T he Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC) has begun work to modernize the

country's dilapidated telephone facilities by introducing more lines to help ease

congestion on the network.

Under a project funded by French aid, an extra 6,000 lines are

to be added. However, 4,000 of them are to replace out-dated current lines.

There are currently more than 24,000 telephone subscribers, with more than 16,000

of them cellular users, according to MPTC's statistics.

Currently MPTC estimates there are 0.65 telephones for every 100 Cambodians.

It was hoped to increase that to one telephone for every 100 people by 1998, and

1.38 telephones by the year 2000.

Telecommunication services earn the Government about $20m each year.