Cambodian ICT Masterplan 2020 Part 2. Ensuring Connectivities 4. National ICT Infrastructure 4.1 Introduction National ICT infrastructure means basic structures such as facilities and policies for supporting, building and managing the ICT service. To develop the national ICT infrastructure, Cambodia has tried to promote telecommunication industry through opening the market and to enhance internet service base through establishing KHNIC and having plans to secure a national satellite and build up submarine cables. The high mobile penetration rate is one of the fruits of the efforts. However, there are some limitations such as lack of backbone networks to provide ICT services for public organizations, low coverage and bandwidth of the national backbone network run by state-owned organization and administration network. It is also restricted to access the internet as focused on the main cities, to be lack of the infrastructure for broadband internet service and to have low coverage of fixed-line services for internet and telecommunication. In order to overcome the limitations and enhance the national ICT infrastructure, it is needed to found national backbone network run by state-owned organization and accelerate national information network for each of the governmental administration, finance and education & research. Moreover, it is important to build up nationwide internet service base and try to bridge the digital divide for increase in accessibility to the networks. It is also necessary to introduce Broadband Convergence Network and digital TV in Cambodia to minimize ICT gap between Cambodia and IT powerhouses. 4.2 Objectives The Royal Government of Cambodia will achieve the following objectives through enhancing national ICT infrastructure: - Improve service accessibility of telecom and broadcasting for all the people - Expand ICT infrastructure through government assistance and activating private investment - Set the base environment for diverse ICT convergence such as voice & data, wire & wireless, and telecom & broadcasting 13