Telecom Firms Say Mobitel Owes $1.5M in Connection Fees

Cambodia’s largest mobile phone company CamGSM Co. Ltd., which operates under the MobiTel brand name, has been accused by three other firms in the market of refusing to pay more than $1.5 million owed to them in interconnection fees. In a letter to Telecommunications Minister So Khun dated July 25, Viettel (Cambodia) Pte., Vietnam’s largest telecommunications firm, Hello Axiata Co. Ltd., and Latelz Co. Ltd. write that unless CamGSM pays the fees, they would consider blocking the company’s calls to their networks. … Ian Watson, CEO of CamGSM, which is owned by the Cambodian conglomerate Royal Group, declined to say whwther MobiTel owned any money. However he did say that late payments for such fees are commonplace in the market. … Telecommunications Minister Mr. Khun said yesterday that he had not seen the letter from the three companies and that it was not the government’s role to help solve the dispute. …