Cambodia Samart Communication Co., Ltd., the country's oldest mobile phone company,

kicked off its new GSM (digital) phone service on April 10.

With an investment of $4.82 million in new infrastructure and equipment upgrades,

Samart says that it will now have "the widest coverage in the country"

according to general manager Somchai Lertwisettheerakul. In addition to existing

service areas, Samart says that users will be able to reach Kien Svay, Kampong Chhnang,

Pailin and Kampong Trach. They also say that services will be expanded to cover Rt

5 to the Thai border and Rt 1 to Vietnam.

Somchai also announced that Samart will spend around $100,000 to support Cambodia's

first Road Rally from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville.

As part of Samart's digital kick-off, the company is sponsoring a Miss Khmer New

Year Contest. The finals will be held at the park in front of Wat Botum on April

14 where the winner will be crowned and awarded 4 million riels.

It is estimated that there are around 65,000 mobile phone users in Cambodia. Samart

says that it currently has 20,000 subscribers and that it hopes to increase this

by 7 to 10,000 by the end of 1999.