KHMER INTERNET: CAMBODIA CASE STUDY
March 2002
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION GENEVA, SWITZERLAND Michael Minges, Vanessa Gray and Lucy Firth wrote this report Nathalie Delmas handled formatting and production The report is based on field research undertaken 9-13 July 2001 as well as documents and articles identified in the footnotes We would like to thank Camnet for arranging the meetings Appreciation is also ex- tended to Norbert Klein (Open Forum of Cambodia) and Helen Jarvis (Advisor to the Council of Ministers) for their valuable comments on the draft version of this report
The views expressed are those of the authors and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), its members or the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia This report is one of a series of Internet Case Studies being carried out in the South East Asia region Additional information is available on the Internet Case Studies web site
© ITU 2002
ii Contents
1 Country background 1 11 Overview 1 12 Demography 1 13 Economy 2 14 Human development 3 15 Government 3
2 Telecommunications: Made for Mobile 5 21 Mobile record setter5 22 Mighty MPTC 6 23 ASEAN investing 7 24 Prefix city 8 25 International cash cow 9 26 All phones lead to Phnom Penh 10 27 How much does it cost 11 28 Mobile data 12
3 The Internet: The state of being underdeveloped 13 31 Internet for Development 13 32 Better late than never 13 33 The market players 13 34 Mobile operator goes Internet 16 35 How can anyone afford it? 17 36 Bandwidth blues 18 37 Lets interconnect 19 38 Public access 19 39 The light touch 20
4 E-applications: The Development Dilemma 22 41 Clean water, PCs or both? 22 42 Not an e-government 22 43 E-schooling 25 44 E-health 27 45 e-commerce 28
5 Conclusions 33 51 State of the Internet in Cambodia 33 52 Recommendations 34
Annex 1: List of meetings 37 Annex 2: Acronyms and abbreviations 38 Annex 3: Useful links 39 Annex 4: Framework dimensions 40
iii Figures
11 Map of Cambodia 1 21 The world's most wireless place 5 22 Cambodia telecom market 8 41 Young but not well-educated 25 51 State of Internet in Cambodia 33
Tables
11 Population indicators 2 12 Human Development Indicators 3 21 Cambodian telecom service operators 7 22 Prefix soup 9 23 Cambodia's international call tariffs 9 24 Fixed telephone tariffs 11 25 Mobile pricing 11 31 Cambodia's Internet players 15 32 Dial-up Internet pricing 17 33 Cambodia's Internet connections 19 41 Cambodian government online 23 42 Cambodia at school 26
Boxes
31 The international development community, Cambodia and the Internet 14 32 The tribulations of the Khmer font 20 41 The Prime Minister on ICT 24 42 E-villages and E-charity: A conundrum 27 43 KIDS in the e-café 30 44 E-archiving: Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it 30
iv 1 Country background
1 Country background
11 Overview Figure 11: Map of Cambodia The Kingdom of Cambodia, with an area of 181035 square kilometres, is located in South East Asia, on the south-western part of the Indochina Peninsula( It is bordered by Thailand on the west and north-west, by Lao PDR on the north, and by Vietnam on the east and south-east( Cambodia is bounded by the Gulf of Thailand on the south- west with a coastline that is 435 kilometres long(
Cambodia is known for its cultural heritage and the impressive Angkor temples represent the countrys Source: World Factbook, 2001 major tourist attraction, with some one million visitors expected in 2002( The temples were built between the the Dangrek Mountains in the north, 9th and the 13th century in the religious along the Thai border( and administrative centre of the Khmer Kingdom( Administratively, the country is divided into 20 provinces, four Situated between the Tropic of Cancer municipalities and 12738 villages( and the Equator, Cambodia has a tropical climate with two distinct 12 Demography1 seasons: the dry monsoon season from November to May and the humid, The national census in 1998 counted rainy monsoon season from June to a population of 11(4 million( The October( Annual average temperature majority of the population is rural, varies between 21 to 35 degrees with only 16 percent residing in urban Celsius, often reaching over areas( Cambodias capital is Phnom 40 degrees in April, the hottest Penh, with a population of about one month( The landscape is dominated million( With an estimated annual by the large Tonle Sap (Great Lake), growth rate of 2(4 percent, the as well as the Mekong and Bassac population is expected to double rivers that run through the countrys within less than 30 years( Fifty five Central Plain( While some 75 percent percent of the population is under the of the country is flat, the more densely age of 20 and 71 percent of the male forested and sparsely populated population is under 30( With relatively highlands comprise the Cardamom fewer adult men, about a quarter of Mountains in the southwest, including Cambodias households are headed by the countrys highest mountain women( The population is predomi- (Phnom Aural, at 1771 meters) and nantly Khmer (around 90 percent),
1 Cambodia Internet Case Study
Table 11: Population indicators likely to have a growing impact on the economy since its annual average ,WHPà 2 1 Country background countrys GDP( The government has capita( Table 1(2 shows that the HDI started to implement different varies greatly in the ASEAN region and measures to fight corruption, improve that Cambodia, together with Laos, the transparency of the public sector has the regions lowest HDI( and strengthen the legal and judicial Cambodias history of war and internal system and reforms( Entry to the conflict have had a detrimental impact Association of South East Asian on the countrys social and economic Nations (ASEAN) is likely to have a structure( positive influence on the political as well as economic situation( According 15 Government to the Asian Development Bank, Cambodia has made considerable Cambodia has a long history, and its progress in implementing liberali- culture goes back at least to the zation measures and structural reform South-East Asian Hindu state of Funan in the past few years( in the first century( It is known for the Kingdom of Angkor, which has its 14 Human development4 origin in the eighth century( Weakened by wars and dynastic rivalries, Cambodia ranks 121st out of 174 on Cambodia became a French the United Nations Development protectorate in 1863 and a virtual Programmes Human Development colony by 1884( While French control Index (HDI), placing the country at over the country was temporarily the end of the medium human suspended during the Second World development category( Although one War, French rule returned to Indochina of the lowest ranked South East Asian once the Japanese had surrendered( countries (only above Laos), The quest for independence, however, Cambodia is about where it should be increased and in 1954, Cambodia in terms of human development given gained full independence under King its per capita income( The HDI is Norodom Sihanouk( Although composed of a basket of indicators Sihanouk emphasized Cambodias including life expectancy at birth, adult neutrality, the country was eventually literacy, school enrolment and GDP per drawn into the US-Vietnam war and Table 12: Human Development Indicators Cambodia compared to selected Asia-Pacific economies, 1999 &RPELQHGà /LIHà VFKRROÃJURVVà H[SHFWDQF\à $GXOWà HQUROPHQWà +',à DWÃELUWKà OLWHUDF\ÃUDWHà UDWLRÃà *'3Ã3HUÃ&DSLWDà 5DQNà &RXQWU\à \HDUV Ã È Ã È Ã 333Ã86Ç Ã Ã 6LQJDSRUHà à à à ¶Ã à 0DOD\VLDà à à à ¶ à à 7KDLODQGà à à à ¶Ã à 3KLOLSSLQHVà à à à ¶Ã à 9LHWQDPà à à à ¶Ã à ,QGRQHVLDà à à à ¶Ã à 0\DQPDUà à à à ¶Ã à &DPERGLDà à à à ¶Ã à /DRÃ3'5à à à à ¶Ã Source: United Nations Development Programme 3 Cambodia Internet Case Study in 1969 the United States, suspecting communist enemies in Cambodia, The temples of Angkor Wat heavily bombed the country( Internal conflicts led to the overthrow of Sihanouk in 1970 and the establishment of the pro-military regime under General Lon Nol( Sihanouk formed an alliance with his former enemies, the Cambodian communists, called the Khmer Rouge, against the government of Lon Nol( Despite US support for Lon Nol, the government was overthrown and the Khmer Rouge gained power in 1975( In the next four years the Khmer Rouge, under the leadership of Pol Pot, tried to convert Cambodia into a self- sufficient, agrarian country( This social and economic experiment established later the UN was given authority to state control through terror, turned supervise a ceasefire and organize citizens into slave workers, and killed elections that took place in 1993( Over an estimated 1(7 million people, some four million Cambodians - around 20 percent of the population at the 90 percent of eligible voters - time(5 participated in the elections, which established the Royal Government of Border disputes, ideological Cambodia( Within a framework of differences, and the wish to restore parliamentary democracy King Sihanouk order in the region, led Vietnam to was proclaimed Head of State( Two Prime invade Cambodia in 1979( The Khmer Ministers, Prince Ranariddh and Hun Sen, Rouge were pushed westwards, were appointed to represent the two toward the border with Thailand, from major parties that won the elections( The where they fought a guerrilla war Khmer Rouge, who boycotted the against the Vietnamese-backed election, were promised amnesty( This led government( Other groups, beside the to the defection of some of its members Khmer Rouge, began to fight for and in 1994 the group was officially Vietnamese withdrawal( In 1989 the outlawed( last Vietnamese troops left the country and four political groups, including a After internal struggles within the faction led by former King Sihanouk, coalition government in 1997, the started their struggle over power( Cambodian Peoples Party assumed leadership( Hun Sen was elected sole A framework for a settlement between Prime Minister in 1998 in a new coalition the opposing forces within Cambodia government, with Prince Ranariddh as was agreed upon in 1990 and a year President of the National Assembly( 1 Unless otherwise indicated, the information in this section is adapted from the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, The Kingdom of Cambodia: Country Background, at http://wwwmoeysgovkh/profile/ edu_in_cambodia/country_backgroundhtm#not2 2 Unless otherwise indicated, the information in this section is adapted from the Asian Development Bank, at http://wwwadborg/Cambodia/defaultasp and the World Bank, Regions and Countries: Cambodia 3 Cambodia Ministry of Commerce, at http://wwwmocgovkh/main/statshtm 4 The Information in this section has been adapted from the UNDPs Human Development Report, 2000 5 Financial Times, Khmer Rouge tribunal moves closer, August 28, 2001, p 6 4 2 Telecommunications: Made for Mobile 2 Telecommunications: Made for Mobile 21 Mobile record setter Cambodia is a textbook example of wireless Figure 21: The world's most wireless place technology boosting telecommunications development( It was the first country in the Distribution of world where mobile telephone telephone subscribers subscribers in passed fixed onesway Cambodia back in 1993( Cambodia Mobile Total=161’427 began the millennium 81% Fixed December 2000 with more than four out 14% of five telephone Wireless subscribers using a Local wireless phone (see Loop Figure 2(1), the highest 5% ratio in the world( Thanks to mobile, Cambodias tele- Source: MPTC densitytelephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants reached one in 2000, a significant achievement for a Least Developed Perhaps the biggest factor Country (LDC)( While mobile has contributing to wireless success is that contributed to the bulk of Cambodias there just never were many fixed lines telecommunication progress over the to begin with( Years of civil war both last decade, wireless fixed lines have destroyed most of the existing fixed also helped and accounted for five network and prevented the percent of all telephone subscribers construction of new lines( At the end at the beginning of 2001( of 1992, the year mobile cellular was introduced in Cambodia, there were only a little over 4000 fixed lines for a population of some 9(3 million( A year later, mobile had already surpassed fixed( Another contributing factor to mobile success was that the government liberalized the market early on, allowing both private investment and competition( Today, Mobitel, a GSM mobile operator, is the largest telecom network operator in the country with almost 95000 subscribers at the beginning of 2001( There are three digital and two analogue mobile operators, all with foreign investors( Two additional digital mobile licenses have been Street signs in Phnom Penh awarded but have not yet started operating( Another success factor has 5 Cambodia Internet Case Study been prepaid, with over 90 percent of in two projects, US$ two million mobile subscribers opting for this contributed by Cambodia)( The first payment method( With a per capita extension began in December 1996 GDP of only US$ 260, most and was completed in March 1997 Cambodians either could not afford or providing 6800 line capacity( Capacity would not qualify for a subscription is now 16800 lines and is to be telecommunication service( Prepaid expanded to 50000 lines by 2007( In cards with denominations as low as the year 2000, the MPTC also began US$ five, and a used handset available installing fixed lines outside Phnom for as little as US$ 20 make mobile Penh by putting local exchanges in telecommunications much more eight provinces( One side effect of accessible( Prepaid is also attractive practically starting from scratch is that from an operators perspective because all local telephone lines are connected it eliminates the risk of subscriber to digital exchanges( default( Another contributing factor to mobile growth is billing in US dollars The MPTC has a staff of just over (use of the US dollar is widespread in 2000 of which roughly one third work Cambodia), which reduces the in telecommunications( The Ministry investors exchange rate risk( of Finance allocates its yearly budget( One of the biggest problems within the While wireless communications have helped Cambodia achieve a minimal level of communications, it has also created its fair share of problems( This includes a confusing mix of government shareholdings and agreements; an interconnection maze; and an over-reliance on mobile network service provision to the detriment of the fixed line network( 22 Mighty MPTC The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of Cambodia (MPTC) 6 2 Telecommunications: Made for Mobile Table 21: Cambodian telecom service operators 1XPEHUÃRIà 6HUYLFHà 1DPHÃRIÃRSHUDWRUà 1RWHÃà RSHUDWRUVà 037&à ,QÃ3KQRPÃ3HQKÃDQGÃVLQFHÃÃÃSURYLQFHVà )L[HGÃOLQHVà à &DPLQWHOà 3URYLQFHV¶Ã://ÃLQÃ3KQRPÃ3HQKà &DPVKLQà ://ÃLQÃ3KQRPÃ3HQKà &DPVKLQà *60Ãà *60ÃFHOOXODUà à 0RELWHOà *60à à &DVDFRPà *60à à $QDORJXHà &DVDFRPà 107 à à FHOOXODUà &DPWHOà $036ÃQHWZRUNÃLQÃ3KQRPÃ3HQKà 037&à ,QWHUQDWLRQDOÃJDWHZD\ÃEXLOWÃE\Ã7HOVWUDà ,QWHUQDWLRQDOà à SDVVHGÃWRÃJRYHUQPHQWÃLQÃà JDWHZD\à 7HOHà /DXQFKHGÃJDWHZD\ÃLQÃ1RYHPEHUÃà Source: ITU into the mobile sector but has also receiving the full amount due from included Wireless Local Loop (WLL), revenue sharing(7 fixed lines in the provinces and international gateways( While this 23 ASEAN investing policy has contributed to tele- communication development, it is In addition to the MPTC, there are five marked by a lack of transparency( For private companies providing telecom example, there is no clear picture of services in Cambodia (see Table 2(1)( licensing or policy and timetable for All have strategic foreign investors, telecommunication liberalization( primarily from South East Asian Rather, restrictions on market entry nations (Thailand, Indonesia and are generally a function of various Malaysia)( contracts signed between the MPTC and the operators( For example, in the Cambodia Indosat Telecommunication contract established with Telstra for (Camintel) 7 Cambodia Internet Case Study CamGSM Co(, Ltd (CamGSM) Figure 22: Cambodia telecom market 8 2 Telecommunications: Made for Mobile with six operators running a total of Table 23: Cambodia's international call eight fixed and mobile networks( tariffs Different prefixes have been assigned to the networks that are often referred to by these numbers rather than their US$ per minute, At 1 March 2001 names (see Table 2(2)( There is no à :RUNÃGD\Và :HHNHQGVà number portability, for either fixed or mobile( Cambodia has a Calling Party 7RÃ/DRà 86ÇÃà 86ÇÃà Pays system( All networks are required 9LHWQDPà to interconnect and there is a central 7KDLODQGà interconnection point at the 7RÃRWKHUà 86ÇÃà 86ÇÃà MPTC in Phnom Penh( The $VLDQà Table 22: Prefix soup current interconnection FRXQWULHVà charge, established by the 7Rà 86ÇÃà 86ÇÃà Network prefixes in MPTC, is seven US cents per FRXQWULHVà Cambodia minute( While the MPTC had RQÃRWKHUà authorized negotiations FRQWLQHQWVà à &DPVKLQÃà between operators to establish à &DP*60à cost-based interconnection charges the Ministry abruptly Source: MPTC à &DVDFRPà 107 à changed its mind in mid-2001( It announced that it would Millicom launched the countrys à &DVDFRPà adopt Sender Keeps All (SKA) second international gateway in *60 à and thus no longer make November 2000 through its Tele2 interconnection payments( à &DPWHOà subsidiary(9 This arrangement is This reversal was, no doubt, structured as a joint venture between à )L[HGà triggered by a traffic the MPTC, Millicom and the Royal imbalance from fixed to Group( The license is valid for mobile calls of between 25 years( It is not believed that any 14-20:1( Mobile operators, additional international gateways will who receive more fixed calls than be awarded in the near future( they send out, will be adversely affected by this change( Some The MPTC earns 85 percent of its operators have suggested that if SKA revenue from international phone were fully implemented, they would calls( This is not surprising considering have to reconsider their investment that Cambodia has some of the strategy due to the end of revenues from incoming calls( highest international tariffs in the world and the fixed network is so 25 International cash cow limited( The international tariff structure is straightforward( There are Telstra of Australia three bands and a weekday and opened Cambodia to weekend rate (see Table 2(3)( Mobile VoIP advertised in the streets the world when it operators charge the MPTC rate in of Phnom Penh installed the first addition to the mobile per minute call international gate- charge( Access to direct international way in 1990( This calling from fixed lines requires the was done as a so- payment of a deposit of currently called ten-year US$ 150 for the MPTC network and Business Coopera- US$ 200 for Camintels network( tion Contract (BCC) with the MPTC( Telstra received Because of the high cost of 51 percent of the international calls, users are turning revenue, and the to other methods for communicating MPTC the remainder( abroad( First, many people rely on The BCC expired in incoming international calls with the 2000 and the ratio of incoming to outgoing 3:1 gateway is now fully (29 million minutes of incoming owned by the MPTC( international calls in 2000 compared 9 Cambodia Internet Case Study to 9(6 million outgoing)( Second, even though it accounted for less than despite its illegality, there appears to ten percent of the countrys be growing use of Voice over Internet population( Overall fixed density stood Protocol (VoIP) with a number of at 0(25 telephones per 100 people( Internet cafés openly advertising it( The density in Phnom Penh, 2(44, was In a few cases, stolen foreign mobile some 60 times greater than that of phones have also been used to make the provinces (0(04)( international calls( Despite this low teledensity and the large disparity between Phnom Penh 26 All phones lead to Phnom and the provinces, there is no formal Penh government policy for universal telephone access in Cambodia( According to the last government Instead, micro-business schemes are survey on household telephone helping to spread telephone access( penetration, less than one percent of One example are the privately Cambodian households had a operated telephone booths that are telephone in 1996( When this figure omnipresent in Phnom Penh and other is broken down, some five percent of large cities( These booths typically households in Phnom Penh had a have one worker and may be operated telephone, 1(1 percent in other urban in conjunction with an adjacent shop areas had one, while for the rest of or market stall( Equipped with a the country, household penetration of collection of mobile phones, each telephones was negligible( Though this subscribed to a different network, the figure is five years old, the figure for business model is that the booths fixed lines, and the urban/rural customer uses the phone with a distribution have not changed much( subscription to the number being Less than 20000 fixed lines were called, thus avoiding the network added between 1996-2000( Just over interconnection fees( The booths 100000 mobile phones have been charge R500 (12(8 US cents) per added but the majority have been in minute to make a call (to fixed or Phnom Penh( The situation is such, mobile), compared to regular that by the end of the year 2000, charges of anywhere between 85 percent of the countrys fixed US 15-28 cents (depending on telephone lines were in Phnom Penh whether the call is fixed to mobile, mobile to fixed or mobile to another mobile network)(10 These booths supplement the 339 card phones operated by Telstra and Camintelthere are no coin-operated phones in the country because there are no coins( Estimates of the number of telephone booths range widely( A general consensus is that there are at least 500 in Phnom Penh( The mobile boom has also contributed to universal access( Indeed if high coverage could be achieved, most Cambodians would be in reach of a telephone signala major accomplish- ment( Efforts could then be focused on affordability( Surprisingly, mobile operators One of the privately operated were unclear about their exact telephone booths in Phnom Penh population coverage( The networks are concentrated along 10 2 Telecommunications: Made for Mobile Table 24: Fixed telephone tariffs September 2001 à 037&à &DPLQWHOà 3KQRPÃ3HQKà 3URYLQFHVà 3KQRPÃ3HQKà 3URYLQFHVà ,QVWDOODWLRQà 86ÇÃà 86ÇÃà 86ÇÃà 86ÇÃÃÃ86Çà à 0RQWKO\ÃVXEVFULSWLRQà 86ÇÃà 86ÇÃà 86ÇÃà 86ÇÃà /RFDOÃFDOOà Ã86ÃFHQWà Ã86ÃFHQWà Ã86ÃFHQWVà Ã86ÃFHQWVà )L[HGÃWRÃPRELOHÃFDOOà Ã86ÃFHQWVà Ã86ÃFHQWVà Ã86ÃFHQWVà Ã86ÃFHQWVà /RQJÃGLVWDQFHÃFDOOà Ã86ÃFHQWVà Ã86ÃFHQWVà Ã86ÃFHQWVà Ã86ÃFHQWVà à Note: * Cheaper rate for some provinces Including taxes A deposit is required for international direct dialling (MPTC: US$ 150 in Phnom Penh and US$ 100 in provinces; Camintel: US$ 100) Source: ITU adapted from MPTC, Camintel the main roads and have been slowly subscribers use the pre-paid system( filtering into the provinces( Several Post-paid subscriptions also have a mobile operators vowed that they number of extra deposits and would service the largest towns in charges that are not applicable with all provinces before the end of 2001( pre-paid( On the other hand post- This can be partly attributed to the paid call charges are cheaper than fact that coverage has become an pre-paid( Pre-paid cards are important selling point( available in denominations ranging from US$ five to 50( In general, 27 How much does it cost higher denominated cards have a lower price per call( Some operators Telephone tariffs are established by charge a daily fee for pre-paid( The the MPTC( For fixed lines, there is a validity of pre-paid cards ranges choice of three operators( In Phnom from 14 180 days, again depending Penh, users can choose between the on the denomination( Incoming calls MPTC or the WLL networks of usually have a longer validity period( CamShin or Camintel( In the provinces, the Table 25: Mobile pricing main provider is Camintel although the MPTC has recently July 2001, US cents except connection charge begun installing lines( 3UHSDLGà &DPVKLQà 0RELWHOà Fixed line tariffs are reproduced in Table 2(4( &RQQHFWLRQà Çà Çà Fixed charges are high 7RÃVDPHÃPRELOHÃSHDNà à à relative to Cambodias low per capita income( 7RÃVDPHÃPRELOHÃRIISHDNà à à This may be partly to 7RÃIL[HGÃSHDNà à à offset the fairly low usage charges( 7RÃIL[HGÃRIISHDNà à à 7RÃDQRWKHUÃPRELOHÃSHDNà à à For mobile pricing, the GSM operators offer 7RÃDQRWKHUÃPRELOHÃRIISHDNà à à post-paid and pre-paid subscriptions while Note: Including taxes For Mobitel, refers to US$ 5 CAMTel offers only post- denomination card Source: ITU adapted from operators tariffs paid subscriptions( Most Cambodian mobile 11 Cambodia Internet Case Study 28 Mobile data home markets before proceeding in Cambodia( Despite the rapid growth of mobile and growing interest in the Internet, there This lack of interest in mobile data is is not much activity in Cambodias surprising considering the market mobile data market( Two of the mobile opportunity due to a lack of fixed lines( operators have launched Short Though using a conventional GSM Messaging Service (SMS)( However network to dial-up the Internet is not take-up has been affected by the speedy (9(6 kbps), it is better than unavailability of Khmer font on mobile nothing( Indeed some mobile handsets( Operators also indicate that subscribers in the country are using they will not introduce WAP or GPRS their mobile phones for sending and soon, let alone third generation receiving e-mails( If the mobile mobile( Some indicate that they are operators upgraded to GPRS, they waiting for instructions from investors might find a suppressed demand( 6 US Department of State 2000 Cambodia Country Commercial Guide http://usembassystategov/cambodia/wwwf0002pdf 7 According to one report private telecom operators own the government over US$ 8 million The government has threatened to revoke their licenses See Cambodge Nouveau, du 1 - 16 juillet 2001, n°158 8 Alcatel Wins a New GSM Network Contract in Cambodia Valued at US$ 63 Million June 5 2000 Press Release http://wwwhomealcatelcom/vpr/archivensf/AllDocuments/ 4D586A95DC03DCB0C1256A53006058F4?openDocument# 9 Millicom International Cellular SA Announces the Launch of an International Gateway in Cambodia Press Release 1 November 2000 http://miccclientshareholdercom/News/20001101-36232cfm 10 For example, it costs 15 US cents to call from fixed to mobile, 252 cents to call from mobile to fixed peak and 152 cents mobile to fixed off-peak and 28 cents mobile to another mobile network peak, 165 cents off peak and even 252 to the same mobile network (peak) 12 3 The Internet: The state of being underdeveloped 3 The Internet: The state of being underdeveloped 31 Internet for Development 32 Better late than never Cambodia is a latecomer to the The use of e-mail in Cambodia dates Internet with commercial services back to 1993 (see Box 3(1) but it was only launched in 1997( It has the not until May 1997 that Cambodia dubious distinction of having the obtained full connectivity to the lowest Internet penetration in South Internet via a link to Singapore(11 That East Asia as well as the highest connection was made possible with prices( The question is does assistance from the Canadian Cambodia have high Internet prices International Development Research because it has a small market or is Centre (IDRC)( The Ministry of Posts the market small because the prices and Telecommunications (MPTC) are high? One is related to the other, created an Internet Service Provider since, without a larger market, (ISP), Camnet, and launched Cambodia cannot benefit from commercial services after a free three- economies of scale to reduce costs( month trial period( In the meantime, an additional ISP license was granted Apart from the obvious barrier of to Telstra of Australia to launch its poverty, exasperated by BigPond Cambodia service, the first exceptionally high Internet prices, commercial ISP in the country, in the Kingdom faces a combination of June 1997(12 distinct factors that inhibit the expansion of the Internet( These In June 2001 the estimated number include the lack of a vibrant of Internet users in Cambodia was academic community that could help 8000( Although Cambodias Internet nurture and sustain networking; the penetration of 0(07 percent is very low complexity of computerizing the (the lowest in South East Asia apart written Khmer language, which from Myanmar), it has made steady hinders local application growth( When the Internet was development (see Box 3(2); an launched in 1997, there was roughly extreme shortage of dial-up one user among every 6000 Cambo- telephone lines needed to access the dians( By mid 2001, this had increased Internet; and government policies to one user for every 1200( that have restricted Internet supply( At the end of 2000, Cambodia had The international community has 22990 fixed telephone lines(13 The played a key role in launching, potential of dial-up Internet access is providing and nurturing the Internet consequently very limited because in the Kingdom (see Box 3(1)( The only 0(26 percent of the population Internet was introduced thanks to have a fixed telephone line( With just Canadian assistance; the leading over 4000 Internet subscribers, Internet access provider started its around one in four telephone lines is business with Australian foreign already used to access the Internet( investment; and almost all initiatives This ratio is relatively high and to provide affordable Internet access suggests that the lack of fixed lines is to the public have been launched by one of the reasons for the low Internet non-governmental organizations( penetration( What is lacking is what could be called Internet for Development: a large- 33 The market players scale, visible initiative that binds the power of the Internet to Cambodias The MPTC functions as policy maker, urgent development needs( regulator, and operator on the 13 Cambodia Internet Case Study Box 31: The international development community, Cambodia and the Internet As with so much else in Cambodia, the international exchange for Camnet offering subsidized services development communitybi-lateral and multilateral to government and education organizations Herod assistance agencies and non-governmental went on to open a public Internet centre at Lidee organizations (NGOs)have played a critical role Khmer, an association of Cambodians who studied in introducing and nurturing the Internet in the abroad He then moved on to help a group of Kingdom For example, Norbert Klein of the Open Cambodian women launch the Khmer Internet Forum Cambodian Internet market( Until obliged to employ people from mid-2001, the number of ISPs in within the MPTC who are Cambodia was limited to twothe telecommunication rather than government-owned Camnet information technology experts( 14 3 The Internet: The state of being underdeveloped BigPond Table 31: Cambodia's Internet players December 2000 6XEVFULEHUVà 3URYLGHUà à à &KDQJHà 1RWHà &DPQHWà ¶Ã ¶Ã Èà *RYHUQPHQWRZQHGÃ,63Ã3URYLGHVÃ,QWHUQHWÃDFFHVVÃLQà 3KQRPÃ3HQKà %LJ3RQGà ¶Ã ¶Ã Èà 3ULYDWHÃ,63ÃRZQHGÃE\Ã7HOVWUDÃRIÃ$XVWUDOLDÃ3URYLGHVà ,QWHUQHWÃDFFHVVÃLQÃ3KQRPÃ3HQKÃDQGÃ6LHPÃ5HDSà &DPLQWHOà à à Èà 7HOHFRPÃRSHUDWRUÃLQÃWKHÃSURYLQFHVÃ3DUWO\ÃRZQHGÃE\à 37Ã,QGRVDWÃRIÃ,QGRQHVLDÃ3URYLGHVÃ,QWHUQHWÃDFFHVVÃLQà ÃSURYLQFHVà 2SHQÃ)RUXPà à à Èà 1RQJRYHUQPHQWDOÃRUJDQL]DWLRQÃ3URYLGHVÃHPDLOà VHUYLFHÃDQGÃDFFHVVÃWRÃLQIRUPDWLRQÃKRVWHGÃLQà &DPERGLDà 727$/à ¶Ã ¶Ã Èà à à Source: ITU adapted from data submitted by the providers 15 Cambodia Internet Case Study providing Internet access in Cambodia( One is Camintel 16 3 The Internet: The state of being underdeveloped 35 How can anyone afford it? Camnet charged as much as eight dollars an hour for Internet access( Cambodia has some of the highest Although Camnet would like to offer Internet prices in the world and by a flat rate plan, the MPTC fears that far the highest tariffs in the South this could reduce its revenues( Prepaid East Asia region (see Table 3(2)( An cards have recently appeared on the entry-level plan in Cambodia would market, with both BigPond and cost a user US$ 3(99 per hour MobiTel offering them( However the (including telephone charges), more denominations are not very low, than eleven times what a much effectively pricing them out of reach wealthier Singaporean would pay( of most Cambodians( MobiTel offers Tariffs in Cambodia are usage-based( the lowest denomination card at There are a number of plans with US$ 20 for six hours of use or pricing varying according to the US$ 3(33 per hour( A US$ 20 Internet number of free hours included( prepaid card is roughly ten percent of Tariffs are roughly the same between the average Cambodians per capita the two main ISPs; when one makes annual income( a price change, the other quickly adopts it( Pricing is in United States Camnet was established with the help dollars( In addition, local call charges of the IDRC and in exchange was also need to be paid for dial-up obliged to provide subsidized services access (one US cent per minute)( to schools, universities and NGOs until Although the only POPs are in Phnom 1999( Ministries may also benefit from Penh and Siem Reap, as discussed these services( Camnet continues to earlier, Camintel only charges local provide preferential conditions that phone calls for Internet access in all exempt the beneficiary from the but two provinces and Internet monthly fee of US$ 30 and include access prices are comparable to eight hours free Internet access per those in the capital( Although prices month( Additional usage then only are high, they have nonetheless costs 20 percent, around US$ 0(5 an declined( When the Internet was first hour, of the regular Internet access introduced in Cambodia in 1997, charge( A major problem with this Table 32: Dial-up Internet pricing September 2001, US$ (QWU\Ã)HHÃ0RQWKO\à )UHHà ([WUDà 'LDOXSÃ,QWHUQHWÃSULFLQJÃLQÃ6RXWKÃ(DVWÃ$VLDà ,63à 3ODQà 'HSRVLWà )HHà +RXUVà KRXUà &DPQHWà 2SWLRQÃà Çà Çà à Çà Cambodia $0.60 $3.33 &DPQHWà 2SWLRQÃà Çà Çà à Çà Vietnam $0.48 $0.66 Telephone &DPQHWà 2SWLRQÃà ÇÃ Ç Ã Ã Çà Indonesia $0.84 ISP &DPQHWà 2SWLRQÃà Çà Çà à Çà Philippines $0.75 .07 Internet prices in &DPQHWà 2SWLRQÃà Çà Çà à Çà Thailand $0.40 South East Asia &DPQHWà 2SWLRQÃà Çà Çà à Çà Malaysia $0.39 Price per hour, US$ Singapore $0.36 September 2001 %LJ3RQGà &DVXDOÃà ÇÇà Çà à Çà %LJ3RQGà 6WDQGDUGÃà Çà Çà à Çà $0.00 $0.50 $1.00 $1.50 à %LJ3RQGà )UHTXHQWÃà Çà Çà à Çà 1RWH Ã3ULFHVÃDUHÃEDVHGÃRQÃW\SLFDOÃHQWU\OHYHOÃSODQVÃ,QÃ&DPERGLDÃDQGà 7KDLODQGÃWKH\ÃDUHÃEDVHGÃRQÃSUHSDLGÃ,QWHUQHWÃFDUGVÃ,QÃ6LQJDSRUHà RQO\ÃGLDOXSÃWHOHSKRQHÃFKDUJHVÃDUHÃDSSOLFDEOHÃ,QÃ,QGRQHVLDÃDQGà %LJ3RQGà 3UHPLHUÃà Çà Çà à Çà 0DOD\VLDÃDÃQDWLRQZLGHÃ,QWHUQHWÃFDOOÃLVÃEXQGOHGÃZLWKÃWKHÃWHOHSKRQHà FKDUJHÃ,QÃWKHÃ3KLOLSSLQHVÃWKHUHÃDUHÃQRÃXVDJHÃFKDUJHVÃIRUÃORFDOà &DPLQWHOà à Çà Çà à Çà WHOHSKRQHÃFDOOVÃ,QÃ7KDLODQGÃORFDOÃFDOOVÃDUHÃIODWÃUDWHà à Source: ITU adapted from ISPs 17 Cambodia Internet Case Study system is that it opens the door to leased line( BigPonds monthly misuse and manipulation( Camnet is subscription for a 64 kbps leased line is aware that some users within the US$ 250( On top of that, usage fees of ministries and other subsidized between US$ 1850 - $ 4150 need to agencies resell their accounts, be added depending on the utilization especially to Internet cafés( By giving of the line( A one Mbps leased line from out the user name and password of a Camnet would cost US$ 48500 per cheap account, a beneficiary can month, clearly beyond the reach of grant low-priced Internet access to virtually all companies( Furthermore, anyone in Phnom Penh( Technically, it the quality of the leased lines, which would not be difficult to identify these must be obtained from the MPTC, is not stolen accounts because they usually very good( As a result of these high have a very high access rate (for prices, new wireless broadband services example through frequent usage in such as the one launched by MobiTel Internet cafés)( Camnet also registers should prove successful( the telephone number from which the subsidized account is accessed and 36 Bandwidth blues can tell whether it is legal user or not( For several reasons, though, one of Cambodia has no microwave backbone which is that it would cost Camnet but the MPTC owns a fibre optic cable time and resources to uncover and to that runs from the Thai border, through block stolen accounts, little is done to Phnom Penh to the Vietnamese border( prevent this misuse( BigPond does not Camnet and BigPond both rent leased face the stolen account problem since lines from the MPTC and Camintel sub- it does not provide special rates to rents a 128 kbps leased line from organizations or government entities( Camnet for US$ 5000 per month( Camnet and BigPond, both satellite link- Although Internet cafés can make use based ISPs, have their own international of special high volume plans, which gateway, although the MPTC collects give them cheaper access for a greater revenues from BigPond for using the number of hours, prices remain high( satellite link( BigPonds satellite In order to be profitable, they have to connection to Telstra in Sydney has charge clients a minimum of US$ two recently been upgraded to 1(5 Mbps, per hour( Some Internet cafés offer down- and up-stream( While BigPond Internet access below this price( There pays the MPTC US$ 30000 per month are two possible explanations for this( for the satellite link, Telstra in Sydney One is that the café could be using a receives some US$ 6000( stolen account( Or it could have installed a Local Area Network (LAN), Camnet has a 512 kbps symmetrical allowing it to connect multiple PCs to satellite connection to the Singapore a single dial-up account( In this case, Telecom Internet Exchange (STIX)( several users share relatively small Since the beginning of 2001 it also has bandwidth and will consequently get a connection via Thaicom to UUNet( This slower speed( asymmetric satellite link is two Mbps down and 512 kbps up( The cost of To put Internet pricing in perspective, Camnets backbone connection is high, the average salary for a government especially because Cambodia has to pay employed teacher or policeman is the full circuit to STIX, some US$ 20000 around US$ 20 per month( This salary per month for 512 Kbps( Because would barely allow them to regularly Camnet shares circuit costs with use Internet café services( Some Thaicom it pays around the same price, Internet cafés now offer a flat rate of US$ 20000 per month, for the two US$ ten for unlimited use, which is Mbps half circuit( Camnets international advantageous for regulars but still connectivity thus adds up to about limits services to the better off( US$ 40000( Cambodian ISPs have very few leased MobiTels international gateway is by line subscribers, which is not surprising, satellite, through Tele2 and provides given the high prices( Camnet charges it with access of 2 Mbps downstream a flat US$ 3500 / month for a 64 kbps and one Mbps upstream( 18 3 The Internet: The state of being underdeveloped Table 33: Cambodia's Internet connections ISP international Internet connectivity, July 2001 %DQGZLGWKà ,63à 'RZQà 8Sà 1RWHà &DPQHWà Ã.ESVà ÃNESVà 6DWHOOLWHÃFRQQHFWLRQÃWRÃWKHÃ6LQJDSRUHÃ7HOHFRPà ,QWHUQHWÃ([FKDQJHà 67,; Ãà à Ã0ESVà ÃNESVà 6DWHOOLWHÃFRQQHFWLRQÃWRÃ881(7ÃYLDÃ7KDLFRPÃà %LJ3RQGà Ã0ESVà Ã0ESVà 6DWHOOLWHÃFRQQHFWLRQÃWRÃ7HOVWUDÃLQÃ6\GQH\Ãà 7HOHVXUIà 0RELWHO à Ã0ESVà Ã0ESVà 7HOHÃ6DWHOOLWHà 727$/à Ã0ESVà Ã0ESVà à Source: ITU adapted from ISP interviews 37 Lets interconnect country and apart from a few rare initiatives, there is no public access Cambodia does not have a national in remote areas( Internet cafés in the Internet exchange so Camnet and major cities use regular dial-up BigPond are not interconnected( That connections so the access speed is means that an e-mail sent by a limited( Camnet user to a BigPond user would exit Cambodia, transit through a third While Internet access remains high- country, and then come back( In order priced, basic computer training in the to reduce these transit costs, the capital is more easily available( Signs government announced in June 2001 across Phnom Penh advertise PC that it would oblige the ISPs to set up training courses for Riel 1000 a Cambodian Internet exchange( (US$ 0(25) per hour( These courses Technically this means that BigPond are very popular, especially among the and Camnet would have to migrate young( their IP addresses to a new national Internet exchange( IP addresses are Non-commercial projects to provide currently located outside Cambodia( Internet access to the Cambodian BigPond, for example, obtains IP public almost always involve some addresses from Telstra in Australia kind of international organization or while Camnet gets them from donor( For example, low-cost public Singapore( BigPond and Mobitel are Internet access was provided at the also discussing the possibility of Public Internet Centre (PIC), interconnection( These moves should established by Pan Asia Networking eventually have a moderating effect (PAN) Cambodia project, a on Internet access prices( cooperative venture between the MPTC and the IDRC(15 Other examples 38 Public access include the Open Forum and KIDS (see Box 3(1)( There is no exact data on the number of Internet cafés in Phnom Penh and Although the government is aware of estimates vary between 50-100, with the benefits of the Internet and the lots more springing up( Although need to provide public access in cities public Internet access is widely as well as in the rural areas, Internet available all over Phnom Penh as well access is not its priority( The few as in Siem Reap, there are very few initiatives to exploit the benefits of the Internet cafés in the rest of the Internet in rural areas are undertaken 19 Cambodia Internet Case Study Box 32: The tribulations of the Khmer font The Khmer language faces just about every possible There are a variety of initiatives and projects to barrier with regards to its use on the Internet First, facilitate the electronic use of Khmer language The the Khmer language represents a relatively small Open Forum of Cambodia, for example, offers a file market There are only about twelve million Khmer conversion program, which translates texts from speakers in the world Of the 114 million living in Khmer to Khmer This may sound odd but is necessary Cambodia, less than 10000 use the Internet The because there are different Khmer font systems that difficulty of creating Khmer content is no doubt are incompatible with each other The UNICODE related to the low number of Cambodian Internet Consortium (http://wwwunicodeorg/), in charge of users Second, text entry is difficult The Khmer the character coding system to facilitate worldwide alphabet has 150 letters, while a standard keyboard interchange, processing, and display of the written only has 47 keys Typing Khmer text on a normal texts of the diverse languages of the modern world16 , keyboard is an exercise in mental gymnastics trying has proposed a solution for the Khmer language to remember each of the different combinations Complaints have been made that these solutions are On top of that, the Khmer language is highly flawed, not very user friendly, and have been complex, making it electronically less compatible developed without any official Cambodian input than other languages Almost all consonants, for example, have two different forms, depending on Some Cambodians are circumventing complications by their position within a word Written Khmer also scanning Khmer text and sending it as an attachment omits spacing between words, turning online to an e-mail or posting the scanned graphic on a web publications into a real challenge In order to avoid site Cambodians who know English or French often manually inserting a space at the end of every line, prefer to visit foreign Internet sites Khmer portals are the user has to download a special software that more popular with overseas Khmers than with those adds invisible spaces in between words Whereas living in Cambodia Despite the obstacles, there are a English only needs one alphabet layer, and French variety of Khmer language web sites as well as portals up to two (to accommodate accented letters), the A good overview of these can be found at Khmer script uses up to four layers wwwhotlinkscom/members/ngoforum/ Khmer_Language_Content by the international development the Internet( In one respect, this has community, not the government( One been both logical and good( For of the most excluded areas in example, the market is nascent, so Cambodia, the isolated village of Robib there is not much to do( At the same in the northern Cambodian province time, a light touch is probably best in of Preah Vihear, for example, has the early phase of Internet Internet access due to the American development( On the other hand, Assistance for Cambodia and Japan some aspects of policy are retarding Relief for Cambodia( In collaboration growth( It is unclear whether the with others, these two non-profit decision to limit the number of ISPs organizations have managed to was a good one( The argument was connect some rural schools to the that perhaps it was the only way to Internet, using computers and a encourage private investment in this satellite dish that are powered by solar new sector( But the experience of panels and diesel generators( A specific Cambodias mobile sectorwith four government-backed plan to improve the competing operatorswould seem to situation in rural areas does not exist( negate that theory( In any case, with Since almost 85 percent of the BigPonds agreement to end the population lives outside the urban duopoly, it appears that the Internet centres, the lack of access in rural areas market is on the verge of a drastically diminishes the countrys breakthrough and additional licenses potential user base( will be awarded before the end of the year 2001( 39 The light touch Norbert Klein from the Open Forum The Cambodian Post and Telecom- (see Box 3(1) has been administering munication Law primarily deals with Cambodias country code top-level postal matters and the country is only domain (ccTLD), (kh, since 1996( The slowly adapting to the challenges of MPTC is responsible for domain name 20 3 The Internet: The state of being underdeveloped regulations( These call for the use of for less than the cost of a domestic a second level domain name (e(g(, call to a mobile phone( It is also very (per(kh, (com(kh, (edu(kh, (gov(kh, popular to make VoIP calls to (mil(kh, (net(kh and (org(kh)( The neighbouring countries, except for registration fee is US$ 100 and the Vietnam, where a firewall blocks these annual renewal fee was US$ 60 until calls( The government has even October 2001, when prices came down discussed using VoIP to reduce costs to US$ 40 and US$ 30 respectively( while keeping it illegal for everyone else( The government has hinted that The way the government deals with it would start closing Internet cafés Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is that offer VoIP( It has also asked ISPs an example of the countrys struggle to remind their users of the ban( to enforce its regulations( According to a December 1998 declaration, any Cambodia does not regulate or use of telephony via Internet or any censor content in any way( One of business which offers telephony the reasons the government has not service via Internet is strictly felt the need to interfere is that there prohibited( 17 Despite the ban, VoIP are so few Internet users( The fact is openly advertised and available in that VoIP is prohibited but continues Internet cafés across the country( VoIP to be offered might change this( not only offers reasonable quality, it There is some discussion about also enables calls to be made blocking access to web sites that internationally, for example to the US, facilitate the use of IP telephony( 11 See Cambodian Connections wwwpanasiaorgsg/hnews/kh/cm01i001htm 12 See Telstra Launches BigPond Internet services in Cambodia News Release 2 June 1997 wwwtelstracomau 13 This refers to copper lines and not wireless local loop (ie, WLL) The experience of WLL in Cambodia for Internet dial-up has not been satisfactory 14 MobiTel Makes the Internet More Accessible Press Release Undated wwweverydaycomkh/internetaccesshtm 15 See Cambodian Connections wwwpanasiaorgsg/hnews/kh/cm01i001htm 16 http://wwwunicodeorg/unicode/standard/standardhtml 17 Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Declaration on Prohibition of Use of Voice Over Internet Nº: 015 PT PrK 30 December 1998 wwwmptcgovkh/Reculation/net2phone/raculationhtm 21 Cambodia Internet Case Study 4 E-applications: The Development Dilemma 41 Clean water, PCs or both? parency and divulging information to the public( For example, few E-applications have the potential to government departments publish bring benefits to society, the economy annual reports( E-government goes and the state( In particular, e- against this tendency and thus is government, e-health, e-education sometimes resisted( As a result, the and e-commerce have been identified donor community is currently driving as not only enhancing economic most e-application projects across growth, but also promoting public sectors of the economy( democratic and social progress( Cambodia, one of the least developed 421 Forgetting about fixed countries (LDC) in the world, has many barriers to these potential The Cambodian Government, through benefits, including: poor the Ministry of Posts and infrastructure, weak institutions, and Telecommunications (MPTC) 22 4 E-applications: The Development Dilemma Table 41: Cambodian government online Central government institutions with a web presence, August 2001 ,QVWLWXWLRQà :HEÃSUHVHQFHà 1DWLRQDOÃ$VVHPEO\à ZZZFDPERGLDQSDUOLDPHQWRUJà 6HQDWHÃà ZZZNKPHUVHQDWHRUJÃà &RXQFLOÃRIÃ0LQLVWHUVÃà ZZZFDPQHWFRPNKRFPÃà 1DWLRQDOÃ$UFKLYHVÃRIÃ&DPERGLDÃà ZZZFDPQHWFRPNKDUFKLYHVFDPERGLDÃà 3ULPHÃ0LQLVWHU VÃ2IILFH à 0LQLVWU\ÃRIÃ&RPPHUFHÃà ZZZPRFJRYNKÃà 0LQLVWU\ÃRIÃ(GXFDWLRQà Source: ITU adapted from Governments on the WWW at wwwgksoftcom/govt/en/khhtml telephone service in provincial areas the (gov(kh domain name; the rest while four mobile operators compete have pages hosted by other sites or in the mobile market( This latter do not use the (kh domain name( market segment, where the There is a Royal Government of government has allowed private Cambodia web site at www( investment and competition, has ocm(gov(kh with links to online resulted in Cambodia having the government sites( Apart from the highest proportion of mobile telephone municipality of Phnom Penh, it does users in the world( However this is also not appear that there are any other a reflection that the government has local authorities online( This is been lax about developing fixed lines generally attributed to the lack of that are more appropriate than mobile funds within the government and to a at this time for ICT access( lack of vision regarding the benefits of ICT(20 What is lacking, apart from Camnets provision of subsidized Internet access Even the MPTC is not a great user of to qualified organizations, is a the Internet( With 2000 employees, government policy on universal access only around 40 (including workers in to ICT( Moreover, the government has the provinces) have access to the no large-scale projects to spread the Internet( The low level of Internet use of Internet more broadly in the use within the government and its community and economy( Nor does it agencies is reflected in the sections have a concrete plan for providing on e-health and e-schools below( All online e-services to its citizens( levels of government have a long way to go before they can be 422 Govkh networked( The Cambodian government does not Nevertheless there are encouraging use the Internet extensively( There signs of ICT projects within the are over 20 ministries in the country government sphere( The Civil Service of which only a few have a web payroll has been computerized( There presence (see Table 4(1)( Of those, is also a proposed project to connect only a handful have web sites using the Ministries of Commerce, Finance 23 Cambodia Internet Case Study and Foreign Affairs( Another project (NiDA) Box 41: The Prime Minister on ICT The Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdech Hun · Standardization of Khmer language for use Sen, opened a seminar on Awareness of on computers Also improving English Information Technology in September 2001 It is language training instructive to see his vision of Cambodian ICT made during his opening speech24 He · Improving computer literacy by for example enumerated six strategies: including it in the curriculum of every secondary school and university · Development of telecommunication infrastructure through liberalization, · Transfer of technology and technical skills strengthening legal and regulatory through participation of private sector in IT environment and competition development · Expanding coverage of Internet by attracting · Strengthening laws in intellectual property private investment protection and computer crime 24 4 E-applications: The Development Dilemma Figure 41: Young but not well-educated Age distribution and educational attainment (ages 25+), Cambodia, 1998 Cambodia, age distribution, 1998 Cambodia, Educational attainment, 1998 Age 70% Females Males 60 + 5.8 4.5 60% Male 50% Female 50 - 59 5.5 4.4 40% 40 - 49 9.1 6.8 30% 20% 30 - 39 13.3 12.6 10% 14.4 20 - 29 14.1 0% 10 - 19 25.1 27.5 None Primary Primary Secondary Beyond not Secondary 0-9 26.8 30.0 completed Source: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, National Institute of Statistics in this area( The World Intellectual such as universal basic education and Property Organization (WIPO) has enhancing literacy, improving the been providing technical assistance to quality of education, and com- draft laws on trademark, copyright plementing education with job and patents( A draft e-commerce law opportunities( has been prepared and is available on the MPTC web site( A related issue is The MoEYS faces immense challenges the availability of laws and regulations in meeting these goals despite the fact online( In that respect the World Bank that in 1998, 10(3 percent of the has assisted in making Cambodian national budget was devoted to laws and regulations available over the education(27 The problems girls face Internet and on CD-ROM(25 illustrate the poor infrastructure of many of Cambodias schools( The 43 E-schooling proportion of female students drops from 49 percent in pre-school to Cambodia has not only one of the 33 percent at the secondary level( One youngest populations in the world explanation is that because some (with 55 percent below 20 years of 70 percent of schools have no toilets age in 1998) but also one of the least or drinking water, girls have to leave educated (see Figure 4(1)( This is a at the onset of puberty( Ten percent result of the Khmer Rouge period of the primary schools are dis- where an estimated 90 percent of advantagedthat is more than Cambodians with a secondary or 50 percent of rooms are without a higher education were either killed or good roof, floor and walls and have fled the country(26 This indicates that no water and no toilets( More than the educational sector faces major 20 percent of 6-11 year olds remain challenges but it also means that this outside the school system( is a great opportunity to expose a large proportion of the population to The majority of public schools do not the use and benefits of ICT( However, have money for telephones, computers, the Ministry of Education, Youth and and the Internet( Camtel has offered Sport (MoEYS) 25 Cambodia Internet Case Study Table 42: Cambodia at school 1999-2000 1XPEHUà à (QUROPHQWà RIà 7RWDOà *LUOVà 6FKRROVà Ã:KROHÃ.LQJGRPÃà ¶ à ¶¶Ã ¶¶Ã Ã3UH6FKRROÃà à ¶Ã ¶Ã ÃÃÃÃ3ULPDU\Ã6FKRROÃà ¶Ã ¶ ¶Ã ¶Ã ÃÃÃÃ/RZHUÃ6HFRQGDU\Ã/HYHOÃà à ¶Ã ¶Ã ÃÃÃÃ8SSHUÃ6HFRQGDU\Ã/HYHOÃà à ¶Ã ¶Ã +LJKHUÃ(GXFDWLRQà QRWÃLQFOXGHGÃLQà à ¶Ã 1$à FRXQWU\ÃWRWDO à Note: Public schools Source: MoEYS, NIS Of the nine tertiary institutions, four etc( Maryknoll, an NGO, is providing have Internet in at least one staff training for these databases( department(28 However, they continue Unfortunately, some offers for to face problems even if they have a assistance are not acted upon rapidly computer and connectivity( For enough and Ciscos efforts to establish example, Hun Seng Library at the a computer training facility at the Royal University of Phnom Penh was University of Phnom Penh are still on provided with four computers and hold(29 connectivity via a Local Area Network (LAN)( At the time when the university The MoEYS has a pilot project through was provided with a technician it could which three secondary schools are to not access a US-based site to pay for be connected to the Internet( Those the software to operate the LAN( By schools were chosen because they the time the link was restored, the have high levels of English, good technician had returned to his country facilities, electricity, telephone lines, of origin( Five months later, the and they are close to Phnom Penh( university still had only one computer This was thought to give them the connected and three awaiting the highest chance of success, and to then availability of a LAN technician( extend the project onto other schools( Another problem is the lack of The initiative is funded by the World coordination amongst the various Banks World Links for Development assistance efforts( For example, the project( Due to dealys in University of Technology Sydney has administration the pilot launch has set up a student registration database been postponed until the end of 2001( for the Royal University of Phnom Penh while the University of Manila is One example of a high profile NGO- working on a personnel database( funded e-school project is found in the There is no plan to link these two remote district of Robib, in the related projects or to set up a northern province of Preah Vihear (see database for finance, administration, Box 4(2)( 26 4 E-applications: The Development Dilemma Box 42: E-villages and E-charity: A conundrum The remote provinces of Cambodia are very poor such a remote location The project is not cost even by Khmer standards The province of Preah effective, they say, compared with setting up a Vihears population of 120000 has an annual public access Internet point in a community center average income of less than US$ 40 per person It Moreover, the educational efficacy of providing has very little infrastructurefew roads, scarce ICT students with no English, no awareness of IT and infrastructure, and limited electricity It was this little knowledge about the rest of the world, with remoteness and poverty that caught the eye of Internet connected computers, is doubtful Allowing NGOs when the opportunity arose to build a school a stranger the right to re-name a village school is in the district of Robib that would be connected to also questioned Even the name of Robib is said to the Internet Robib is so remote that, at the have been changed beginning of the project, it took two days to get there from Phnom Penh; the last 90 kilometers took Similarly, critics are doubtful about the benefits of 12 hours in a landmine-proof truck a related project in Robib that connects the village to medical support in Phnom Penh and the USA The Wakako Hironaka School is the first in a planned This, it is claimed, was set up to help US doctors in series of 20030 It was named for its Japanese the pilot develop e-health applications Moreover, benefactor, a former minister and parliamentarian locals are experts in dealing with endemic diseases In fact, one marketing ploy is that donors get to such as malaria and dengue fever, using traditional name the school that they build For just US$ 13000 medicines and in dealing with trauma due to the donor gets to circle a dot on the map and have accidents and land mines Other illnesses cannot a two to three room school built at that location be treated locally, so a diagnosis may be of no point (with matching funds from the World Bank), staffed without follow-up treatment, transport, city and supplied with materials for two years For an hospitalization, long term care, etc These projects additional US$ 1700, solar panels will be installed may therefore be of limited use as long as they enabling computer use and possible future Internet cannot offer a way of accessing improved medical connection 44 E-health The public health system is financially strapped and relies on NGO volunteers The population of Cambodia has and other international aid sources( been ravaged by war, reigns of terror Most hospitals in remote areas do not and epidemics over the past have a telephone, let alone access to 25 years( At the moment, Cambodia the Internet( The Ministry of Health is a hot spot for HIV/AIDS, (MoH) has no plans to provide tuberculosis and malaria(31 Neonatal hospitals with such facilities( The MoH mortality is high (90 per 1000), and has approximately 3000 employees, mortality before the first birthday is using 100-200 computers, 50 of which also very high at 54 per 1000 (one have Internet( Those are used almost in nine die before their fifth exclusively for e-mail, as connectivity birthday)32 While the exact number is inadequate for downloading and of amputees due to land mines is not there is no climate of research( There known, one estimate is that there is no network connecting the head are still around 50 casualties per office with the 50 or so computers in month(33 Illnesses and accidents the field, nor is there any plan to set traditionally associated with poverty up such a network ( The Ministry keeps add to this list of woes( in touch with its provincial branches 27 Cambodia Internet Case Study via a report that is supposed to be filed may be largely because the monthly( That report provides Cambodian way of doing business is information on cases seen, treatments to receive cash at the time of provided, etc( None of the reports is transaction( Credit is not popular, filed by e-mail or even fax as the cost receipts are rarely given, and few is too great even for those hospitals that accounts are kept( While it is often have a telephone( Mostly, they are said that this is also the result of the brought to the head office by a countrys history, most developing motorbike courier because the postal countries face the same problems( system is not reliable( Where the roads With its draft e-commerce law, are impassible by bike, the trip is made Cambodia hopes to be ready once the by elephant( The Siem Reap office was demand for e-commerce develops(35 networked four years ago but the system crashed more than two years The low level of Internet diffusion in ago and there has been no money to Cambodia, especially outside of rebuild it( Phnom Penh suggests that there is little room for e-commerce to develop( There is an NGO-driven telemedicine Indeed, there appears to be virtually project in Robib (see Box 4(2)( The none( Moreover, according to Camnet health center there has access to the the network does not have enough Internet via a link with a local school capacity to support e-commerce that has satellite connectivity to the applications( The government-owned Internet( Since February 2001, a ISP does, however, have plans to visit nurse and a technician travel once a the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) month from Phnom Penhs Sihanouk in Malaysia to discuss and possibly Hospital of Hope to the town of Robib learn from the MSCs e-commerce with a digital camera( The nurse solutions( examines patients and if unable to diagnose, has the technician take Another obstacle to e-commerce has photos( Those photos are sent via the been the lack of confidence in banks( Internet at the school to Partners At the time of the attempted 1997 Telemedicine, a US health coup, banks closed their doors for organization staffed by doctors from three months, making transactions the Harvard Medical School and the impossible, and throwing large parts Massachusetts General Hospital( Once of the economy into distress( Two examined, a diagnosis is offered and major banks never reopened and all the patients informed on the same deposits were lost( Many Cambodians day( If treatment is not available prefer to keep their savings in gold( It locally, some of the patients are taken is somewhat anomalous to see gold to the Sihanouk Hospital, or a local shops in even the poorest areas( When cooperating hospital( This level of large items, such as a motorbike, are travel for medical attention is not bought it is not unusual to exchange unusual in a country where people gold for them( While the banking tend to stay in their villages( Dr system appears more stable at the Graham Gumley at the Sihanouk moment, a number of banks were Hospital says that more than half of closed as a result of a November 2000 our outpatients come to us by foot, bank re-licensing(36 bicycle or motorcycle from hundreds of miles because there are no medical There is almost no use of credit cards facilities near where they live Often in Cambodia other than by tourists and their condition deteriorates because expatriates( However, the Cambodia of the long, strenuous trip34 ( Mekong Bank issued the first Telemedicine is seen as a possible Cambodian credit cards in alternative to the tyranny of distance( April 2001, and expects to have 500 cardholders by the end 45 e-commerce of 2001(37 The Cambodia Mekong Bank has also recently installed an There is not much of a domestic drive ATM at its central branch in Phnom for e-commerce in Cambodia( This Penh( To use the machine it is 28 4 E-applications: The Development Dilemma necessary to have a deposit in that Cambodians to retype the earliest issues branch to cover the amount( It simply of a US university journal( This kind of allows money to be withdrawn at the offshore data processing allows bank without entering the bank( No Cambodians with little education but banks have networked branches( good typing skills to earn a fair amount of money( The typists earn about There are some examples of electronic US$ 50 a month, compared to US$ 45 commerce to the extent that the goods in the garment industry(38 are ordered electronically( Several handicraft cooperatives associated with One particularly promising area is the NGOs, for example, sell their wares on travel industry( Cambodias unique the Internet( Even if these sites are history and the spectacular ruins of hosted in Cambodia, the payment is Angkor are a major tourist draw, made to a bank located abroad( One especially since the political example is Rehab Craft environment has stabilized( 29 Cambodia Internet Case Study Box 43: KIDS in the e-café The Khmer Internet Development Service (KIDS) In addition to operating Internet cafés (which now KIDS was Cambodias first public Internet café, started at a time when it cost US$ ten per hour to use the Internet via a commercial ISP KIDS was able to offer access at US$ one per hour for Khmers and US$ two for non-Khmers thanks to a discount from the government ISP Camnet and financial support from Save the Children and the Asia Foundation Students have free access to the Internet at KIDS, and most of KIDS customers are now Khmer A lot of customers use the Internet to access entertainment sites (eg, popular sites and applications include pop star web sites and chatting) Even though these sites as such hold relatively little educational value, they provide an incentive for people to learn how to use a computer and the Internet They thus allow Internet illiterates to acquire the basic skills they need to access more Cambodian youth@ the KIDS Internet café educational and informative web sites Box 44: E-archiving: Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it41 One uniquely Cambodian application of the Internet Researchers traveling throughout Cambodia is the archiving of the holocaust of the Khmer Rouge armed with camera, tape player, scanner and Past acts of cruelty are being recorded on various Global Positioning System (GPS) devices have sites hosted in Cambodia and abroad Documentation been painstakingly recording individual accounts of the holocaust is seen as having several roles: and documentary evidence Their efforts can be seen on several web sites such as the · It is preliminary to the proposed tribunal for Documentation Center of Cambodia earn sightseers dollars, yens and as to how much money the euros and have web sites to do so( Cambodian economy is losing, it is For example www(cambodia-hotel- obvious that some tourism revenues travel(com/, or www(cambodia- are generated elsewhere( The longer hotel(com/ are sophisticated sites Cambodia waits, the more time it will that support online hotel give non-Cambodian companies to reservations( Both sites, however, establish their web presence( The are owned by companies that have more time that passes by, the more their offices in Canada and Thailand( difficult it will become for local While there are no exact estimates companies to win back market share( 30 4 E-applications: The Development Dilemma 18 See for example, ITU The Dot City: Singapore Internet Case Study1 April 2001 wwwituint/ITU-D/ict/cs/singapore/material/Singaporepdf 19 The central theme of the meeting was the issue of governance recognized by all as the single biggest obstacle to social and economic development Priority areas in governance reform include fighting corruption, building credibility in the legal and judicial system, protecting individual and property rights and pressing ahead with public administration reform Good governance remains of critical importance for the private sector to be able to develop in Cambodia and for attracting higher levels of foreign direct investment that would stimulate the countrys longer-term growth and reduce its aid dependency See World Bank Cambodia Consultative Group meeting results: Aid partnership supports Cambodian development efforts Press Release May 26, 2000 http://wbln0018worldbankorg/news/pressreleasensf/673fa6c5a2d50a67852565e200692a79/ 46959b770f8c7b77852568eb0053cb9f?OpenDocument 20 Despite the scarcity of central and local government online presence, there is no shortage of Cambodian political parties with a web site They, at least, seem to realize the power of the Internet for disseminating information and attracting international support See Kydra Dupond and Eric Pape E-mail is a real revolution Salon 15 March 1999 http://wwwsaloncom/21st/feature/1999/03/15featurehtml 21 The Export-Import Bank of Korea EDCF Agreement signed between Korea and Cambodia Press Release 18 May 2001 wwwkoreaeximgokr/english/eximnews/asia20010518htm Also see: Korea National Computerization Agency NCA and NiDA Collaborate on IT Press Release 13 April 2001 http://wwwncaorkr/homepage/ehome/ehomensf/f964af844c8a560dc92569890007fa5c/ 8119797da188b839c9256a2d0012e98f?OpenDocument 22 The government is also considering the use of revenue-sharing arrangements for some aspects of the project See US Department of State Computer Database for Motor Vehicle 19 October 2000 http://infoserv2itadocgov/ocbe/ForeignMnsf/679c088699b484498525674e0000eb9f/ b95c313cf52aa7508525697e006cf2b0 23 See Experts Give Advice at Technology Conference The Cambodia Daily 12 September 2001 http://wwwunorgkh/PRESS/September/September-PDF/ICT-001pdf 24 See Address By Samdech Hun Sen Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia Opening Ceremony of the Workshop on Public Awareness about Information Technology 11 September 2001 wwwcamnetcomkh/ocm/government87htm 25 Under the Technical Assistance Project, the Bank has supported the regular publication of Cambodias laws and regulations in three languages (Khmer, English and French) These laws and regulations, which are produced in a monthly bulletin, are also accessible through the Internet and in the form of CD software These initiatives are being expanded to cover on a selective basis courts judgments and decisions which may be of interest There is clearly a need not only to strengthen these initiatives but also to take urgent steps to revive the official journal Mr Bonaventure Mbida-Essama Development of a Legal and Judicial Reform th Strategy: Mission to Cambodia (July 7 thro 22, 2000) World Bank Phnom Penh Office wwwkhmersenateorg/worldbankhtm 26 Joseph Fedora A Sister who hustles Maryknoll Magazine October 2000 wwwmaryknollorg/MEDIA/xMAGAZINE/xmag2000/xmag10/m10s3htm 27 According to MoEYS: For the current year 1998, the government has allocated 147 billion riels (about $US 40 million at current exchange rate) to the education sector, thus representing 103% of the national budget or about 15% of the GDP See http://wwwmoeysgovkh/profile/edu_in_cambodia/finance_communityhtm However, other information from MoEYS states that government educational funding was US$ 257 million in 1998 while development partners contributed another US$ 484 million for a total of US$ 741 million spent on the education sector http://wwwmoeysgovkh/dev_partner_profile/dev_partner_prohtm 28 For an anecdote on attempts to provide Internet access for all Royal Phnom Penh University students see Jacques Leslie Operation Phnomcom Wired November 1999 wwwwiredcom/wired/archive/711/cambodia_prhtml 29 wwwciscocom/warp/public/779/edu/commitment/intl/partnerships/ldc/pr_asia_at_a_glancehtml 30 Japan Relief for Cambodia & American Assistance for Cambodia First Three of 200 Solar-Paneled, Computer-Equipped Cambodian Rural School Will Open November 4 in Three Remote Preah Vihear Villages Press Release November 1, 1999 wwwcamnetcomkh/cambodiaschools/press_release_in_englishhtm 31 According to one report, Cambodia has the highest HIV infection rate in Asia http://wwwmaryknollorg/MEDIA/xMAGAZINE/xmag2000/xmag10/m10s2htm 31 Cambodia Internet Case Study 32 wwwcamnetcomkh/nphri/assets/images/MainPart 33 For an estimate of land mine casualties see: Siemens A Mind for Mines Research and Innovation 1/99 w4siemensde/FuI/en/archiv/zeitschrift/heft1_99/artikel09/indexhtml For a figure on recent land mine casualties see the UNDP Cambodia web site at: http://wwwunorgkh/UNDP/prog-manhtml 34 Remote Cambodian Village Establishes Internet Telemedicine Link Aimed at Closing Digital Divide PR Newswire 13 February 2001 wwwprnewswirecom/cgi-bin/storiespl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-13-2001/0001426714&EDATE= 35 The draft e-commerce law is posted on the MPTH web site at: wwwmptcgovkh/Reculation/ecommercehtm 36 See Import-Export Bank of Thailand web site: wwweximgoth/main_banking_combodia_emerginghtm 37 Cambodians to get credit cards Bangkok Post 19 April 2001 scoopbangkokpostcoth/bangkokpostnews/bp20010419/190401_business16html 38 Cambodians to retype early Harvard newspaper editions Chris Decherd, Associated Press July 23, 2001 At http://bostoncom/news/daily/23/crimsonhtm 39 Cambodia Expects up to 1 Million Tourists in 2003 The Mirror Vol 5, No 219 1-7 July 2001 40 Mysteries of Angkor ready to unravel before the tourist hordes Agence France Presse November 15, 2001 41 Quote from George Santayana on the Digital Archive Of Cambodian Holocaust Survivors web site: wwwcybercambodiacom/dachs/about-ushtml 32 5 Conclusions 5 Conclusions 51 State of the Internet in · connectivity infrastructure: a Cambodia measure based on international and intranational backbone The Mosaic Group Figure 51: State of Internet in Cambodia Dimension Value Pervasiveness 4 Pervasiveness 1 3 Geographic Dispersion 15 Sophistication 2 Dispersion Sectoral Absorption 1 1 0 Connectivity Infrastructure 15 Organizational Infrastructure 15 Organizational Absorption Sophistication of Use 1 Connectivity TOTAL 75 Note: The higher the value, the better 0 = lowest, 4 = highest Source: ITU adapted from Mosaic Group methodology 33 Cambodia Internet Case Study available from almost all provincial Technology (ICT) development in the capitals for the price of a local call( South East Asian region( This is partly However there are very few fixed a reflection of its low level of income, telephone lines outside of the capital( which affects other factors such as literacy and education that have a Sectoral Absorption is rated at bearing on ICT use( At the same time, level 1, Rare This ranking is a function years of war and civil unrest delayed of the type of connectivity in construction of communication education, government, health care infrastructure and destroyed the little and business( There is rare that existed( At the beginning of connectivity at the university level( January 2001, Cambodia had only Most universities cannot afford access 30880 telephone lines for a costs( Apart from some private schools telephone penetration of 0(26 per and a special NGO project, there is no 100 inhabitants, one of the lowest in connectivity at the primary and the world( This shortage of fixed secondary level( Some government telephone linesand the fact that they ministries are on the web although are concentrated in the capital Phnom there is no central portal( Few Penhis a serious constraint on provincial governments have a web Internet development in the country( site( The Ministry of Health has a web site, otherwise usage in the health An obvious reason for the low level of sector is rare( Usage in the business Internet penetration in Cambodia is sector, despite some nascent the high cost of Internet access( e-commerce, is minimal( Cambodia, which is one of the poorest countries in South East Asia-and one The Connectivity Infrastructure is at of the poorest in the world, has some level 1(5, between Thin and Expanded( of the highest Internet prices in the International connectivity is six Mbps world and by far the highest in the incoming and 3(5 Mbps outgoing( There region( is only one POP outside of the capital and no nationwide Internet backbone( On the positive side, Cambodia has Nor is there a domestic Internet the highest ratio of mobile telephone exchange( Few leased lines are in place subscribers to fixed line subscribers and there is no ADSL or cable modem in the world( At the end of the for broadband local access( However a year 2000, 81 percent of all of fixed wireless network was launched in Cambodias telephone subscribers March 2001 offering access speeds up were using mobile phones( This high to one Mbps( mobile phone usage is a result of an open marketthere are four mobile The Organizational Infrastructure operatorsand the realization that a is at level 1(5, between Single and quick and cheap way of installing Controlled( There are two ISPs with communication infrastructure is to use their own international backbone, a wireless technology( While there is third that provides access in provincial only one fixed telephone for every 386 areas but with no backbone and an e- Cambodians, there is one mobile for mail provider( In addition, another every 100( The relatively high usage company provides broadband Internet of wireless phones suggests that access( Entry into the ISP market is mobile Internet might be a promising not possible at this time although it option( However operators have been appears that may be changed soon( slow to introduce the needed network upgrades to support this( Sophistication of Use is at level 1, Minimal( The most popular appli- Recommendations for improving cations among most users appear to access to Information and be e-mail and information retrieval( Communication Technology include: 52 Recommendations Reduce Internet prices( It is obvious that a country that is one of Cambodia has one of the lowest levels the poorest in the world cannot afford of Information and Communication to have some of the highest Internet 34 5 Conclusions tariffs( Given the disparity between an for the fund could be to install average Khmer salary and the cost of public Internet access in all Internet access, few in Cambodia can provincial capitals( afford to use the web( Bringing down prices has to be one of the 3) Provision of universal voice governments top priorities( A major access via pre-paid mobile cards( factor contributing to the high tariffs In this respect, the population is the cost of international coverage of mobile in the country connectivity, estimated at over should be carefully monitored to 80 percent of Cambodian Internet determine what proportion of Service Provider operating expenses( Cambodians are within reach of Cambodia should actively investigate a mobile signal( Mobile operators ways to reduce these costs( One way should be encouraged or even is to publicize its plight in required to achieve high levels international forums, pointing out of population coverage( the absurdity of poor nations such Subsidized handsets and pre- as Cambodia subsidizing Internet paid cards should be provided to users in developed countries(42 The poor Cambodians( The use of Kingdom should also consider wireless technology for ICT granting additional ISP licenses applications such as text (including international gateway messaging, e-mail and web facilities) in order to benefit from access should also be promoted( lower costs, service quality and innovation that competition MPTC separation( There is a conflict provides( It should also grant of interest with the Ministry of Posts Camnet, the government-owned ISP, and Telecommunications of Cambodia full autonomy in carrying out its (MPTC) since it is responsible for policy activities( and regulatory issues as well as being a telecommunication operator( Also, Universal Access( There is no because MPTC derives a considerable concrete plan for promoting universal portion of income from international ICT access in Cambodia( There needs traffic and revenue sharing with to be a government policy and mobile operators, it has been lax timetable for enhancing access to ICT( about extending the fixed-line In a country where hardly anyone can telephone network( It has also been afford Internet access, let alone a PC, inferred that the MPTC network is not the provision of reasonable and widely being well maintained( Policy and available public access is imperative( regulatory issues and operations This would include: should be separated within the MPTC( This would involve the 1) Concessionary or even free creation of a separate telecom Internet tariffs for public access operator (e(g( Telecom Cambodia)( locations such as Internet cafés, The telecom operator should be schools and libraries( This should granted autonomy and even be also include provision of access privatized to encourage network roll lines, personal computers and out and help attract a foreign training since there are a number strategic investor( of examples where organizations have not been able to avail Test bed for 3G mobile( Cambodia themselves of Camnets reduced is number one in the world in regards Internet rates because they to the share of mobile phones to total cannot afford the telephone telephones( Thus it would logically connection or personal stand to benefit from mobile Internet( computers( However thus far, Cambodias mobile phone operators have mainly 2) Creation of a fundto which all promoted basic voice use( Cambodias telecommunication operators mobile phone operators all have would contributeto finance strategic foreign investors that have infrastructure development in expertise in these areas( They should underserved areas( One target be encouraged to use Cambodia as a 35 Cambodia Internet Case Study test-bed for mobile Internet in developing countries and have funds developing countries( They can and projects disposable for doing so( leverage the countrys high utilization Indeed, the launching of the Internet of mobile phones to promote services in Cambodia was achieved through bi- such as Short Messaging Service lateral assistance( The Government of (SMS), GPRS (high speed Internet Cambodia should avail itself of donor access) and eventually third support to assist the implementation generation mobile( of some of the recommendations listed above as well as finance other e-Government( There are no citizen- initiatives that would allow the relevant online applications being Internet to develop deeper roots in the developed by the government( This country( By the same token, donors should be done as a matter of urgency should actively seek out and support in order to attract interest to the partners, particularly non- Internet and create a reason for using governmental organizations, which it( Most government web sites are in have been vital in developing the English and aimed at foreign Internet in Cambodia( Coordination community multi-lateral, bil-lateral among development partners or NGOs (perhaps because developed sponsoring ICT projects should be by them)( improved to avoid duplication and leverage on commonalaties( The idea Attracting bi-lateral and multi- of at least one annual meeting lateral assistance( Many bi-lateral between the government of Cambodia and multi-lateral organizations are and partners to develop ICT projects keen to promote ICT access in should be explored( 42 Asia-Pacific operators and organizations have been highlighting the unfairness of paying the full circuit cost for Internet connectivity Ironically Singapore has been at the forefront of this movement yet it charges Cambodia the full cost of its Internet connection The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has also highlighted the barrier high international connectivity costs pose to Internet development and issued a recommendation in 2000 See Report on the Outcome of the Assembly 6 October 2000 World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly http://wwwituint/newsarchive/press/documents/wtsa2000rephtm#International 36 Annexes Annex 1: List of meetings 1Rà '$7(à 7,0(à $SSRLQWPHQWÃZLWKà à à ÃDPà &DPQHWà à à ÃSPà &DPERGLDÃ6KLQDZDWUDà &DP6KLQ à à à ÃSPà 037& Ã3ODQQLQJÃDQGÃ)LQDQFHà 'HSDUWPHQWà à à ÃDPà 1DWLRQDOÃ,QIRUPDWLRQà &RPPXQLFDWLRQÃ7HFKQRORJ\à 'HYHORSPHQWÃ$XWKRULW\à 1L'$ à à à ÃDPà 7HOVWUDÃ%LJÃ3RQGà à à ÃSPà 0RELWHOà à à ÃSPà 0LQLVWU\ÃRIÃ(GXFDWLRQà à à ÃDPà 1HW6FKRROà à à ÃDPà 0LQLVWU\ÃRIÃ+HDOWKà à à ÃDPà &DPERGLDÃ&RPPXQLFDWLRQà 6DPDUW à à à ÃÃSPà &DPLQWHOà à à ÃSPà 2SHQÃ)RUXPÃRIÃ&DPERGLDà à à ÃSPà $GYLVRUÃWRÃ+(Ã6RNÃ$QÃ6HQLRUà 0LQLVWHUÃ0LQLVWHUÃIRUÃWKHÃ&RXQFLOÃRIà 0LQLVWHUVà à à ÃDPà &DPWHOà à à ÃDPà .KPHUÃ,QWHUQHWÃ'HYHORSPHQWà 6HUYLFHVà .,'6 à à à ÃSPà +XQÃ6HQÃ/LEUDU\à à à ÃSPà -DSDQÃ5HOLHIÃIRUÃ&DPERGLDà à à SPà )XWXUHÃ/LJKWÃ2USKDQDJHà 37 Cambodia Internet Case Study Annex 2: Acronyms and abbreviations ASEAN Association Of South East Asian Nations BCC Business Cooperation Contract Camintel Cambodia Indosat Telecommunication Camshin Cambodia Shinawatra CamTel Cambodia Mobile Telephone Company Casacom Cambodia Samart Communications Company Ltd( ccTLD Country code top-level domain GAIS Government Administration Information System GDP/GNP Gross Domestic Product/Gross National Product GSM Global System for Mobile Communication ICT Information and Communication Technology IDRC Canadian International Development Research Centre ISP Internet Service Provider IT Information Technology KIDS Khmer Internet Development Services LAN Local Area Network LDC Least Developed Country MoH Ministry of Health MoEYS Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport MPTC Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of Cambodia MSC Multimedia Super Corridor NGO Non-governmental organization NiDA National Information Communications Technology Development Authority NIS National Institute of Statistics PAN Pan Asia Networking PIC Public Internet Centre POP Point of Presence SKA Sender Keeps All SMS Short Messaging Service STIX Singapore Telecom Internet Exchange UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNTAC United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia 38 Annexes Annex 3: Useful links 2UJDQL]DWLRQà :HEVLWHà 0DLQÃJRYHUQPHQWUHODWHGÃ,&7ÃRUJDQL]DWLRQVà 0LQLVWU\ÃRIÃ3RVWVÃDQGÃ7HOHFRPPXQLFDWLRQVÃRIÃ&DPERGLDà ZZZPSWFJRYNKà 0LQLVWU\ÃRIÃ(GXFDWLRQà 39 Cambodia Internet Case Study Annex 4: Framework dimensions 7DEOHà Ã3HUYDVLYHQHVVÃRIÃWKHÃ,QWHUQHWà /HYHOÃà 1RQH[LVWHQW Ã7KHÃ,QWHUQHWÃGRHVÃQRWÃH[LVWÃLQÃDÃYLDEOHÃIRUPÃLQÃWKLVÃFRXQWU\Ã1RÃFRPSXWHUVÃZLWKà LQWHUQDWLRQDOÃ,3ÃFRQQHFWLRQVÃDUHÃORFDWHGÃZLWKLQÃWKHÃFRXQWU\Ã7KHUHÃPD\ÃEHÃVRPHÃ,QWHUQHWÃXVHUVà LQÃWKHÃFRXQWU\ ÃKRZHYHUÃWKH\ÃREWDLQÃDÃFRQQHFWLRQÃYLDÃDQÃLQWHUQDWLRQDOÃWHOHSKRQHÃFDOOÃWRÃDà IRUHLJQÃ,63à /HYHOÃà (PEU\RQLF 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