The Cambodian Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has signed a concessional contract with Cambodia Fiber Optic Communication Network (CFOCN), a subsidiary of HyalRoute Group, for the investment of US$69.7 million in constructing and operating submarine cables and a landing station in Sihanoukville province, southwest Cambodia.

The project will be developed on a build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) basis and the concession will have a period of 25 years.

The submarine cables will have the capacity of 1.8 Terabits per second and is scheduled to be completed and ready for service by end of 2017.

Kan Channmeta, Secretary of State of Cambodian Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, said:

"This project will contribute to increasing the percentage of Internet users in Cambodia from the current 45 percent, or 6.5 million people, to about 80 percent in 2020. I'm confident that the project will significantly contribute to the development of information and communication technology in Cambodia."

The project is part of the implementation of the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1), which will span 25,000 kilometers connecting South East Asia to Europe through the Middle East and North Africa. It will have landing stations in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Greece, Italy and France. 

Joseph MC Chan, chairman of AAE-1 Management Committee, commented:

"AAE-1 could help bring the nations closer, provide additional means of communication to the people in Cambodia, connecting them to all parts of the World. Couple with the Belt and Road Initiative from China, the economic growth is sure to be accelerated further over the next decade, booming up the economies in Asia, Middle East and Africa".