Internet Service Provider Ezecom announced late yesterday that it had acquired 100 percent of the shares of Cambodian wholesale fibre company Telcotech. Ezecom Chief Executive Officer Paul Blanche-Horgan said that Telcotech brought a complementary strategic vision and product technologies to his company, and the combined companies would deliver greater value, in a statement announcing the purchase. “By joining forces, we have a vast opportunity for further growth based on mutual strengths,” he said. “We are continuing to improve and provide the Cambodian people worldwide- quality services, whilst reducing costs and making internet more available and affordable throughout the country.”

Ezecom runs a fibre network aimed at business and retail customers, as well as offering data centre, VoIP and other telecommunications services, the statement said. Telcotech also controls a fibre network within Cambodia, but is also the sole Cambodian member of the Asia American Gateway submarine cable network consortium. The AAG totals some 20,000 kilometres of high bandwidth submarine cable, connecting Southeast Asia to the United States along with other major fibre networks, according to Telcotech. Yesterday, Blanche-Horgan told The Post it was the international exposure offered by the AAG that most attracted Ezecom. “The main reason for buying the company was the AAG cable, which is really important for Cambodia,” he said. The deal with Telcotech also increases Ezecom’s national coverage area by 40 percent, he said, though he declined to disclose the pricetag for the deal.

Blanche-Horgan also said that consumers will see Ezecom’s coverage area grow and product prices come down in about six months, admitting though that implementation “will take time”. Reducing costs is a major step toward bringing internet services to Cambodia’s rural poor, which is also a central goal of Ezecom, the CEO said. Blanche-Horgan said he wants to see connectivity brought to outlying villages and communes as a way to boost development in the country. “Because the future of Cambodia, as far as I’m concerned, is internet,” he said. Officials at Telcotech couldnot be reached for comment yesterday. Business 8 THE PHNOM PENH POST may 19, 2011 May Kunmakara THE value of Cambodia’s imports of raw garment material increased by nearly 50 percent in the first quarter compared year-on-year, while volumes of material declined by some 24 percent, according to data from Camcontrol, a division of the Ministry of Commerce.

Figures show import volumes dropped to 98,888.46 tonnes in the first quarter 2011 from 129,862.89 last year, while the value increased by 49.83 percent during the same period to US$539 million. Buyers should consider increasing order prices to assist the industry’s growth, according to Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia Secretary General Ken Loo. “The price of clothes and cotton has nearly doubled on the global market, hence the decline in our import [volumes] of raw material,” he said. “We’ll see whether or not buyers agree to increase prices, which is very important.” Ministry of Commerce Secretary of State Chan Nora also noted that rising prices of raw garment materials will impact production. “I’m not clear on the reasons for the rising cost of raw garment materials, it could be due to an increase on the global market, or a rise in oil prices,” he said.

Traffic Camera

Video footage from recently installed cameras capturing the traffic flow at four of Phnom Penh’s busiest intersections will not be recorded for police to use in investigations, the chief executive officer of the company that installed the cameras said yesterday.

EZECOM CEO Paul Branche-Horgan said yesterday that the cameras his company installed in partnership with television network CTN had never been intended for police use.

“It is just a live feed from the four cameras,” Mr Blanche-Horgan said. “CTN wanted to do traffic program… We  are not doing any security.”

Last week, CTN started broadcasting live early morning feeds from cameras at the intersection of Russian Boulevard and St 289, the intersection of Mao Tse Toung Boulevard and Monireth Boulevard and the trhee-way intersection of St 154, Sisowath Wuay and Sothearos Boulevard.

Mr Blance-Horgan said the joint project with CTN cost about $15,000 and was purely intended to provide CTN viewers with a better idea of the traffic situation around the city.

The installation of police security surveillance cameras in Cambodia, however, appears to be on the government’s agenda.

Lieutenant General Khieu Sopheak, Interior Ministry spokesman, said yesterday that the government was investigating the possibility of placing security cameras around the Cambodia.

“These four new cameras are just CTN cameras… But we plan to also [place cameras] in the future,” Lt Gen Sopeak said, adding that they did not know when the government would start work on the project.

Traffic Camera

Touch Naruth, Phnom Penh municipal police chief, said yesterday that the police department had already made plan to place surveillance cameras at strategic points around the city.

“The project is good,” Mr Naruth said. “It will serve to ensure the public’s safety and help fight against crime.”

But Mr Naruth said the high cost of installing cameras meant that City Hall would have to appeal for more funding from the government.

“I do not know when [installation] will happen yet,” Mr Naruth said. “It will cost a lot of money [and] the municipal governor will request to Samdech Hun Sen.”