Cambodia Telecom Market- Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Cambodia Telecom Market- Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Cambodia telecom Market revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.21% over the next five years. Most major telecom companies, such as Smart Axiata, Viettel, Cellcard, and Beeline, are based in Cambodia and promote innovation by making significant R&D investments consistently.

• The transition to 4G and 5G is still rising in the country due to expanding new networks and the expansion of the device ecosystem. For Instance, Smart Axiata deployed 68 new network base station sites in the Siem Reap province. These new sites will enhance Smart's 4G LTE network for users nationwide and help to ensure the network is fully ready to meet the growing customer demands during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• 5G services still need to be fully deployed in Cambodia, but key telecom operators have completed 5G demonstrations and trials over the past two years. For Instance, Viettel teamed up with Telecom Cambodia to roll out 5G trails in the capital Phnom Penh. In the Future, customers will slowly start migrating from 3G and 4G networks to the 5G network.
• Cambodia's telecom industry made further strides in expanding its wireless deployments. For Instance, Smart Axiata offers voice-over-Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) service for its customers. These wireless mobile broadband services will bring new opportunities to the telecom market.
• For Instance, Asia-Africa-Europe-1 (AAE-1) selected Infinera to increase its submarine network capacity. AAE-1's cable system spans 25,000 kilometers of the submarine and terrestrial networks that connect routes across Thailand to provide connectivity to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Hong Kong. Key players in the telecom market would further support the growth by investing in fiber cables to offer high-speed connectivity services for customers.
• The COVID-19 pandemic situation has impacted the telecom market. For Instance, The government of Cambodia postponed National Internet Gateway (NIG) plans. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC) stated that the plans have got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Cambodia's telecom players are expanding their network capacity with wireless deployments. For Instance, Smart Axiata had a significantly positive response from Fixed Wireless Access users last year. In the previous year, more than 100,000 users registered for FWA.
• Key players in the market are planning to enhance their network capacity to provide high-speed connectivity services for their customers. For Instance, Cambodia's Smart Axiata has deployed over 300 new base stations to extend its 4G coverage across nine provinces. The company has invested USD 90 million in infrastructure developments as part of this project.
• For Instance, Smart Axiata offers voice-over-Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) service for its customers. The demand for deploying Wi-Fi solutions will significantly grow with the increasing adoption of smartphone connections.
• Key players in the telecom market are taking initiatives to deploy 5G wireless services in Cambodia. For Instance, Viettel teamed up with Telecom Cambodia to roll out 5G trails in the capital Phnom Pen.
• Government authorities are working with private telecom service providers to expand wireless broadband connections. According to Ookla Speedtest Global Index, Cambodia ranked 126th with a median fixed broadband download speed of 19.82 Mbps in September this year.

• Increasing mobile subscribers will significantly increase the demand for OTT (over-the-top) services. OTT service providers such as Netflix and Amazon Prime offer on-demand videos for customers, thus creating new growth opportunities for the telecom market.
• According to Ookla Speedtest Global Index, Cambodia ranked 104th with a median mobile download speed of 17.49 Mbps in September this year. OTT services will further increase mobile data consumption.
• Customers are migrating to mobile-based OTT services, thus creating new growth opportunities for the telecom market.
• For Instance, Soyo provides online VOD services for Cambodian audiences. Subscribed users have access to this OTT platform. This indicates that the demand for OTT services will significantly grow.
• According to World Bank, Cambodia has one of the world’s lowest data costs and the highest mobile data per capita use among low and lower-middle-income countries. Increasing the internet penetration rate will further increase the demand for OTT services.

The Cambodia telecom market is moderately fragmented due to ongoing partnerships and recent advancements in the market. Some major players in the market studied included Smart Axiata, Viettel, Cellcard, CooTel, and Beeline.

In March 2022, Smart Axiata partnered with Cloudera to improve its customer service and deliver targeted offers that will fulfill the needs of eight million customers.

In May 2022, Viettel signed a credit package contract limit of up to USD100 million with MB Cambodia to upgrade and expand its telecom network.

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support