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.
------------------------------------------------
TYPE 1993 1994 / Oct.
------------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------
TARIFF SYSTEM
--------------------------------------------
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$200+20,000 riels
--------------------------------------------
The monthly telephone rate for subscribers is divided into two categories. One is for
Penta Conta exchange subscribers without IDD (International Direct Dialing) service,
and the other is for AXE104 exchanges subscribers with IDD service.
(a) Charge for Domestic Telecommunications
The charge for local calls is free, while the charge for toll cars depends on minutes but not
distance. The charge for toll calls which is available by a manual board is 3,000 riels per3
minutes. The charge for a public telephone use is US$ 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outgoing Telephone Fax Telegram Telex
(p/min.) (p/min-) (p/word) (p/min.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outgoing Telephone Telephone
(up to 3 min) (per minute after lst min.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.