National Report - Cambodia - United Nations Sustainable ...

Cambodian Government’s Achievements and Future Direction in Sustainable Development
Access to TV, radio and press
The Ministry of Information has made significant
progress in improving and expanding the coverage,
efficiency and quality of mass media (radio, TV and
the press). While in 1993-94, only 21 percent of the
population owned a TV or radio, in 2010, the figure
had increased by 267 percent (to 77 percent of the
population). However, only 2.3 percent of the
population had access to printed media in 2010 80 .
Across the country, Cambodian people receive
information mainly though broadcast media. Radio
is the most powerful medium among the rural and
remote population as it leaps the barriers of illiteracy
and high costs of electricity. Radio dominates the
media environment with 51 percent of Cambodians
using it as their primary source of information
(Cambodia National Institute of Statistics, Socio-
Economic Survey 2004), and about 52 percent of
households owning a radio (49 percent in rural
areas) (Asia Media Guide 2009). Due to difficulties in
distributing print media to rural and remote areas,
newspapers have limited reach. Moreover, in
Cambodia, the 2008 National Population Census
puts the adult literacy rate at 77.6 percent (15 years
old and over) and the functional literacy rate at 37.1
percent.
Telephones
As in many other countries, an exponential
expansion has occurred in the telephone sector.
While in 1998, only 0.74 percent of the population
owned a telephone, in 2010 the figure had
increased to 87 percent. The expansion happened
most rapidly in the past five years, the number of
telephones in use growing by 1521 percent
between 2005 and 2010, and the telephone density
doubling between 2009 and 2010. The expansion
can be attributed to an exponential growth of
mobile telephony in rural areas. While only 1
percent of the poorest quintile of the population
owned a phone in 2004, that figure had risen to 20
percent in 2009 88 . Phone connectivity is therefore
well on its way to reaching the 2013 target of 15
million, ahead of time 89 .
Internet
As in other parts of the world, the internet has
expanded significantly, the number of subscribers
increasing from 8,000 in 2005, to 850,000 90 in the
first quarter of 2011. This number suggests that the
2013 target of 620,000 has far been exceeded 91 .
There are currently 37 Internet Service Providers
(ISPs) in Cambodia with 16 operating.
Table 6: Information and Communication Technology indicators 1998-2010
1998 2005 2010 Target 2013
Ownership of TV/radio 81 21 % 82 77 % Combined target 95
%
Access to newspapers 83 2.3 %
Telephones in use
(landline & mobile) 84
882,000 14.3 million 85 15 million
Telephone density (per
100 population)
0.74 % 87.06 %
Number of internet
subscribers
8,000 86 850,000 87 620,000
80
NSDP MTR 2011.
81
Core NSDP 2009-2013 indicator.
82
Calculated based on figures in Cambodia Poverty Assessment 1999,
World Bank.
83
Ibid.
84 Ibid.
85
2011 figure in NSDP MTR 2011.
86
2008 figure in NSDP MTR 2011.
87
Figures for 1 st quarter of 2011.
88 CSES 2009.
89 NSDP MTR 2011.
90
UNESCO noted that internet users were 329,680 in 2011.
91
Ibid.
National Report for Rio +20 27