Mobile network operators
Cambodia has three main mobile operators:
- Cellcard: owned by the Royal Group. Best coverage in Phnom Penh and tourist areas. Strong data speeds [1].
- Smart Axiata: Malaysian-owned. Largest subscriber base. Competitive data plans. Good nationwide coverage [2].
- Metfone: owned by Viettel (Vietnam). Best rural coverage. Often the cheapest data [3].
All three offer prepaid and postpaid accounts for foreigners.
SIM cards for foreigners
- Tourist SIM (prepaid): available at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports. 7-30 days unlimited data for 5-20 USD. Passport required.
- Standard prepaid SIM: available at any operator store. Passport required (all SIMs must be registered). Data packages from 3 USD/month for 1 GB; 10 USD/month for 30 GB.
- Postpaid SIM: passport + visa + proof of address. Monthly plans from 10-40 USD for 10-100 GB.
- eSIM: supported by Smart and Cellcard. Available for prepaid (online purchase before arrival) and postpaid.
- SIM registration: mandatory. You must register all SIMs with a passport or national ID. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications blocks unregistered SIMs.
Broadband internet
- Ezecom: the premium fixed-line provider. Fibre to the home (FTTH) in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville. 20-500 Mbps for 30-120 USD/month. Most reliable, best customer service [4].
- SINET (Sino Net): fibre broadband in Phnom Penh. 10-200 Mbps for 15-50 USD/month. Good for basic use.
- OOREDOO: fibre in Phnom Penh. 50-200 Mbps for 25-60 USD/month.
- Digi: mobile broadband and fixed wireless. Less common for primary home internet.
- Smart Home Fiber: Smart Axiata's fibre product. 50-200 Mbps for 20-50 USD/month. Available in select buildings.
Installation: 1-5 working days for fibre. Fixed wireless (LTE/4G) can be set up same day.
Coverage
- 4G/LTE: excellent in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Battambang. Fair in rural areas. Metfone has the best rural coverage.
- 5G: limited. Smart has launched 5G in parts of Phnom Penh.
- Speed test averages (2026): mobile download 15-40 Mbps in cities, 5-15 Mbps in rural areas. Fibre: 50-300 Mbps depending on provider.
- International bandwidth: Cambodia has three international fibre connections (to Thailand, Vietnam, and one submarine cable). Bandwidth is adequate but not as fast as Thailand or Vietnam. Interruptions during cable maintenance.
Cost comparison
- Prepaid mobile: 3-15 USD/month for 5-50 GB. Very competitive market.
- Postpaid mobile: 10-50 USD/month for 20-100 GB + voice. Unlimited plans available (typically throttle after 20-50 GB).
- Broadband: 25-100 USD/month for 50-200 Mbps. Ezecom is the most expensive but most reliable.
- Coffee shop WiFi: free in most cafes in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Speeds 2-15 Mbps.
Practical tips
- Dual SIM: common practice. Smart for data + Metfone for rural coverage (or vice versa).
- Top-up: available at all convenience stores (Lucky, Circle K), via app, or bank transfer. Smart's SmartLuy app supports credit-card top-up.
- Censorship: Cambodia has minimal internet censorship. Facebook is the dominant platform for news and communication (11 million+ users as of 2026, roughly 60% of the population).
- VPN: not blocked. Widely used by expats for banking, streaming, and security.
- Phone unlocking: phones sold in Cambodia are unlocked. The market has many grey-market imports (Chinese brands, older models).
Emergency connectivity
- Public WiFi: available at shopping centres (AEON, Exchange Square), airport, and some public parks (Phnom Penh riverside). Free but requires registration.
- Mobile hotspots: 4G mobile WiFi devices are popular and cheap (5-15 USD for the device, then standard prepaid data).
This page is indicative. Confirm current packages directly with the operator.