A person browses the internet on their phone at a cafe near Phnom Penh’s Wat Phnom. Hong Menea
Local internet and telecoms service provider SI Group Co Ltd (Sinet) on August 23 unveiled a partnership with New York-listed AI-driven network gear maker Juniper Networks Inc.
Sinet said it entered the tie-up to “upgrade its network infrastructure, accelerating time-to-value for customers … and to deploy advanced network solutions, deepening the foundation for its exponential growth”.
“With nearly 20 years of presence in Cambodia, Sinet has consistently introduced new network solutions to simplify, connect and empower businesses across the country.
“The company currently operates over 200 active network points of presence – POPs, providing fast and reliable internet connection to main cities and provincial towns, as well as remote districts and villages, fulfilling its vision to connect all corners of Cambodia,” it said.
Sinet chief technical officer Kong Diep stressed that Juniper’s extensive experience would be valuable asset in upgrading his company’s network to better respond to rising demand in Cambodia.
“We are excited to further strengthen our long-standing partnership with Juniper Networks. These network infrastructure upgrades have set the stage for us to succeed in a country that is experiencing exponential digital growth.
“With a stable and secure network powered by Juniper’s cutting-edge solutions, we will continue to deliver on the promise to empower businesses and support Cambodia’s journey towards a new model of economic growth, built on the foundations of a thriving digital economy,” he said.
Juniper Networks ASEAN-Taiwan senior director Perry Sui said: “By providing flexible and easily scalable network solutions, I am confident that we will be able to support Sinet’s continued growth and to help deliver high-performance connectivity to the digitally vibrant communities across urban and rural Cambodia.
“It is an honour to be chosen by one of Cambodia’s largest network providers, and we are excited to empower Sinet in connecting millions of users through simple, fast and reliable network systems,” Sui said.
Sinet said: “Juniper Networks was selected for this network infrastructure upgrade having grown and delivered quantifiable success alongside Sinet as a long-term partner.
“With the expansion of the Ethernet Virtual Private Network-Virtual Extensible LAN [EPVN-VxLAN] IP Fabric and Metro-Ethernet transport networks expansion project completed in 2018 and early 2021, Sinet was able to smoothly implement the solutions from end-to-end, completing both deployments with almost no downtime,” it added.
There are currently seven mobile and fixed service providers operating in the Kingdom, according to the Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC).
The number of active mobile phone subscriptions in the Kingdom was 20,816,616 as of the end of April, up 1.64 per cent from 20,481,051 at the end of May 2020, the latest data from the TRC show.
At the same time, the number of landline and fixed-line subscriptions numbered just 42,577 as of end-April, down 18.87 per cent from 52,480 at end-May 2020.
The TRC previously reported that the number of mobile internet subscriptions recorded a 2.36 per cent year-on-year drop to 14,863,435 in May 2020, whereas fixed broadband internet subscriptions logged a 33.07 per cent climb to 249,132.
