via CAAI
Article published on 13th October 2010
Cambodian internet service providers who have been granted WiMAX licenses are still waiting for the regulator to resolve a spectrum dispute over a year after their licenses were granted. Although the ISPs were granted licenses in the 2.5GHz to 2.7 GHz frequency range, the same spectrum was also licensed to Star Digital TV.
Sok Channda, CEO of Cambodia Data Communications, parent company to both Mekong Net and Angkor Net ISP, told the Phnom Penh Post it was still not cleared to operate WiMAX networks, despite meeting with the Ministry on several occasions.
She put the cost of the delays at around US$1 million so far.
Earlier this year, seven of the companies affected signed a joint letter to the Prime Minister, but that didn't change the situation. The letter sent to the prime minister said that reissuing the licences sent "the investment community, both current and potential, the wrong message about investment protection and rule of law in Cambodia".
Hyam Bolande, vice president at Chuan Wei - another affected firm - declined to comment directly on the issue, but said Cambodia's economic and social development needs more affordable broadband in the hands of more people. Last February, Chuan Wei awarded a nationwide WiMAX deployment contract to Alcatel-Lucent.
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