When moving to any country in the world, it is important for you to stay in touch with your loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Stable mobile communications in Cambodia solves this problem. If you're moving to Cambodia, you don't have to worry about lack of connectivity as the country is well covered by strong telecommunications networks. In fact, you can make phone calls and access the Internet almost everywhere.
Good to know:
Today there are approximately 450,000 landline subscribers in Cambodia. However, the number of mobile phone subscribers is much higher, with a total of 21.3 million. The use of mobile phones in the country is much more convenient.
Landline communications
Unlike the rest of Asia and Western countries, landlines are less popular in Cambodia than mobile phones. The landline telephone market is represented by Telecom Cambodia, Viettel, Digi, Beeline, Cellcard and Metfone Home. Most operators specialize more in mobile telephony due to high demand.
Telecom Cambodia installation fees vary from one region to another:
- $60 in Phnom Penh versus $30 in rural areas;
- $150 deposit in Phnom Penh versus $100 in rural areas;
- $6.50 for monthly subscription vs. $3 in rural areas.
It is best to contact the service provider of your choice for information about the documents required at the time of application.
Mobile communications in Cambodia
If you prefer to use a mobile phone, you can choose from the following mobile service providers: Beeline, Qb, Cellcard, Metfone, Smart, CooTel, Excell. To purchase a SIM card, you simply need to go to a cellular store with your passport. When filling out the application form, you will need to select your mobile phone number from the list provided. You can then choose from different packages. Be sure to choose the one that best suits your needs and budget.
In general, you can choose from the following options: a monthly subscription or a prepaid plan, which can be easily topped up using a scratch card. Payments on prepaid plans are available in amounts starting from $1. You will also be eligible for bonus airtime from time to time.
Internet
To apply for an Internet connection at home, you can choose from many Internet providers. They usually offer attractive packages at interesting rates, but be sure to choose according to your needs and budget. To subscribe, you must present a valid passport along with a valid visa, as well as proof of address. Travel fees and other charges may also apply.
If your stay is short-term, then you can choose Internet access via 3G. However, don't expect high surfing and loading speeds.
In any case, you can connect to the Internet in hotels, cafes, and restaurants throughout the country. The speed is quite good, without interruptions.
The Russian corporation General Satellite, which is believed to own the National Satellite Company (Tricolor TV brand), is entering the international pay television market. The company has created a terrestrial TV operator in Cambodia and plans to agree on the development of similar projects in other countries in Asia, Africa and the CIS.
Broadcasting platform Royal Group of Companies (RGC, One TV brand) yesterday launched test broadcasts in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. RGC is a joint venture between General Satellite and the local holding Royal Group, whose telecommunications projects include the third cellular operator in the kingdom, Mobitel. The Russian side received 51% in the joint venture, and the Cambodian side received 49%. The bulk of the investments in the launch came from General Satellite, explained the president and main owner of the corporation, Andrei Tkachenko. Royal Group invested licenses, cell towers, and partly the resource of the group's existing fiber optic networks. He does not disclose the exact size of the investment, but a message circulated yesterday states that similar projects in the world “are about $15-20 million.” The project has already received the support of the local regulator, in particular, the Minister of Information of Cambodia Keu Kanna participated in the launch of the project.
Full broadcasting in Phnom Penh starts in mid-September, and throughout the kingdom - in mid-October. Subscribers will have access to three packages from 20 to 60 channels costing $3-12. To bring the project to profitability, it is necessary to recruit 400-500 thousand subscribers, Mr. Tkachuk said. The company plans to achieve this figure “no later than 2015.” In addition to possible dividends, General Satellite will earn money from technological consultation with RGC and, possibly, from the supply of receiving equipment. So far, the joint venture has purchased 50 thousand set-top boxes from Hyundai. The choice of General Satellite as a supplier will be an interested party transaction, it is necessary that it be approved by the RGC partners, the businessman clarified.
General Satellite produces television receiving equipment in Kaliningrad. It is the main supplier of equipment for the National Satellite Company (NSC), which provides satellite TV services to more than 10 million subscribers under the Tricolor TV brand. In addition, it produces equipment that meets the requirements of the digitalization program for terrestrial TV currently being implemented in Russia. According to SPARK-Interfax, the owners of the General Satellite, AS corporation as of February 2010 are NPO TsST OJSC, Prankor LLC, General Satellite NT, DS Kaliningrad LLC, Electrosfera LLC, shares are not disclosed .
Formally, RGC is the first camera project of General Satellite. However, participants in the Russian pay TV market were confident that the manufacturer owned the NSC. According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, this company belonged to two individuals, and Mr. Tkachenko himself has repeatedly denied his involvement in the operator. In mid-July, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) approved the application of an unnamed individual to purchase 50% of NSC. As a result, he will increase his stake in the company from 37.4% to 87.4%. Andrei Tkachenko refused to speculate on who might be behind this structure.
Nevertheless, the company expects further expansion into the pay TV market. According to Andrei Tkachenko, they are negotiating the launch of broadcast projects (primarily satellite TV operators) in Pakistan, Bangladesh and other Asian countries, as well as in English-speaking Africa, the CIS and Latin America.
According to the Cambodian regulator, there are about 90 pay TV operators in the kingdom. The largest are PPC TV with a subscriber base of 70 thousand clients and CC TV with 50 thousand clients. This is not the first major telecommunications project with the participation of a Russian company in Cambodia. In 2008, VimpelCom (later reorganized into Vimpelcom) bought 90% of the local Sotelco company - Atlas Trade Limited from its shareholder Altimo. Communication services were launched there in the spring of 2009, the operator planned to occupy 20% of the local market. However, he is now considering exiting this market. At the end of 2011, Vimpelcom served 1.013 million clients there and wrote off the value of the subsidiary along with the asset in Vietnam in the amount of $527 million.
Buying a SIM card and connecting to an Internet package in Cambodia turned out to be not as scary as I imagined, having quickly read outdated articles on the Internet, in which I noticed that only a person of Cambodian nationality can purchase a SIM card.
I asked my “experienced” travel companions how I could get the Internet and other communications on my phone. Fellow traveler Andrey told about operator Smart, which now has good tariffs for mobile Internet. I didn’t look into it too much and the very next day after my arrival I went to the office of the Smart company, located on Ekarich Street, that is, on the way from my first to the current guesthouse Papagayo Guesthouse. Next to Samudera Super Market. So, for 1 dollar I took a motorbike taxi to my destination.
Smart operator office on the map of Sihanoukville:
Office hours: 7:30–20:00.
Selecting, connecting and activating a SIM card and Internet package took me about 10 minutes. Nice Cambodian girls who spoke good English did everything for me, I, for my part, only gave them a passport and 8 dollars of money. Of which: 2 dollars - a SIM card, 1 dollar I deposited into the account (although there is already a small amount in the account), 5 dollars - an Internet package (4 GB for 1 month).
Other current Internet tariffs from Smart:
The prices, it should be noted, are quite, quite!
You can check the balance of your Smart SIM card as follows:
*888# - account balance
*087*888# - Internet balance
To top up your balance, you don’t have to go to the office again; it’s enough to purchase a top-up card at any store/tent/kiosk. Activation is simple: erase the “lottery field” and enter *888*card code#call.
How to call from Cambodia to Russia
I wouldn’t even think of calling Russia using mobile communications, since “the Internet is the boss of everything,” and I have a preference for Vibers, WhatsApp, Skype and the like. However, my beloved Sberbank forced me to chat with them on the phone, spending a little money on it. To call Russia, you do not need to enter any additional codes (as in Thailand), and the number is dialed in the usual Russian format via +7-9хх-ххх-хххх
Local SIM card
Mobile communications in Cambodia are relatively well developed; in recent years, cellular communications have covered almost all cities and large towns in the country. The main operators in the country are Metfone, MobiTel and Samart. Also, the Russian mobile operator Beeline has recently appeared in the country.
You can buy a local SIM card at call centers and communication shops; to purchase you must provide a copy or original of your passport. However, there is an easier way - buy a SIM card in small electronics stores, where you don’t need a passport. The cost of a SIM card is about $3 (12,000 riel) with a zero balance.
You can top up your balance by purchasing a prepaid card. Cards cost from $2 (8,000 riel). Mobile phone payments are also accepted in many hardware stores and supermarkets. The cost of a minute of international communication is about $0.15 (about 600 riel).
Many telecom operators in Cambodia have a system in which, once you top up your balance, you need to use it within a certain time limit (usually a week or a month). If it was not possible to “speak” all the money, then it is frozen in the account. You can activate them again by making a new payment to your mobile account.
Tourist SIM card
A tourist SIM card is another fairly economical way to call Russia. The cost of a tourist SIM card usually ranges from 400-500 rubles. The cost of calls to Russia is about 40 rubles. per minute, incoming - about 20 rubles.
Mobile communications in Cambodia, as in Russia, operate in the GSM 900/1800 standard.
Telephone communications in Cambodia
Telephone communications in the country are relatively poorly developed; long-distance and international calls can be made from most hotels, post offices and call centers. There are also informal meeting points on the streets of large cities and in tourist areas, usually small tents or kiosks. There are also pay phones on the streets of large cities and in tourist areas, of which there are relatively few.
Calls are made using Phonecards, which can be purchased at post offices, supermarkets and some hotels. The card costs from $10 (about 40,000 riel), and the cost of a call abroad from $3 (12,000 riel). Card costs outside Phnom Penh and tourist areas may be higher. Calls from pay phones and call centers are very unprofitable compared to other means of communication.
Roaming in Cambodia
Roaming from Russian operators operates in Cambodia. This is less profitable than a local SIM card, but cheaper than calls from post offices and pay phones.
Prices are indicated in rubles
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Wired Internet in Cambodia is available in large cities; in terms of quality, it differs little from Russian standards. However, lines for the Internet are stretched mainly in the central areas of cities; on the city outskirts there is practically no wired Internet. Much better with 3G internet in Cambodia. The cellular network covers almost all cities and towns, and local operators offer relatively cheap tariffs. 3G modems with local SIM cards are also popular.
Wi-Fi internet in Cambodia is only available in hotels and some restaurants. If you need the Internet quickly, and there is no way to connect it, then you can use the services of numerous Internet cafes, where the cost of 1 hour on the World Wide Web is about $1 (4,000 riel).
Can I use the SIM card of my GSM operator (Beeline, MegaFon, MTS) to make calls on a Thuraya satellite phone?
Yes, this is one of the advantages of the Thuraya network. The ability to use mobile communications services around the world using special satellite equipment is currently provided by most major mobile operators. Without changing their phone number, mobile network subscribers can stay in touch almost throughout Russia and many countries around the world.
Attention! In this case, the subscriber will pay for both incoming and outgoing calls, regardless of where he is.
| Operator | Outgoing calls | Incoming calls | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beeline | 200 ₽ | 200 ₽ | Basic roaming prices |
| Megaphone | 149 RUR | 149 RUR | Roaming in satellite communication systems |
| MTS | 155 RUR | 155 RUR | Special types of roaming |
| TELE2 | - | - | Service not provided |
How can I find out how much credit is left on my Thuraya SIM card?
You can find out the balance on your Thuraya SIM card by dialing *100# and the call key.
Can I connect to Thuraya from you without buying a satellite phone?
Yes. You can connect to the network with your own Thuraya satellite phone, according to the current price list.
I can't register on the Thuraya network.
- Check if the SIM card is inserted into the phone.
- Make sure the antenna is fully extended and pointed at the sky. You must also be in an open area.
- Try rebooting your phone by turning it off/on.
- If the phone still does not register, try manual registration.
Voice communication
How can I call a Thuraya satellite phone?
The call is made from Russia from a regular landline phone
With this method of dialing, the local telephone company issues an invoice for communication services from OJSC Rostelecom or another long-distance operator (preliminary selection of a long-distance operator). The actual location of the Thuraya satellite phone does not matter. In this case, the dialing format will be as follows: 8‒954‒XXX‒XX‒XX
The call is made from Russia from a regular landline phone through an alternative long-distance operator
The actual location of the Thuraya satellite phone does not matter. In this case, the dialing format will be as follows:
- 8‒52‒954‒XXX‒XX‒XX — call through CJSC TransTeleCom Company;
- 8‒53‒954‒XXX‒XX‒XX — call through Interregional TransitTelecom OJSC;
- 8‒54‒954‒XXX‒XX‒XX — call via Orange Business Services;
- 8‒55‒954‒XXX‒XX‒XX — call through OJSC Rostelecom.
We RECOMMEND using the services of the operator OJSC Rostelecom, in this case the cost of one minute of conversation will not exceed 38 rubles (you can read more about the tariffs).
The call is made from a regular landline phone, outside the borders of Russia
The actual location of the Thuraya satellite phone does not matter. In this case, the international access code IDD must be dialed before the Thuraya satellite phone number. In most countries of the world, the IDD code value is taken to be 00, but in some it may differ:
- 8‒beep‒954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Kazakhstan, Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
- 8‒beep‒10‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Belarus, Georgia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan;
- 011‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX — in the USA, Canada and other North American countries;
- 001‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand;
- 000‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda;
- 0011‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Australia;
- 005‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Colombia;
- 119‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Cuba;
- 009‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Nigeria;
- 0‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Samoa;
- 002‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Taiwan;
- 990‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX — in Finland;
- 010‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in Japan;
- 00‒7954‒XXX‒XX‒XX - in England, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and most countries of the world.
The call is made from a mobile or other satellite phone
The call is made from a mobile or other satellite phone. The actual location of the Thuraya satellite phone does not matter. In this case, the dialing format will be as follows: +7954XXXXXXX.
How can I make a call from my Thuraya satellite phone?
The actual location of the Thuraya satellite phone does not matter. Before the called phone number, dial the international access code IDD +, for example:
- +7383XXXXXXX - to call Novosibirsk;
- +7903XXXXXXX - to call a mobile phone (to Russia);
- +7954XXXXXXX - to call another satellite phone in Russia;
- +88216XXXXXXXX - to call Thuraya satellite phone (global);
- +8816XXXXXXXX - to call another Iridium satellite phone;
- +870XXXXXXXXXX - to call an Inmarsat satellite phone;
Messaging and voice mail
Will I be able to send SMS to a Thuraya subscriber from my mobile phone?
Will I be able to send an SMS message to a Russian mobile phone subscriber (Beeline, MegaFon, MTS) from my Thuraya satellite phone?
Yes, such a possibility exists.
How long does it take for a message to be delivered to a Thuraya satellite phone?
The time it takes for a message to be delivered to a Thuraya subscriber depends on the message size and routing time. In most cases, the message is delivered within 2 minutes. Almost all messages are delivered within 15 minutes.
What is the maximum length of a message to be sent?
The maximum message length is 160 Latin characters. If the size of the sent message exceeds 160 characters, it will be truncated.
Sending faxes
Can I send faxes using Thuraya?
Yes, such a possibility exists. You should use the original data cable to connect your satellite phone to your computer.
Data transfer
What methods can be used to transmit data on the Thuraya satellite network?
Data transmission in the Thuraya satellite network can be carried out using one of the following technologies:
CSD A data transmission technology that uses a single time slot to transmit data at speeds up to 9.6 kbps to the network and switching subsystem, where it can be transmitted through the equivalent of a normal modem connection to the public switched telephone network. GmPRS Modern mobile packet data service at speeds of up to 60 kbit/s to the terminal and up to 15 kbit/s in the return channel (for Thuraya SO-2510, Thuraya SG-2510 and Thuraya XT terminals). ThurayaDSL Mobile packet data service at speeds up to 144 kbit/s in both directions (the mobile terminal has been discontinued). ThurayaIP A modern mobile packet data service at speeds up to 444 kbps in both directions.
Is special equipment required to make a data transfer (CSD) call?
No, you only need a satellite phone and a PC with the pre-installed software package that comes on CD.
Is special equipment required to access the Internet using GmPRS, Thuraya IP or Thuraya DSL technologies?
GmPRS packet data transmission is supported by all modern satellite terminals (Thuraya SO-2510, Thuraya SG-2510 and Thuraya XT). In order to use the Thuraya IP high-speed data transfer service, you must purchase special equipment. Thuraya DSL service is considered obsolete.
What access point name (APN) should I use to access the Internet using GmPRS technology?
Please use the following access point: mobileip.gtnt.ru
Can I receive text messages during data sessions?
Yes, you will be able to receive text messages during data sessions. The arrival of a message will be accompanied by a sound signal. The technology allows you not to interrupt the data transfer session.
Where can I find out the tariffs for GmPRS packet data services?
You can find more detailed information about prices in the section “
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