The Kingdom is studying the environmental impacts from the construction of undersea fiber optic cables connecting Hong Kong to Preah Sihanouk province at a distance of over 300km.
The construction is planned in the near future to strengthen Cambodia's telecommunication sector and bring the internet network to the next level.
To ensure that the plan goes smoothly, the Ministry of Environment on January 10 held a meeting to review and receive input on Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).
The ministry said the total length of the cables is 323.5km, with a station set to be built in Bit Traing commune's Koki village of Preah Sihanouk province’s Prey Nop district that will be managed by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.
The environment ministry said during the meeting that the construction of the fiber optic cables under the sea has to be carried out without severe impacts on the environment and biodiversity.
The ministry said the construction company must have a clear plan for waste management according to the technical standards.
The company is also required to study the impacts on coral reefs. Should the construction affect them, the firm has to avoid that location. Before construction begins, the ministry requires the construction company to work with a consulting firm and garner more inputs into the ESIA report.
The ministry said there had been two companies installing underseas optic cables connecting to Cambodia. The first connected the cables from Malaysia to Cambodia and Thailand, known as MCT, covering a length of 1,300km. The second company connected the cables from Asia to Africa and Europe, known as AAE-1 with a length of 25,000km. Both were launched in 2017.
