Cambodia launches optical cable with Laos

PHNOM PENH, Jul 05, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) --
Cambodia on Monday officially launched the operation of the fiber-optical cable network with Laos, officials said the cable operation would help to develop telecommunications between the two countries and help boost economic development among the countries in the Greater Mekong Sub- region.

The Cambodian Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun said that the construction of the fiber-optical network in Cambodia section, under the soft loan of 17.5 million U.S. dollars from the EXIM Bank of China, had begun in December 2007 and finished in July 2009, with the length of 651 km along the No. 6 Road from Skun town to Siem Reap, and No. 7 Road from Kampong Cham to Trapeang Kreal of Stung Treng province bordering Laos.

The fiber optic cable network has formed as a backbone connecting Cambodia to the existing fiber optic cable in Laos, Thailand, China and Vietnam.

"This is a new achievement in telecommunications sector in Cambodia," said So Khun. "It would boost the development of trades and tourism among those GMS countries."

The GMS consists of six countries -- China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.

"The optical fiber network would absorb additional benefits, for instance, increasing national income, promoting development of ICT, exchanging new technology and information, transmitting the traffic -- voice, video, data, and internet, and all other telecommunicating services within and widely to the world with the acceptable price," he said.

Khamlouat Sidlakone, minister and president of National Authority of Posts and Telecommunications of Laos, said that the operation of the cable would improve economic development between the two neighboring countries.

"It would facilitate the development of economy and trades between the two nations and people of the GMS countries would take advantages of this project."

The GMS-IS (Information Superhighway) Network was initiated by China and the MOU was signed by the six nations in December 2004, in the hope of establishing a high capacity optical fiber backbone network and the expansion of telecommunications from cities and towns to rural areas for servicing the need of the community.

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