[PHNOM PENH POST]
State-owned Telecom Cambodia has signed a business cooperation agreement
with Vietnam National Post and Telecommunications Corp in order to
bolster TC’s product portfolio and coverage area, company officials said
yesterday.
Telecom Cambodia offers both fixed-line phone and
internet services in the Kingdom. Vietnam National Post and
Telecommunications, also state-owned, will provide the technology and
equipment necessary for Telecom Cambodia to grow its operations in the
Kingdom, and in turn allow the company to better compete in a crowded
sector, TC director general Lao Saroeun said.
“We do believe that
the agreement will help us to increase number of customers, expanding
business activities and generating more revenue,” he said.
The boost in services would also result in lower prices for customers, he added.
Lao
Saroeun declined to offer the financial details of the agreement, which
is set to begin early next year, saying only that some kind of
revenue-sharing agreement would be reached.
Vietnam National Post and Telecommunications officials could not be reached yesterday for comment.
Sreang
Tito, chairman of Cambodia Data Communication, which owns internet
service providers AngkorNet and MekongNet, pointed to the high level of
competition among the Kingdom’s ISPs.
There were presently over
50 licensed ISPs in Cambodia, he said, calling the business environment
“very difficult”. TC’s Lao Saroeun confirmed the figure, but said that
only a small number of ISPs were active in the market.
The
Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications claimed the Kingdom had 680,000
internet subscribers at the end of 2010, although the ministry’s
figures often have been disputed by industry experts.
Ministry of
Posts and Telecommunications director general Mao Chakrya said
yesterday the Kingdom was working toward increased development of its
communication and information technology capacity.
Telecom
Cambodia last year earned revenues of US$30 million, according to Lao
Saroeun, with the aim of reaching $34 million in 2011. The company is
also among the first state-owned enterprises expected to list on the
Cambodia Securities Exchange early next year, a deadline that Lao
Saroeun confirmed.
No comments:
Post a Comment