Cambodia launches new telecoms regulator

The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Cambodia (MPTC) has announced the official launch of an autonomous and independent regulatory authority charged with overseeing the country’s telecoms industry. The Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC) was approved in a sub-decree by Prime Minister Hun Sen in February 2012, and will assume the responsibility for implementing policy determined by the MPTC, promoting fair competition in the market, licensing operators, managing spectrum, regulating interconnection, promoting universal access, monitoring and regulating tariffs, and resolving disputes between operators, among other things. ‘This is a new achievement for the country in reforming telecoms sector,’ Xinhua cites Minister of Posts and Telecoms, So Khun, as saying, adding: ‘The regulatory body will help to build more confidence among investors.’ There is currently no overarching telecoms law in Cambodia; in its absence the sector is governed by decrees and sub-decrees issued by the MPTC and the prime minister’s office. The TRC aims to make rules clearer and more transparent in a bid to prevent disputes between operators on issues such as pricing and overlapping frequencies.