The number of providers in Cambodia has decreased from 9 to 5 in recent years:
- yes 018 (formerly Seatel, 4G/LTE only)
- Metfone (by Viettel)
- Smart (by Axiata)
- Cellcard (by Mobitel)
Three more operators are not anymore on the list, as Excell ran an incompatible CDMA network and closed down in 2015 to be reopened as Kingtel with LTE-only limited to Phnom Penh in 2017, Cootel is on 2G, 4G/LTE and WiFi based on CDMA, not compatible to SIM cards and Cambodian Beeline was sold to Metfone in 2015.
2G/GSM is on 900 and 1800 MHz, 3G on 2100 MHz and 4G/LTE has started on Metfone, Smart and Cellcard so far on 1800 MHz (band 3). From 2018 more spectrum will be added for LTE. Seatel started with LTE in 17 provinces in 2015 on 850 MHz (band 5).
Up to a few years ago, tourists were not allowed to buy prepaid SIM cards, but only at special and overpriced tourist rates. In 2006 the government even prohibited the deployment of 3G networks to prevent the distribution of "offensive" contents.
These times are gone and today Cambodia has a very competitive market with many operators, quite low rates, a pretty good coverage and fast speeds mainly in the cities. Each operator has different levels of coverage around the country (although all work well in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap) and differently priced packages. To complicate matters, making cross-network calls can be expensive and difficult, which is why you’ll often see Cambodians with three or even four cellphones in hand, which is considered to be cool.
In 2017 all Cambodian mobile operators have agreed to end deep-discounted mobile voice and data deals after admitting they had deliberately engaged in predatory pricing, but rates remain very low.
According to a report of OpenSignal in February 2020 all three major providers Metfone, Smart Axiata and Cellcard have about 80% 4G/LTE coverage while Cellcard and Smart have faster speeds than Metfone.
Availability[]
You can buy SIM cards at any of the phone shops in Cambodia, but it’s best to get them directly from the mobile provider. Carriers are required to keep a copy of your passport on file, but many of the small shops don’t bother with this requirement, but you risk being shut off. Additionally, phone shops charge a large surcharge on SIM cards; ones that will cost $1-2 at the carrier office can be up to $10 at a shop.
Regulations[]
To purchase a SIM card, you need officially bring a passport with a valid visa to the office. You’ll be offered a variety of cards starting at around $1 only. More expensive cards don’t actually have more value, just supposedly lucky combinations of digits in the phone number. Top-ups can be made at lot of street vendors all around the country.
In 2015 the government tried to crack down on retailers who are still selling SIM cards without the required IDs. But major telecom companies have done little to curtail the practice: Smart continues to offer free SIM cards to passengers on flights bound for Cambodia, while Metfone advertises free SIMs to arriving passengers at the country’s international airports.
In 2016 the regulator has decided that all unregistered SIM cards in Cambodia must be deactivated by November 2016. Service providers are required to alert users with unregistered SIM cards "seven times within seven days" according to the regulator. If no action is taken, "there must be a full suspension" by 1st of November. This SIM deactivation measure affected nearly 10% of Cambodia's SIM cards or 2 million phone users that haven't registered their SIM cards.
In early 2023, the regulator has also put an end to "exchange pricing", the practice of carriers allowing users to increase the value of their balance in exchange for limiting it to on-net use and shortening its expiration date. All carriers now only offer fixed combo plans with voice/SMS/data allowances, specific data packages, or per-use pricing.
Currency []
The official currency of Cambodia is the riel (Khmer: រៀល; sign: ៛; code: KHR). However, many prices in the country are displayed and paid in US$ instead. The exchange rate is about 4,000 KHR per US$. However, the central bank is working to reduce the use of the US dollar, starting with the withdrawal of smaller notes and encouraging businesses to start pricing in KHR, including mobile providers. This wiki lists the prices in US$ or KHR depending on how it is advertised by the providers, but understand that for accounting purposes, your balance will be in US$ and all KHR-denominated plans are still priced in US$ on the backend, using a fixed exchange rate of 4,000 KHR per US$.
Metfone[]
Metfone is the market leader right now in Cambodia with about 50% of all customers after they acquired Beeline in 2015. They are backed by Vietnamese Viettel group and said to have a good coverage outside of major towns in the provinces: 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE coverage map
4G/LTE started in summer 2016 on 1800 MHz (band 3) and Metfone claims LTE coverage in 90% of urban areas in Cambodia already. Note that OpenSignal tests in 2018 showed much slower speeds and less coverage than with Smart or Cellcard.
Availability[]
Their prepaid SIM cards are available for $1-2 in their shops which are called "showrooms" (store locator). Starter kits are called 4ever, Kado80, or Yak Tariff. All need the same data packages, and all have the same top-up bonuses. 4ever extends validity by 60 days every time a chargeable activity is conducted, Kado80 offers bonus minutes with top-ups over $1, and Yak is the "standard" tariff with no special selling points. For 4G/LTE you need a new 4G-enabled SIM card. Old 3G SIM cards can be changed for free in their stores.
eSIM is also available with Metfone if your device supports it. A new eSIM activation provides you with $0.50 standard credit, unlimited YouTube for 7 days, unlimited Facebook/Line for 30 days, and $300 of in-network talk/SMS/data credit valid for 7 days and offers bonus minutes for top-ups like the Kado80 tariff.
Top-up vouchers are available in $0.50, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 giving 3-2000 days of validity. To top-up dial *197*<14-digit scratch card code>#. Often high top-up bonuses are given out, as well as "exchange" promotions which allow you to shorten the validity of your top-up in exchange for more credit. To check balance, dial *097#.
For starting up, insert SIM in your phone and call to 1770 to activate. If your phone requires a PIN code, enter 0000.
Data feature packages[]
There is no data without package or bonus/exchange credit. When exchange or bonus credit is available, internet is charged at 2.5 cents per MB. On each tariff, a new account offers 300% data credit for the first two top-ups and 400% for the third, and the "exchange" promotion gives you more value for your top-up in exchange for shorter validity time in the following manner:
| Cash value | Balance value | Validity (4ever) | Validity (other) | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.10 | $1 | not available | 1 day | *167*10# |
| $0.20 | $3 | 1 day | 2 days | *167*20# |
| $0.50 | $9 | 2 days | 6 days | *167*50# |
| $1 | $30 | 7 days | 12 days | *167*100# |
| $2 | $60 | 14 days | 24 days | *167*200# |
In some cases you can actually get better value from this promotion than purchasing a package. For example, if you only need 24 days of validity then converting $2 to $60 of on-net credit will give you 2.4 GB data instead of the 1.5 GB from the equivalent 30-day data package. Otherwise, the value in this option is mainly in the ability to flexibly use the credit for voice or SMS as well as data.
You can also choose between hard-capped limited data plans and soft-capped "unlimited" data plans all on 3G and 4G for the same rates:
| Volume | Time | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited data plans (hard-capped): | |||
| 39.96 GB^ | 1 night | $ 0.10 | *133*110# |
| 100 MB | 1 day | $ 0.10 | *133*1*1# |
| 700 MB | 30 days | $ 1 | *133*1# |
| 1.5 GB | $ 2 | *133*2# | |
| 4 GB | $ 3 | *133*1*3# | |
| 7 GB | $ 5 | *133*5# | |
| 15 GB | $ 10 | *133*10# | |
| 30 GB | $ 20 | *133**20# | |
| Unlimited data plans (soft-capped): | |||
| 200 MB | 1 day | $ 0.20 | *133*25# |
| 1.5 GB | 1 week | $ 1.50 | *133*150# |
| 3 GB |
30 days |
$ 3 | *133*4# |
| 5 GB | $ 5 | *133*50# | |
| 12 GB | $ 10 | *133*100# | |
^night pack actually specifies $999 data credit, which at standard rate is 39960 MB.
When reached data quota at limited packs, you can buy a new one or pay $ 0.025 per MB. When reached quota in 'unlimited' packs, speed will be throttled to 384 kbps. Check data balance by *133*097#
There are also three auto-renewing data packages:
- 5 GB plus unlimited WeChat for 7 days: $3, activation: *688*300#
- 10 GB plus unlimited WeChat for 30 days: $7, activation: *688*700#
- 150 GB plus unlimited WeChat for 30 days: $20, activation: *688*2000#
Auto-renewal can be canceled by dialing *688*0#.
To reset data speed, two add-ons for more high-speed data are offered for the "unlimited packs":
- 750 MB: $0.50, activation: *133*3#
- 1.5 GB: $1, activation: *133*9#
For unlimited Facebook and Line messenger they offer two packages:
- for 1 day: $0.05, activation: *133*6#
- for 1 month: $1, activation: *133*8#
For unlimited YouTube video streaming they offer these packages:
- for 1 week: $1, activation: *133*62#
- for 1 month: $3, activation: *133*82#
They also offer SabayLeng packages, which offer unlimited use of Facebook, WeChat, Line, TikTok, and YouTube with a set amount of bonus credit which can be used for on-net voice/SMS/data at standard rates for the length of the package:
- for 10 days: $2, with $150 bonus credit, activation: *999*200#
- For 30 days: $5, with $500 bonus credit, activation: *999*500#
SE Asia roaming[]
Before activating any roaming package, international roaming must first be activated by dialing *1521*1#.
For Vietnam, data is available at the following rate:
- $5 for 5 GB for 14 days, activation: *1521*84*5#
- $10 for 10 GB for 30 days, activation: *1521*84*10#
A $1 daily unlimited rate is also available for Vietnam, as well as Laos, Malaysia, and Thailand by dialing *1521*09#.
Metfone also has a wider ASEAN Roaming offer, covering Myanmar (Mytel), Thailand (AIS), Philippines (Globe), Malaysia (Maxis), Singapore (Singtel), Indonesia (Telkomsel), and Laos (Unitel):
- 1 GB high-speed, unlimited at 64 kbps after: $1.25/day, activation: *131*125#
- Additional 2 GB high-speed data per day: $1.25/day, activation: *131*2#
The base roaming package auto-renews. To cancel type *131*00#, to check balance *131*097#
Make sure to select the correct network; usage on a network not specified here will result in being charged a higher usage-based rate.
More info[]
- APN: metfone
- Website in English: http://www.metfone.com.kh
Smart (by Axiata)[]
Smart, a.k.a. Hello Axiata and Smart Mobile, is the 2nd provider in Cambodia. It has a good coverage in the country with 98% 2G coverage and 75% of the cells 3G-enabled: Coverage map. They were the first network to have started with 4G/LTE in 2014. It's available in all major cities, including Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap, Kampong Cham, Takhmak, Sihanoukville and more on 1800 and 2100 MHz (bands 1 and 3).
Smart also offers the lowest IDD rates to many Western and Asian countries at only 3c per min.
Availability[]
Get their prepaid SIM card in a shop: store finder. It's sold for $1. Additionally, eSIM activations can be done at any Smart shop, and physical SIMs can be exchanged for eSIM profiles with a $2 top-up. They have different prepaid lines, each with different advantages. The Smart eSIM is also available at any Smart Shop nationwide. Alternatively, you can get it for FREE via the SmartNas app (source: https://www.smart.com.kh/support/plans/esim-faqs/).
Two lines have no basic monthly fee:
- Flexi1000: Offers a 1000% bonus on every top-up valid for on-net voice/SMS/data at standard rates
- XtraLong: Offers 10 free on-net SMS daily and any top-up over $2 extends validity by at least 90 days
There are also three lines with base daily, weekly, or monthly charges:
- OsPaNhaHa: 5000 KHR per week for unlimited Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, 5GB of other data, and 500 on-net SMS and voice minutes
- StreamOn: Unlimited Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat, Line, and TikTok and bonus credit on either a weekly or monthly basis as follows:
- $2/week for $777 of on-net voice/SMS/data credit
- $8/month for $3333 of on-net voice/SMS/data credit
- $0.30 for additional $125 on-net voice/SMS/data credit, activation: *700*125#
- $0.50 for additional $250 on-net voice/SMS/data credit, activation: *700*250#
- ThomMorng: A recurring "exchange" promotion which exchanges your cash balance to a large amount of on-net voice/SMS/data credit allowance with shorter validity:
- $0.20/day for $50 on-net voice/SMS/data credit
- $1/week for $333 on-net voice/SMS/data credit, doubled to $666 for the first two weeks
- $0.30 additional exchange for extra $100 credit for length of your plan, activation: *1333*30#
- $0.50 additional exchange for extra $200 credit for length of your plan, activation: *1333*50#
It is also possible to switch between these lines using the following USSD codes:
| Plan | Activation | Change fee | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| XtraLong | *203# | $2 | SIM must have been active for 90 days |
| Flexi1000 | *500# | $0.50 | First-time change is free of charge |
| OsPaNhaHa | *5000# | free | |
| StreamOn 2 | *700*777# | $0.50 fee if changing from Traveller SIM | |
| StreamOn 8 | *700*3333# | ||
| ThomMorng Daily | *1333*1# | ||
| ThomMorng Weekly | *1333# | *1333*7# for no auto-renewal option |
Top-ups can be made in every outlets of Smart for $1-50 extending SIM validity for 8 to 200 days. To top up, type *888*<13-digit PIN code>#. To check balance, *888#.
Data feature packages[]
Default rate outside of packages is 2.5c per MB (and 4c per MB when using the StreamOn or ThomMorng credit balance). Aside from the special bonus credit exchange offers on StreamOn or ThomMorng lines, they also offer the Smart Xchange promotion, which allows anyone on any prepaid line to boost the value of their cash balance in exchange for shorter validity:
| Cash value | Balance value | Validity | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.10 | $1 | 1 day | *656*10# |
| $0.20 | $2 | 2 days | *656*20# |
| $0.50 | $8 | 7 days | *656*50# |
| $1 | $30 | 12 days | *656*100# |
| $2 | $60 | 25 days | *656*200# |
As packages, they offer these denominations called "SurfLikeCrazy":
| Volume | Time | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 MB | 1 day | $ 0.10 | *087*10# |
| 250 MB | $ 0.25 | *087*25# | |
| 1 GB | $ 1 | *087*100# | |
| 500 MB | 30 days | $ 1 | *087*101# |
| 2 GB | $ 3 | *087*300# | |
| 4 GB | $ 5 | *087*500# | |
| 8.5 GB | $ 10 | *087*1000# | |
| 13 GB | $ 15 | *087*1500# | |
| 25 GB | $ 25 | *087*2500# |
All packages auto-renew if you have enough credit. To stop, type *087*0#. To check data balance, type *087*888#. 4G/LTE is added free of surcharges.
For night use (1am-5am only) they offer two discounted packages valid for 1 month, which must be activated between midnight and 4:50AM:
- 1 GB: $0.10 - activation: *087*11#
- 5 GB: $0.40 - activation: *087*55#
To check status dial *087*888#, to stop auto-renewal *087*0#.
For social media they offer these add-ons:
- for Facebook, LINE, WeChat, Viber and WhatsApp: $1, activation: *998*92#
- for LINE: $0.02 per day, *998*31# or $ 0.50 per month *998*32#
- for WhatsApp: $0.02 per day, *998*31# or $ 0.50 per month *998*32#
- for Viber: $0.02 per day, *998*41# or $ 0.50 per month *998*42#
- for Facebook: $0.03 per day, *998*11# or $ 0.70 per month *998*12#
Tourist SIM cards[]
They sell different SIM cards directed to tourists called Traveller SIMs:
- for free: 10 network minutes, 10 network texts and 100 MB data valid for 3 days
- for $3: unlimited network minutes, unlimited network texts, 25 GB data, and $0.50 credit valid for 7 days
- for $5: unlimited network minutes, unlimited network texts, 35 GB data, unlimited data for Facebook, LINE, Viber, WeChat and WhatsApp and $1 credit valid for 15 days
- for $10: unlimited network minutes, unlimited network texts, 60 GB data, unlimited data for Facebook, LINE, Viber, WeChat and WhatsApp and $2 credit valid for 30 days
For more data, you can re-activate the same packages shown above. These SIM cards may only be available at the Smart booths inside Phnom Penh and Siem Reap International Airports. Sometimes the booth at Phnom Penh airport doesn't (want to) sell the tourist SIM anymore (even though they list them), instead they give you a regular SIM card.
Roaming[]
For use in other countries Smart applies the following policy. You get unlimited data roaming for these amounts per day:
- $1: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh
- $2: Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar
- $5: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom
- $10: Brunei, China, South Korea, Laos, Macau, Norway, New Zealand, the Philippines and Japan
More info[]
- APN: smart
- Website in English: http://www.smart.com.kh/
Cellcard (Mobitel)[]
Cellcard (a.k.a. Mobitel) is the 3rd provider in Cambodia with good coverage in the country. It gives good speeds in the cities, but can be quite patchy on the countryside. In 2015 they started with 4G/LTE in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and 5 other towns on 1800 MHz (band 3) (list of towns), from 2017 it's supposed to be launched nationwide.
Availability[]
Get their prepaid SIM card in a shop (locator) or an outlet for $ 1. If possible, take their regular prepaid SIM or their 4U SIM, not the discounted "Niyeay" line, which can only add special “Big Love” data add-ons. The regular SIM comes with $ 1 network minutes, 50 network texts and 10 MB data valid for 30 days. For 4G/LTE, be sure to get a 4G SIM card.
Top-ups can be made in every outlets of Cellcard for $1, $2, $5, $10, and $50 extending SIM validity for 8-180 days. To top-up, type *123*<14-digit PIN code>#. To check balance, enter #823#.
Serey+ Plans[]
Serey+ is the new name for their combo plans. Pricing is in US$ once again.
| Price | On-net Voice | On-net SMS | Data | Validity | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1.50 | 100 min | 100 | 15 GB | 7 days | *1615*150# |
| $4 | 2500 min | 2500 | 25 GB | 28 days | *1615*400# |
| $6 | 150 min | 150 | 60 GB | 30 days | *1615*600# |
| $10 | 200 min | 200 | 100 GB | 30 days | *1615*1000# |
For repeat visitors, unused allowances can be carried over for up to one year as long as the combo plan is renewed (renewal can be up to 60 days after the plan runs out).
Data feature packages[]
Default rate outside of packages is 2.5c per MB. As data packages, they offer these denominations called "iNet plans":
| Volume | Time | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 1 day | $ 0.25 | #1000# |
| 4 GB | 7 days | $ 2 | *6767*200# |
| 8 GB | 30 days | $ 5 | *6767*500# |
| 18 GB | $ 10 | *6767*1000# | |
| 40 GB | $ 20 | *6767*2000# |
All packages renew themselves, if you have enough credit. To check data balance, type #823#. One day is based on a calendar day. 4G/LTE is included, where available.
Tourist SIM card[]
They sell a special SIM card directed to tourists, with their own combo packages. These SIM cards may only be available at the Cellcard booth inside Phnom Penh International Airport after immigration. To extend, you can add an iNet plan from above. These plans also come with a $7 voucher for the Grab rideshare service.
| Price | On-net voice | On-net SMS | Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 100 min | 100 | 100 MB | 30 days |
| $3 | 100 min | 100 | 30 GB | 7 days |
| $5 | 2500 min | 2500 | 50 GB | 30 days |
| $10 | 5000 min | 5000 | 100 GB | 30 days |
”Chinese Worker SIM” ( 乐龙龙卡)
Cellcard also offers a special starter kit aimed at Chinese workers and businesspeople in Cambodia. This SIM only comes with two data packs, both of which offer less data but more on-net minutes and SMS than the standard plans. They auto-renew if not disabled, draining your balance even when you are not using it. This can be disabled by dialing *9888*0#.
- $2: 10 GB data and 1000 on-net voice minutes and SMS each for 1 week, activation: *9888*2#
- $8: 40 GB data and 5000 on-net voice minutes and SMS each for 30 days, activation: *9888*8#
Roaming[]
Cellcard has changed its roaming pricing, increasing prices and removing unlimited plans. Current roaming offers are:
Thailand:
- $5 for 3 GB for 3 days, activation: *1785*66*5#
- $10 for 7GB for 7 days, activation: *1785*66*10#
However, they are now also one of the few carriers in the world to offer in-flight roaming on AeroMobile at a relatively reasonable rate. The $5 for 500MB offer can be activated by dialing *1785*10# before taking off.
More info[]
- APN: cellcard
- Website in English: http://www.cellcard.com.kh
yes 018 (formerly: Seatel, 4G-only)[]
new logo
In 2015 Seatel (for South East Asia Telecom Group) closed its old CDMA network called Excell and opened a new 4G/LTE-only network on 850 MHz and 2600 MHz (bands 5 and 7). It's available in all provinces, including Phnom Penh, Kandal, Preah Sihanouk, and Siem Reap. Recently they were rebranded to yes 018.
They offer speeds of up to 150 Mbps and VoLTE, but no 2G and 3G fall-back. Most 4G phones are now supported, including iPhone 6 and above. supported devices.
old Seatel logo
Availability[]
You can get a new 4G yes 018 SIM card in one of their stores (shop locator) for about $1.
Top-ups are available for $1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 in their shops, Wing Express and Pay&Go kiosks giving 1 to 350 days of validity depending on their value. To top-up by voucher enter 1801*<voucher PIN>#, to check balance dial 1800*11*.
The basic line is the "One Plan". Each $1 top-up extends validity by 90 days, and has two data rates- 7 cents per MB when using a Value Pack balance (see below), and 1 cent per MB when using a regular top-up balance.
Value Pack[]
This is Yes's version of the "exchange" promotions the other providers have. A small amount of credit can be grown to a much larger amount, in exchange for data being debited at a higher rate and the bonus amount lasting less time.
| Cash value | Bonus credit | Validity | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | $350 | 7 days | 1800*881* |
| $2 | $850 | 10 days | 1800*882* |
| $5 | $2000 | 30 days | 1800*883* |
| $8 | $5500 | 30 days | 1800*884* |
Tourist SIM[]
They have different plans with unlimited data to choose from:
- for 3 days: unlimited data, on-net calls and SMS, $0.50 airtime - $3
- for 5 days: unlimited data, on-net calls and SMS, $1 airtime - $5
- for 10 days: unlimited data, on-net calls and SMS, $2.50 airtime - $10
Note that you need to have a 4G/LTE device capable of bands 3 and 5 and are restricted to their rather limited coverage area. So it might not so convenient for travelling tourists, only when you stay at spot with coverage for longer.
More info[]
- APN: Seatel
- Website in English: