Even newborn babies in Nambodia subscribe to mobile phone services???

Cambodia has 14 million subscribers of mobile phone services: minister

PHNOM PENH, December 19 (Xinhua) -- There are about 14 million subscribers of mobile phone services in Cambodia, or 98 percent of the country's 14.3 million people, So Khun, minister of Posts and Telecommunications, said on Monday.

The number of mobile phone users had been increasing exponentially and the total number was about 14 million now, up from 10.9 million users by the end of last year, he said during a meeting with Vietnamese Minister of Information and Telecommunications Nguyen Bac Son.

Currently, Cambodia has 8 mobile phone operators: Cam GSM ( Mobitel), Mfone, Hello Axiata Company Limited, CADCOMMS (QB), Metfone (Viettel), GT-Tell (Excell), Sotelco (Beeline), and Smart Mobile.

Cambodian [mobile] operators win over 1 mln subs between May and July

Thursday 8 September 2011
TelecomPaper

Mobile operators in Cambodia added over 1 million new subscribers between May and July this year with Smart leading in subscriber gains. Smart Mobile showed a 40 percent growth in the period, bringing its subscriber base to 1.23 million from 880,000, the Phnom Penh Post writes citing figures from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Smart CEO Thomas Hundt attributed the growth to the company's network expansion and a new advertising campaign. Hundt also said the ministry's figures were wrong and that growth between May and July was actually 55 percent. Meanwhile, Hello gained about 230,000 new subscribers, or 19.5 percent growth, bringing its total to 1.41 million. Metfone won around 460,000 new subscribers, accounting for 8 percent growth, and the operator ended July with 6.2 million subscribers. Mobitel, qb, and Excel reported no growth in subscribers between May and July while Beeline lost 30,000 subscribers in the same period.

Cambodia's booming mobile phone market

Pick a number – any number. Cambodian mobile phone users really cannot go wrong. There are eight networks already operating and a ninth will soon join them. That keeps prices extremely low for the pre-pay SIMs which dominate the market. Some are free; others come with pre-loaded credit.
(All Photos BBC News)

There are dozens of SIM vendors around Phnom Penh’s Old Market. At her shop, Dy Suer sells cards from all the networks. She says many of her customers buy multiple SIMs to take advantage of free on-network minutes. Phones which take three SIMs at once are popular and cheap.

Phnom Penh’s Night Market has become one of the main places for mobile phone action. In a country with a population of just 14 million people, there are around 10 million connections, according to the government. But the networks admit that fewer than half of those may be active users – as they flit from one deal to the next.

World’s Most Cutthroat Cell Market?

Despite an average income of $650, Cambodians enjoy arguably the most competitive mobile phone market in the world. Still, the eight operators’ numbers don’t add up. (Image credit:Matt Wakeman)

May 30, 2011
Steve Finch
The Diplomat

Ngo Menghorn is a typical student in Phnom Penh. Like many 23-year-olds in the Cambodian capital, he owns a motorbike, more than one mobile phone and goes through SIM cards like they’re going out of fashion.

‘I don’t remember how many SIMs I’ve used because I always change them out,’ he says, adding that he has probably brought at least 40 in his two years as a mobile user.

His preferred network Mobitel—currently number two by market share—sells SIM cards for less than the value of credit each provides. Mobitel sells SIMs for 5,500 riels each ($1.35) loaded with $6 in call credit amid fierce competition for customers. The catch is credit is only good for a week unless the user upgrades to a more expensive call plan.

Cambodia: mobile-phone silliness

A Cambodian gambler talks on several mobile phones during a boxing match at a television station in Phnom Penh, May 15, 2010. (Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images)

The sight of someone talking on two phones at the same time isn't uncommon.

January 22, 2011
Global Post

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Lim Sivhuy owns four mobile phones and has five different phone numbers but it’s nearly impossible to get her on the line.

Meanwhile, an entire day can go by trying. Upon first attempt, you’re told Lim’s number is busy. A different number you’re told doesn’t exist. Later, when you try again with yet a different number, you only get ringing. Then an automated voice encourages you to try again — but you don’t.

In this small Southeast Asian country wedged between Thailand and Vietnam, the experience calling 20-year-old Lim in western Cambodia's Pursat town is not in any way unusual.

Cambodian: disentangling telecoms

January 5, 2011
By Tim Johnston
Financial Times

Smart Mobile and Star-Cell, two of Cambodia’s larger mobile telephone operators, have formalised their merger, the first of what is expected to be a wave of consolidation in one of the world’s most crowded telecoms markets.

The new company, to be called Smart Mobile, will be 75 per cent owned by Cyprus-based Timeturns Holdings Ltd and 25 per cent by a subsidiary of Sweden’s TeliaSonera, Star-Cell’s parent.

“There are truly too many (operators). Therefore, market consolidation should take place and we have taken a pioneering step,” Thomas Hundt, CEO of Timeturns’ Latelz Co. Ltd, which will run Smart Mobile, told a news conference.

Before the merger, Cambodia’s 15m citizens were a faced with a startling choice of 9 different mobile operators. The competition was great for consumers – Cambodia has some of the lowest rates in the world – but it created a brutal environment for operators: the average return per user (ARPU) was just $5.27 in 2009, according to Research and Markets, a market research database.

In October, TeliaSonera wrote down the value of its investment by $100m, and in November Malaysia’s Axiata, which owns the Hello brand in Cambodia, discounted the goodwill value of its investment by $15.7m,

For investors, it is a difficult market to parse. No one is even sure how many subscribers there are: estimates range from 3.7m users to over 7m. Part of the problem is that many companies count the number of SIM cards they have sold rather than active subscribers, a tactic that might bulk up their profile, but probably contributes to their lamentable ARPU. Even the Ministry of Posts and Communications is unsure, saying that it believes that mobile penetration is somewhere between 50 and 59 per cent.

Certainly there are a lot of duplicates. It is not uncommon for a Cambodian business card to list two, three or even four different mobile numbers that callers try sequentially, and often repeatedly, to get a connection. In the picture above, a Cambodian gambler talks on 18 mobile phones at the same time while commenting on a boxing match in Phnom Penh.

All of which leads to other uncertainties. The newly merged Smart Mobile says it will have 850,000 subscribers, making it the third largest operator behind Mobitel, owned by Cambodia’s Royal Group, and Metfone, part of the Vietnamese military’s Viettel group, but some analysts wonder about the accuracy of the data.

But the problems do not seem to have dimmed foreign enthusiasm for Cambodian telecoms. Last month both France Telecom and PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia announced that they were in the final stages of a deal to buy a stake in Mobitel.

Two Cambodian phone operators merge in overcrowded market

Dec 6, 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - Two Cambodian mobile phone companies announced Monday they would merge their operations, the first of a number of consolidations expected in the country's overcrowded mobile telecoms market.

Latelz Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Cyprus-based Timeturns Holdings Limited, will merge its local operation - branded as Smart Mobile - with Star-Cell, the venture owned by Swedish phone giant TeliaSonera AB.

The Star-Cell brand will be ditched, the companies said in a joint press statement, and the new entity with around 850,000 subscribers will carry the Smart Mobile brand.

The merger is subject to the approval of the Cambodian authorities.

Smart Mobile chief executive Thomas Hundt said the combined firm was likely ranked third in the market, but cautioned it was impossible to say precisely since 'nobody is giving actual subscriber numbers.'

He said the market remained highly competitive.

'Generally speaking it is a high churn market combined with low (average revenue per user) when compared with similar environments,' Hundt said.

'We are becoming a strong player in this market, that's for sure,' he said, adding that the merger would likely precipitate long-awaited consolidation in Cambodia's mobile telecoms market.

In October TeliaSonera announced that it had written down the value of its Cambodian operation by 678 million Swedish kronor (around 103 million dollars), and said its ambitions in Cambodia 'had to be reviewed.'

Observers have long said the country's mobile phone market is overcrowded with nine operators chasing a total population of 14 million people.

The merger leaves eight operators in a market, which is thought capable of sustaining perhaps half that number.

The StarCell brand was launched in 2007 by Applifone, which was bought by TeliaSonera the following year as part of its acquisition of Nepalese mobile firm Spice Nepal.

The country's leading mobile operator, MobiTel, last year claimed it had more than 2 million active subscribers, or around 60 per cent of the market.

Nordic phone giant writes off 103 million dollars in Cambodia

Oct 26, 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - Nordic phone company TeliaSonera AB said it had written down the value of its Cambodian mobile operation, known as Star-Cell, by 678 million kronor (around 103 million dollars) and would review its local operations.

Experts consider Cambodia's mobile phone market as overcrowded, with nine operators chasing a population of just 14 million people.

'After the write-down there is no goodwill related to the Cambodian operations,' Sweden-based TeliaSonera said in its third-quarter trading update released Monday.

The Star-Cell brand was launched in 2007 by Applifone, which was bought by TeliaSonera the following year as part of its acquisition of Nepalese mobile firm Spice Nepal.

TeliaSonera said Star-Cell is the seventh-placed operator in the Cambodian market with 503,000 subscribers, down from fourth place last year.

In its statement, TeliaSonera said it had become clear earlier this year that the firm's ambitions in Cambodia 'had to be reviewed.'

'Following further analysis of the market position, the value of Applifone was reassessed during the third quarter of 2010,' it said.

The country's leading mobile operator, MobiTel, last year claimed it had more than 2 million active subscribers, or around 60 per cent of the market.

Quantity of mobile phones in Cambodia soars 66 per cent

Wed, 19 May 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - The number of mobile phones in use in Cambodia rose to 6.3 million units last year, up from 3.8 million in 2008, national media reported Wednesday.

The jump came as the cost of the phones have dropped in the South-East Asian country. So Khun, posts and telecommunications minister, credited competition among nine foreign-owned mobile phone companies for the nearly two-thirds rise.

"Now even people in rural areas are buying phones," So Khun told the Cambodia Daily newspaper.

So Khun said his ministry last year issued the last licence available for the GSM spectrum, which is used by mobile phones. The licence went to Metfone, a subsidiary of the Vietnamese military.

"I hope more companies aren't coming since we don't have any more GSM frequency," he said.

Cambodia's population of 15 million means that mobile phone penetration remained below 50 per cent, far less than neighbouring nations, which is why operators are confident they can expanddespite the overcrowded market.

The country has only around 40,000 fixed phone lines.

Earlier this year, the government stepped in to prevent price-gouging by some operators, who were accused of selling airtime below cost to gain subscribers.

India takes bids for giant Internet leap [-Will Cambodia be next?]

Men walk past an advertisement for 3G telecom services in New Delhi on April 9, 2010

April 13, 2010
By Harmeet Shah Singh

New Delhi, India (CNN) -- In the good old days, Indians would wait for years for a telephone line to be installed in their homes and workplaces.

Until the early 1990s, a phone was seen as a luxury.

But today, India's vast underclass is almost as well connected as the rich in what is hailed as a telecom revolution that has delivered mobile telephony to nearly 600 million people in just a little over a decade.

The nation is now preparing for another giant leap into the digital world as it auctions off its airwaves for third-generation (3G) services to enable super-fast multimedia streaming on wireless networks.

Industry leaders Vodafone Essar, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Telecom and six other companies began bidding last week for slots in 22 zones -- called circles -- of India's telecom market.

The auction, with a reserve price of $787 million, is being held online on a secure Web site, according to officials.

The process is expected to run for days or weeks. The government has not set a closing date for the auction.

The government wants to award the 3G frequency space later this year, said Satyendra Prakash, a spokesman for the communications ministry.

Also, there will be a follow-up auction of broadband wireless access that has attracted 11 bidders, telecommunications officials say.

Analysts forecast that 3G systems will boost India's internet penetration with technology allowing quick access, data transfer and entertainment on mobile handsets.

India's online market has not kept pace with the country's booming mobile-phone business despite the country's image as an IT powerhouse.

Raj Pal, an adviser at the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, says the nation had barely 15.24 million internet users in December last year. Among them were 7.82 million broadband subscribers, he added.

Independent surveys suggest about 71 million Indians claimed to have logged on in 2009, still a tiny fraction of the country's population of 1.2 billion.

Analysts now foresee another revolution ahead as the current second-generation (2G) mobile services are replaced by a successor.

"3G is going to do to the Internet in India what 2G did to mobile telephony," said Kunal Bajaj, India director of British-based consultancy firm Analysys Mason.

More than 130 countries already are using the third-generation platform, he said.

India has announced a program aimed at linking up all its 250,000 village councils by 2012 in a bid to plug massive broadband divides between rural and urban communities as the country emerges as one of the world's few growth markets.

Indians often complain of poor connectivity and abrupt termination of mobile calls. Bajaj explains that is because of signal congestion on cell-phone towers.

Experts believe 3G technology, for now, will be used to improve existing services on strained networks.

"The initial focus is expected to be on improving quality of calls," says Bajaj. "It will shift to multimedia application over a period of time," he adds.

Cambodia's Mobile Market Had Passed the 4 Million Subscriber Milestone Earlier In 2009

Research and Markets: With 29% Mobile Penetration in Cambodia by March 2009, Cambodia's Mobile Market Had Passed the 4 Million Subscriber Milestone Earlier In 2009

March 18, 2010
By Business Wire

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b821be/cambodia_telecom) has announced the addition of the "Cambodia - Telecoms, Mobile, Internet & Forecasts" report to their offering.

Executive summary

Despite its status as a least developed country and remaining one of the poorer countries in Southeast Asia, Cambodia’s efforts to expand and upgrade its telecom infrastructure are bearing fruit. There was very little infrastructure remaining from before the tumultuous Khmer Rouge days. As a result, Cambodia bypassed rebuilding the fixed-line market and quickly launched into alternative technologies, jump-starting its telecommunications infrastructure with digital technology. Not surprisingly, mobile services have completely overwhelmed the market. By early 2009, there were nine mobile operators vigorously competing with each other in a market segment that was growing at an annual rate of more than 50%. There were 4.3 million mobile subscribers (penetration 29%) in the country by March 2009. The market was still in a very strong growth phase, as evidenced by the keenness shown by foreign operators seeking to be part of it.

Some limited fixed-line growth had earlier come about through investment under foreign assistance, but this has mainly benefited Phnom Penh and geographical coverage has not increased significantly since that effort in the 1990s. The number of fixed-line services was relatively static at around 40,000 by 2008. In the absence of any real fixed-line growth, mobile telephone services continue to completely dominate the overall telecom market in Cambodia, with mobiles representing more than 99% of the total number of telephone services in the country. This disparity has been growing more significant each year.

The expansion of Internet services has also been overshadowed by the mobile phenomenon. In fact Internet take-up remains disturbingly low, one of the lowest penetrations in the region. Of course, the limited fixed line infrastructure has been a major inhibiting factor in the roll-out of both dial-up and ADSL Internet services. One encouraging feature has been the general availability of Internet access in provincial towns.

It is worthwhile noting that wireless technology has been especially advantageous for Cambodia in achieving rapid network rollout and replacement of a fixed network badly damaged by 20 years of war. In addition to the thriving mobile networks, Wireless Local Loop has been useful for rapid provision of a limited number of fixed-line services. However, while Cambodia has exemplified the fact that WLL offers a viable option for rapidly expanding telecom access in developing countries with low levels of fixed infrastructure, the potential of this technology has yet to be fully exploited in the country.

Key highlights:

The year 2008 saw Cambodia's mobile market continue on its positive expansion path, with annual growth of 56% for the year and continuing at 50%+ into 2009;

With 29% mobile penetration by March 2009, the mobile market had passed the 4 million subscriber milestone earlier in 2009;

With 3 new mobile operators coming to the market in 2008/09, Cambodia has a total of 9 operators in what has become a crowded and highly competitive market;

The development of fixed-line and Internet services continue to languish; the latter is particularly disconcerting as online access is crucial to national growth;

On the broader political front, National Assembly elections were held in 2008, with Hun Sen being returned to power; while the elections were generally regarded as credible, deficiencies remain.

Cambodian Mobile Customer Base Will Grow To Almost 6.23mn At The End Of 2009

November 03, 2009
By Press Office
LONDON, ENGLAND

The latest update on the telecoms markets in Cambodia and Laos includes new regulatory and operator data on the size of these two countries’ mobile subscriber, fixed-line and internet access markets at the end of March 2009. Based on the available data, we have made several revisions to our five-year growth forecasts for these markets.

Based on data published by Cambodia’s leading mobile operators, the report calculates that the Cambodian mobile customer base grew by 15.5% in the first three months of 2009. By the end of March, Cambodia had almost 4.6mn mobile users, equivalent to a penetration rate of around 30%. In the first few months of 2009, Cambodia witnessed the launch of commercial services by three new mobile network operators.

These were Vietnam’s Viettel, which launched commercial operations in February, Smart Mobile, which commenced GSM operations in March, and Sotelco, which launched services under the Beeline banner in May. Sotelco was acquired by Russian operator VimpelCom in July 2008 from Altimo at a cost of US$28mn for a 90% stake. VimpelCom has pledged around US$200mn to be spent in its Cambodian network in the first three to four years following its commercial launch.

The presence of nine mobile operators in Cambodia is thought to have significant implications for the development of the sector. Firstly, mobile subscriber growth appears to be accelerating as the level of competition increases. Indeed, early indications suggest that 2009 will see much stronger subscriber growth than in 2008. BMI now predicts that the Cambodian mobile customer base will grow to almost 6.23mn at the end of 2009. Our new forecast envisages growth of over 62% in 2009, dropping to 42.5% in 2010.

In neighbouring Laos, recent developments point to the possibility of an increasingly dynamic mobile market in the months ahead. As noted in our previous report, recent months saw the launch of commercial operations by Vietnam’s Viettel, which will operate in Laos under the Star Telecom brand as part of a joint venture with the Laotian government. Meanwhile, in September, it was announced that Russia’s VimpelCom had agreed to acquire a 78% stake in Millicom Lao from Luxembourg-based Millicom International Cellular. Although the completion of the acquisition will require regulatory approval, this is expected to be forthcoming before the end of the year. The report predicts that Laos’ active mobile subscriber base will surpass the 2mn subscriber mark by the end of 2009.

Cambodia and Laos respectively sit in 13th and 15th position in the latest set of business environment ratings for the Asia Pacific region. The two countries generally score below average for the Asia Pacific region. Nevertheless, they continue to perform better than regional neighbours Thailand and Vietnam. As a result of having a more competitive sector, Cambodia continues to have a higher score than Laos in the telecoms market category.

Cambodian mobile phone subscribers top 1.5 million

May 10, 2007

Cambodian mobile phone market passed the 1.5 million subscriber milestone in 2006 and continued to grow substantially into 2007, local media reported Thursday.

According to a report from the Paul Budde Communication Pty Ltd, an Australian telecommunications research group, Cambodia's mobile phone networks are expanding their number of customers at around 40 percent per year, while landline services were "languishing" at around 42,000 subscribers, the Cambodia Daily newspaper said.

The telecom sector remains in need of regulatory reform, the report said, adding that Cambodia needs to put administrative institutions and regulations in place to improve the telecommunications market.

Meanwhile, Cambodian Minister of Post and Telecommunications So Khun said that his ministry plans to improve landline service in 2008, but it is an expensive process, the newspaper said.

Mobile phone networks are increasing their capacity according to their customer bases, he said, adding that customers are no longer experiencing difficulty with some mobile phone networks, as they did last month.

Source: Xinhua

Cambodia’s Mobile Market is Growing at an Annual Rate of Around 35% ?

May 08, 2007

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets has announced the addition of 2007 Asia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to their offering.

This Annual Publication: Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Asia – Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam profiles three countries which once made up the French colonial entity known as Indochina. These neighbouring countries – Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam – are still in relatively early stages of their telecommunications development with expanding national infrastructure and growing subscriber bases across all market segments.

Continuing to shun fixed-line services, Cambodia’s healthy mobile market has passed the 1.5 million subscriber milestone and was continuing to grow at an annual rate of around 35% coming into 2007. Fixed-line services were languishing at around 42,000, with no sign of a revival in interest in this segment of the market. Surprisingly, given the apparent interest in communications, Internet penetration has remained particularly low, with the services on offer being notably expensive in comparison to other countries in the region. As the country’s efforts are directed towards strengthening its telecommunications infrastructure, Cambodia must continue to address its political problems and build its economy. Now that the country has entered a period of relative political stability, an increased effort is required to put the necessary administrative institutions and regulations in place. The telecom sector remains in need of serious regulatory reform. The good news is that foreign investor confidence appears to have returned and there are many positive signs that the economy is strengthening in a sustained manner.

After years of economic struggle, Laos has finally been reporting positive news on this front. With a number of substantial hydro-electric and mining projects now a reality, the country is at last moving forward in a confident fashion. Attention is now turning to building its national infrastructure, including telecommunications. Laos still only had a fixed line teledensity of less than two telephones per 100 people by early 2007. More foreign investment is needed to boost the telecoms sector and, most importantly, given that it is a relatively small market; the government must be judicious in deciding and licensing how this investment happens. The Lao Telecom joint venture formed by the government with the Thai company, Shinawatra, in 1996 was a wasted opportunity. Lao Telecom allowed the five year period of market exclusivity to pass without any serious attention to infrastructure building. When the market was opened up to competition in 2002, foreign capital finally started to flow into the sector, although not as much as the government would have liked. The mobile phone market took off in early 2003, with the number of subscribers increasing sevenfold in just 2 years. The Lao telecom sector still has many issues to address. Despite the recent rapid opening up of the market, the regulatory progress continues to lag behind development and has the potential to derail the progress already made if reform is not speeded up.

After a period in which foreign investors appeared to be avoiding Vietnam’s telecom sector, the country has become the target for a fresh new round of investor interest. This follows a period in which the government seemed content to ‘go it alone’. During this time, the introduction of a limited level of competition into the telecoms market, combined with a generally improved economic climate, saw some healthy growth in the sector. More recently the move to allow an increase level of ‘equalisation’ (the Vietnamese government’s word for ‘privatisation’) has sent a clear message to investors that the rules are changing in a positive way. The investment mood has been further boosted with Vietnam finally winning accession to the World Trade Organization, a step that was formally confirmed in early 2007. This adds to the already positive climate for the telecom sector expansion. As well as strong growth in its mobile sector, there has been equally strong – and some might say, surprising - growth in the country’s fixed line subscriber base. Fixed-line services have been continuing to expand at an annual rate of 100%; fixed teledensity has passed 32%. At the same time, the government’s reticence about the Internet has not stopped this segment of the market gaining a strong foothold. Internet user penetration was running at a healthy 18% in early 2007. Increased foreign investment remains the key to overall expansion. It is still not totally clear what form the government’s involvement in the telecom sector will take.

Key highlights:

-Vietnam’s mobile market had passed the 16 million subscriber mark coming into 2007. The annual growth rate in this market segment was running at around 85% and looked set to continue.

-The 2006 year saw a remarkable surge in Vietnam’s broadband Internet market with subscriber growth running at an annual rate of almost 200%. Interest in broadband services was finally picking up; but broadband penetration remains low (2% of households) we can expect continuing strong growth in this market segment.

-Vietnam received a boost to its economy generally and the telecom sector in particular with its accession to the WTO in early 2007.

-In Cambodia, mobile services continue to dominate the local market; in what is still a relatively poor country, (GDP per capita of US$430 in 2006), more than 1.5 million people subscribe to a mobile service. The market is continuing to expand at around 40% per annum.

-According to ministry figures, mobile subscribers in Laos passed the one million mark in December 2006. Recent growth in mobile has been rapid in this country of only 6 million people and the market looked set to continue to expand at an annual rate of about 40% in 2007/08.

-All three countries are making some progress with regulatory change and structural reform within their respective telecom sectors. To the outside observer, however, progress is often painfully slow. This can cause serious concern among those companies wishing to invest.

Mobile penetration and annual growth - 2007

Country Penetration Annual growth

-Cambodia 15% 37%

-Laos 21% 40%

-Vietnam 30% 60%