Cambodia Investment Review
Smart Axiata, Cambodia’s leading telecommunications company, marked its 14-year anniversary in February. Its unprecedented impact in Cambodia, extraordinary growth and steadfast commitment to exceptional performance and sustainability reflect the values of the company and its progressive approach.
With a vision to become Cambodia’s number one and most loved communication tech brand, Smart embarked on a breakthrough journey, creating sustainable and lasting impacts on people and communities across the country through innovative connectivity and digital solutions.
Smart Axiata – from modest beginnings to phenomenal brand
Debuting as Smart Mobile in February 2009, Smart was an underdog in the Cambodian telecommunications market. Gradually, the company rose to prominence through its fresh, modern style, competitive pricing, attractive services and customer-centric approach. In early 2013, the company completed its merger with Hello Axiata, emerging as the second-biggest mobile operator in the Kingdom, and became a part of Axiata Group, currently one of Asia’s largest communications groups with over 150 million subscribers across 11 countries in Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Read more: Smart Axiata’s continued commitment to sustainability highlighted in report
In 2021, Smart Axiata made investments totaling 81 million USD and contributed 103 million USD to public finances. The company remains the Kingdom’s employer of choice, directly and indirectly supporting 51,700 jobs throughout the country, with 97.6% of the workforce being Cambodian.
Now, as the current telecommunications leader in Cambodia, Smart is at the forefront of mobile technology advancement and digital lifestyle innovation. Smart was the first mobile operator in Cambodia to provide 4G services, including 4G LTE, and it is now available across all 25 provinces. The company was also the first in the Kingdom to trial 5G back in 2019.
Smart’s products and services have been tremendously well received by the younger generation, who have rapidly embraced and adopted digital technologies.
“Smart has always worked tirelessly to improve, innovate and provide value to our customers, dealers, business partners and stakeholders. We maintain our values as a socially responsible business through our excellent performance, uncompromising integrity and transparency,” said Ziad Shatara, Chief Executive Officer of Smart Axiata.
“Taking encouragement from our consistent success, we continue to work hard to ensure lasting and sustainable change together with the Royal Government of Cambodia and key stakeholders in the Kingdom.”
A pioneer of Cambodia’s digitalization and sustainable development
Sustainability has been at the core of Smart since its founding. The company’s approach to sustainability is aligned with that of Axiata Group and is based on four pillars: Beyond Short-Term Profits, Nurturing People, Process Excellence and Planet and Society. Smart was the first telecommunications company to begin publishing annual sustainability reports, the first of which was released on its fifth anniversary of operations in 2014.
The latest edition, published last year, highlights that Smart contributed 416 million USD in gross value added (GVA) to the Cambodian economy in 2021. The company also annually contributes 2% of its revenue to the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to improve telecommunication infrastructure and digital inclusivity and 1% of its revenue to the Capacity Building, Research and Development Fund (CBRD) to implement capacity-building and digital literacy programs in the Kingdom.
“We are incredibly proud to have helped build important parts of the Kingdom’s economic and social infrastructure, as well as to have made a difference to people’s lives nationwide,” said Ziad Shatara.
Over the years, Smart has grown to become a consistent presence that Cambodians can depend on during difficult times. At the peak of the pandemic, the company broadcast the government’s COVID-19 awareness campaign to their 7 million subscribers while simultaneously setting up a 1 million USD COVID-19 relief fund to support 300 vulnerable families, among many others, facilitated the creation of multiple vaccination centers across Phnom Penh and ensured uninterrupted communication with extensive network coverage.
The company continues to promote sustainability in every aspect of its operations. Demonstrating its commitment to mitigating environmental impacts, solar energy was deployed at 615 base stations as of the end of 2021, a significant increase on the 223 sites the year before. The company plans to adapt its other base stations around the country to utilize solar power in the future too.
Through its internal green team, Smart additionally implements internal energy efficiency practices and actively engages with its employees to promote positive behavioral changes. Their efforts were recognized at the 2022 Cambodian Energy Efficiency Awards, with the team receiving the Best Green Team award
