PUBLISHER: BuddeComm | PRODUCT CODE: 1021564
PUBLISHER: BuddeComm | PRODUCT CODE: 1021564
Cambodia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses
Cambodia waits on the government to release 5G policy
Cambodia's mobile-dominated telecoms sector spent much of 2020 battling two major challenges: the global pandemic, and the government's retraction of trial licenses for the rollout of 5G.
Citing concerns about wastage and inefficiency occurring if each operator built a separate 5G infrastructure in order to maximise their own network's coverage (and, presumably, to capture greater market share), the regulator withdrew the licenses that the operators had been using for their 5G trials. This was despite all of the operators having already announced a successful completion of their trials. More than a year later, the market is still waiting on the government to release its 5G policy and roadmap, along with the allocation of spectrum and approvals to permit commercial operation. There is little expectation of any further progress happening before the start of 2022.
In the meantime, the mobile network operators have maintained their focus and investment strategies on upgrading and expanding their existing LTE networks around the country, and to 5G-enable their base stations. When the 5G market eventually arrives, the underlying infrastructure will at least be ready to support a rapid adoption of the higher-value applications and services.
Overall, the mobile market fell back slightly during 2020 and 2021 (in terms of total subscriber numbers) as the Covid-19 crisis wore on, but it remains in relatively good health as mobile users increased their data usage over the period. Likewise, the mobile broadband market experienced a small but very rare contraction in 2020, although penetration rates were already very high in this area. There is likely to be a quick rebound to previous levels once economic conditions stabilise, followed by a modest rates of growth over the next five years.
The number of fixed telephony lines in service continues to fall sharply as customers migrate to mobile platforms for both voice and data. The lack of any widespread fixed-line infrastructure has had a flow-on effect in the fixed-line broadband market, a sector that also remains largely under-developed.
Key Developments:
- Cambodian government halts progress on the rollout of 5G due to lack of policy or a roadmap.
- Regulator revokes 17 operators' licenses for failure to comply with the Telecoms Law or their license terms.
- Government presses on with plans for a new National Internet Gateway.
- Report update includes the regulator's market data to April 2021, telcos' data to Q1 2021, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, and recent market developments.
Companies mentioned in this report include:
Telecom Cambodia, Metfone, Smart Axiata, Viettel, Cellcard, SEATEL, CamGSM, MobiTel, Xinwei, CooTel, Beeline, VEON, Digi, Singmeng Telemedia, Digi, Cambodia Fiber Optic Cable Company.
Table of Contents
Key statistics
Regional Asian Market Comparison
Country overview
Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
- Economic considerations and responses
- Subscribers
- Infrastructure
Telecommunications market
Regulatory environment
- Regulatory authority
- Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications (MPTC)
- Telecommunications Regulator of Cambodia (TRC)
- Fixed-line developments
- New Draft Telecommunications Law
- Mobile network developments
- Spectrum auctions
- SIM Registration
Mobile market
- Major mobile operators
- Smart Axiata
- Metfone
- CamGSM/MobiTel
- SEATEL
- Xinwei/CooTel
- Historic operators
- Mobile infrastructure
- 5G
- 4G / LTE
- Mobile broadband
Fixed broadband market
- Fixed broadband statistics
- Fixed broadband technologies
- Fibre networks
- Wi-Fi
- WiMAX
Fixed network market
- Fixed network operators
- Telecom Cambodia
Telecommunications infrastructure
- Fixed-line network
- Fibre networks
- International infrastructure
- Satellite
- Greater Mekong Subregion Information Superhighway (GMS-IS)
- Cambodian-Vietnamese Super Highway Telecoms Network
- Submarine cable
Appendix - Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports
List of Tables
- Table 1 - Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Cambodia - 2021 (e)
- Table 2 - Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2026
- Table 3 - Change in the number of Smart Axiata's mobile subscribers - 2009 - 2020
- Table 4 - Development of Smart Axiata's financial data ($ million) - 2009 - 2020
- Table 5 - Change in Smart Axiata's ARPU - 2009 - 2020
- Table 6 - Development of Smart Axiata's voice and data traffic - 2009 - 2020
- Table 7 - Change in the number of Metfone's mobile subscribers - 2009 - 2019
- Table 8 - Change in the number of MobiTel's mobile subscribers - 2008 - 2019
- Table 10 - Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2026
- Table 11 - Increase in internet household penetration - 2008 - 2021
- Table 12 - Proportion of households with a computer- 2007 - 2021
- Table 13 - Increase in international internet bandwidth - 2010 - 2019
- Table 14 - Lit/Equipped international bandwidth capacity - 2015 - 2019
- Table 16 - Historic - Mobile Subscribers and Penetration - 1995 - 2010
- Table 17 - Historic - Mobile services sector estimated ARPU - 1998 - 2012
- Table 18 - Historic - Fixed telephone lines in service and penetration - 2000 - 2010
- Table 19 - Historic - Fixed broadband subscribers and penetration - 2005 - 2010
- Table 20 - Historic - Total international internet bandwidth - 1999 - 2010
- Table 21 - Historic - Mobile Operators and Systems
- Table 22 - Historic - MobiTel: 3G subscribers - 2006 - 2013
- Table 23 - Historic - Metfone (CamShin) mobile subscribers - 2003 - 2012
- Table 24 - Historic - Cadcomms mobile (3G) subscribers - 2008 - 2017
List of Charts
- Chart 1 - Asian Telecoms Maturity Index by Market Category
- Chart 2 - Asian Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
- Chart 3 - Telecoms Maturity Index - South-East Asia
- Chart 4 - Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2026
- Chart 5 - Development of Smart Axiata's financial data - 2009 - 2020
- Chart 7 - Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration - 2011 - 2026
List of Exhibits
- Exhibit 1 - Key market characteristics by market segment
- Exhibit 2 - South-East Asia - Key Characteristics of Telecom Markets by Country
