent,
American Continent,
African Continent &
Oceanian Continent 4.80 (3.80) 7.00 0.68 5.65
Incoming - - - -
( ) off peak rate from midnight of Friday to midnight or Sunday
OPERATOR SERVICE: A per-minute system is used.
The tariff is shown the Table below.
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Outgoing Telephone Telephone
(up to 3 min) (per minute after lst min.)
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Australia, Russia-13
state, Hungary, Bulgaria,
Poland & Czecho 11.40 3.80
Thai 12.00 4.00
Vietnam, Laos, Hong
Kong, Japan, New
Zealand, Cuba 12.00 4.00
Asian Continent 13.50 4.50
European Continent,
American Continent,
African Continent &
Oceanian Continent 15.90 5.30
Incoming -
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TELECOMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Telephone density in Cambodia is one of the lowest telephone densities in the world. In
spite of big demand in Phnom Penh, there are only few old and poor quality telephone
facilities. In the provinces only a few centers have any telephones at all. There is no
national trunk network to allow direct calling from the local networks. In order to
improve this conditions, the MPTC has the following main goals:
(1) To replace or upgrade existing old telephone equipment in the country with modern
facilities for switching, transmission and cabling
(2) To increase the telephone density to at least 1 telephone per 100 people within the
next five years
(3) To provide a nation-wide trunk system using terrestrial microwave radio links or
optical fiber transmission systems
(4) To introduce new telecommunications facilities within all provincial capitals and
district centers
(5) To improve the overall performance of the MPTC through the adoption of new structures
and operating procedure
(6) To develop, ratify and adopt new legislation, tariff procedures and operating
practices
(7) To prepare and adopt as the basis for the next fifteen year development program a
Master Plan
MPTC PROGRAMS FOR REHABILITATION AND DEVELOPMENT.
MPTC has a plan to implement the following infrastructure projects and technical
assistance for the 1994 to 1998. Total estimated requirements are US $122.8 million and
the funding for projects will be contributed from various agencies e. g bilateral, WB ADB,
UNDP, and ITU. The followings are infrastructure projects:
(i) SWITCHING AND OUTSIDE PLANT IN PHNOM PENH
Development of switching and outside plant cabling in Phnom Penh and surrounding areas; to
provide up to 20,000 lines in Phnom Penh with new local switching and cabling between 1994
and 1997. Estimated cost US $ 40 million.
(ii)SWITCHING AND CABLING IN PROVINCIAL TOWNS
To provide switching and outside plant cabling in all of the major cities of Cambodia to
supplement the existing but extremely limited local facilities Twenty one towns will
require local exchanges, cabling and outside plants Up to 20,000 subscribers could be
supplied to meet the medium term needs. Estimated cost US $ 35 million
(iii) RURAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
To provide three or four systems with a total of 1200 subscribers to service rural areas.
Estimated cost US $ 15 million.
(iv) MARINE AND COASTAL RADIO
At the present time, Cambodia does not have a functional marine coastal radio and search
and rescue capability. Reliance is placed on portable handhold units and marine radio is
supplied through Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The growth in marine traffic, shipping and
coastal trade necessitates the building and operation of these systems. In addition there
is a need to improve the efficiency in the Mekong and Tonle Sap water way. This requires
-the installation of a new maritime VHF radio system in Phnom Penh along with a number of
repeater stations along the water ways. Estimated cost US$ 0.5 million.
(v) NATIONAL MICROWAVE TRUNK NETWORK
To provide a long term solution to the requirements for a national transmission system. A
terrestrial microwave network should be planned and eventually used to interconnect all
provincial capitals with each other and Phnom Penh. This will provide a high quality
digital communications system for Cambodia supporting local, national and international
services. These facilities would gradually replace the newly acquired satellite system
donated to Cambodia by the United Nations at the conclusion of the UNTAC operations. Two
major microwave routes would be required, north/south and east/ west. Estimated cost US
$15 million.
(vi) INTER REGIONAL MICROWAVE NETWORK
The importance of establishing telecommunications links within the Indochina region is
essential for the future economic development of Cambodia. These should be established
between Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to provide lower cost links to these countries and to
take advantage of the growth in telecommunications in the neighbor countries. Links to
Thailand '. Vietnam and Laos would also provide alternatives for the routing of
international calls and provide the basis for improved economic and social relations
between the countries. estimated cost US $ 8 million.
