PM Calls For Internet Nation

KHMER TIMES
MAY TITTHARA

Almost 20 million SIM cards have been sold so far in Cambodia. KT/Chor Sokunthea

Prime Minister Hun Sen wants what he calls a nation of E-people – Cambodians extensively connected to the internet.

Mr. Hun Sen was speaking yesterday at the inauguration of a new Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications building.

“We already have the letter E in E-government, E-commerce and so on. But I want more than that which is E-people. It means electronic people who will use high speed internet to solve problems.”

There were already more than seven million internet subscribers in the country, he said.

He spoke about the country’s difficulties adapting to the use of telecommunication as well as the use of mobile phones in the 1980s and 1990s.

He said Cambodia used only two numbers at first and only leaders could use them. For normal people, they had to use old-style telephones which made communication very difficult.

“But now, after the efforts of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Cambodia has phone numbers which are easy to use today. I would like to thank them for this effort as well.”

Government officials said in September last year that many social media accounts, particularly on Facebook, claimed to belong to Mr. Hun Sen.

“The Cabinet of the Prime Minister would like to confirm that the official account of Prime Minister Hun Sen is Samdech Hun Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister,” officials said.

In March 2015, Mr. Hun Sen called on lawmakers and government officials at all levels to learn the use of modern technology to communicate easily with the prime minister, who criticized some lawmakers and leaders who have not yet learned to use a computer.

Tram Iv Tek, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, said that as of September this year, the number of SIM card buyers reached 19,349,482, while internet users almost tripled from 2,700,000 in 2012 to 7,170,000.

He said: “Through financing sources, concessions and private sector investment, network and services quality has been strengthened gradually due to the development of infrastructure and new 4G technology.

“Optical cable grew to a length of 29,700 kilometers, covering the provinces and connecting to neighboring countries.”

Social researcher and political analyst Meas Ny said that now not even 20 percent of people use the internet and email.

He said: “If we talk about the use of Facebook via smartphone, it is making progress and people can get information even in remote areas, but the use of the internet is still limited.”