Satellite Internet Set to Enter Cambodia in 2023!!!

• 2022-07-28
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Starlink, a company operated by American magnate Elon Musk, has announced plans to introduce satellite internet to Cambodia next year.

Satellite internet will be rolled out in Cambodia next year delivering relatively high-speed internet, Starlink, operated by American magnate billionaire Elon Musk, announced on its website.

Starlink’s map showed that Cambodia is among countries in Southeast Asia to be “starting in 2023” with satellite internet along with Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, although details remained scarce on Tuesday.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, Pen Sovicheat, said he was unaware of the news.

“I am not aware of this initiative. Normally, for telecommunication issues, the company will first approach the Ministry of Post and Telecom,” Sovicheat said.

Meas Po, a spokesman at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, did not answer Kiripost's request for comment.

Ngeth Moses, a digital trainer in Cambodia, said on Tuesday that he is aware of Starlink access in Cambodia but did not know the full details.

“Based on our TeleCom law, individuals can't purchase unless we have a registered entity like a private company to purchase for us,” Moses told Kiripost.

Moses said Starlink's internet is direct to users that do not pass through National Internet Gateway, something the Cambodian government will allow to happen or not.

Starlink, a division of Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX), said it is a constellation of multiple satellites that orbit the planet much closer to Earth, at about 550km, and covers the entire globe.

There were 13,44 million internet users in Cambodia as of January 2012, Moses said in his blog, adding that the country’s internet penetration rate accounted for 78.8 percent of the total population.

Data shows that Facebook has 11.6 million users, Instagram has 2.05 million users, Titok has 6.68 million users, the Facebook messenger has 7.85 million users, LinkedIn has 460,000 users, and Twitter has 220,600 users, according to Moses.