First submarine cable launched
Telcotech, a subsidiary of local internet provider Ezecom, officially launched Cambodia’s first undersea fibre-optic communications cable on March 15 after nearly two years of construction, promising faster, cheaper and more secure internet connectivity. The 1,300-kilometre-long Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand cable connects the three countries to the existing Asia-America Gateway, a pan-Pacific submarine cable system that links Southeast Asia to the United States. The cable project was carried out with Telekom Malaysia and Symphony Communication of Thailand, and was built by Chinese submarine network provider Huawei Marine Networks. Paul Blanche-Horgan, CEO of Ezecom, said during the launch ceremony that Cambodia has relied on terrestrial fibre connections through Thailand and Vietnam since the days of dial-up internet. He said the MCT cable will provide a solution for the growing connectivity needs of the Kingdom’s commercial sector, adding that service should begin in April.
