Thailand
Cambodia to be a digital economy by 2023
To increase competitiveness and enrich the lives of its citizens, Cambodia aims to have transitioned into a predominantly digital economy by 2023, according to an official from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
“By 2023, we plan to transform the country into a digital economy in which most citizens will be adept at using digital tools and able to use advanced technology to enhance their personal and professional lives,” said Kan Channmeta, Secretary of State at the ministry.
He said the government aims to complete the transition into a digital economy in the next five years to keep up with fellow Asean member countries. However, to achieve its goal, Cambodia needs to up its citizens’ prowess in information of communication technology (ICT).
“The ministry will focus on developing students’ abilities in key areas within ICT, which will accelerate the development of the technology sector.
“The younger generations are very tech-savvy. We need to take advantage of this. We need to focus on training them so that they can develop new digital services, particularly advanced mobile financial services and e-commerce applications.”
Tram Iv Tek, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, said their goal is to reach total broadband coverage in urban areas by 2020, with at least 70 percent coverage in rural areas. Their aim is for at least 80 percent of Cambodians to have internet access within the next two years.
Im Vutha, spokesman for the Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia, said more than 10.7 million mobile phones had internet connection in 2017, a 33.77 percent increase year-on-year.
He said there were 8.5 million internet users in 2017, an increase of 500,000 people compared to the year before. Fixed internet subscriptions grew by 41 percent, reaching 138,672 in 2017.
Source: http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50112147/cambodia-to-be-a-digital-economy-by-2023/