GS Group technical expertise recognized by high Russian and Khmer authorities

On March 17, 2014, GS Group and its Khmer One TV office welcomed in Phnom Penh high guests including the Khmer Minister of Information, Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of Russia, the President of Royal Group of Companies as well as an Advisor within the Telecommunication committee of the Russian Union of Industrials and Entrepreneurs. The aim of the event was to report to a large audience about successful business operation of the first digital operator in Cambodia, announce the installation of a new transmitter aimed at offering more signals to its subscribers in the Kandal province and hand over to three Khmer public organizations TV plasmas and annual subscriptions to a One TV package.  

“By bringing its technical expertise to the Kingdom, GS Group contributed into a quicker switch-off from analogue to digital broadcasting in Cambodia that was initially to be completed by 2015, - said H.E. Mr. Dmitry Tsvetkov, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation. - In fact, thanks to the launch of One TV, the switch-off became possible already in 2012 – with a 3-year advance”.

One TV has been operating in Cambodia since September 2012 and has covered by now more than 70% of the country. On February 13, 2014, the technical launch of One TV platform was held in Kandal. This region became the ninth province covered by One TV broadcasting. Thus, the operator provides now digital TV services in three quarters of the country’s territory. The new transmitter covers two regions of the Kandal province as well as the Ta Khmau area which is of a big interest for this broadcasting project due to a high density of population and people’s interest for pay TV services.

“We began with 60 TV channels - by today the figure has reached 80 quality channels with clear digital pictures and sound offering a wider range of programs from the Asian region, - reported Mr. Kith Meng, the President of  Royal Group of Companies. - I am also proud to mention the launch of One TV`s own five channels in 2013. According to our survey, these channels are watched by more than 80% of One TV audience. Such a success is due to a well thought combination of the content from 11 local Khmer channels we based One TV scheduling data on”.

According to Mr. Vyacheslav Sudiin from the Russian Union of Industrials and Entrepreneurs, thanks to such companies as GS Group and its active work in the Kingdom of Cambodia, the status of Russian technologies abroad acquires a better image: “GS Group also makes a substantial contribution into creation of the image of Russia as a modern country capable to bring and share its knowledge internationally”.

In his speech, Mr. Sergei Dolgopolsky, Director for foreign broadcasting projects within GS Group mentioned that GS Group and Royal Group of Companies had always been backed up by their governments. “I express my deepest gratitude to the Russian authorities working in Cambodia and Russia as well as to the Khmer Ministry of Information and other local actors who supported our project a year and a half ago and continue doing so today” – said Mr. Dolgopolsky.  

Loyal to its CSR policy, One TV not only reported during the event about its results but also handed over to Angkor Hospital for Children, Hun Sen Krong Primary School and The People Improvement Organization TV plasmas, set-to-boxes and annual subscriptions to the One TV Moha Oudom package. “As a citizen of Cambodia, I express my deepest gratitude to the One TV office for this initiative. Having access to quality programs for children is a precious chance for today`s young generation. And I am happy these programs will make life of some youth in Cambodia more interesting”, - said H.E. Mr. Khieu Kanharith, the Minister of Information of the Kingdom of Cambodia.