Telecommunications firm EMAXX yesterday signed a deal with Chinese technology giant Huawei to build a nationwide 4G LTE network.

Representatives from both companies and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC) gathered in Phnom Penh yesterday to sign off on the agreement.

“The aim is to fulfil the increasing demand for data usage in the Kingdom. Both EMAXX and Huawei will progress to build the most reliable and stable 4G LTE network here,” EMAXX board of directors member Sean Ngu said.

According to a joint statement issued by EMAXX and Huawei, the companies hope to install and launch 4G base stations in eight cities, including Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Battambang, within the next two years.

Yesterday’s announcement came after EMAXX, which is 65 per cent owned by Chinese telecom firm Shenzhen Keybridge Communications, announced in April that it was scrapping all retail operations and endeavouring on a three-year, $148 million telecom infrastructure project.

Ken Channmeta, a secretary of state at the MPTC, yesterday welcomed the partnership and called on EMAXX and Huawei to support the government’s draft broadband policy, which is currently being designed.

Meanwhile, Channmeta said the ministry and the private sector were continuing talks over the controversial telecom law.

“We had discussions over the private sector’s comments on the law yesterday [Tuesday], so now we are still looking at those. We have made the commitment to the government that we will finish this process as soon as possible,” he said.

“We want to protect the investors and we want to encourage them to pay more tax. That is the purpose of the telecom draft law.”