So Khun, Cambodia’s Minister of Telecommunications, said he would allow MobiTel to launch its 3G network minus the video phone feature.
The company had previously drawn fire from Prime Minister Hu Sen’s wife, Bun Rany, who wrote Khun to say 3G phones would do nothing more than spread adult content across the country like wild fire.
In May, Sen banned the company from launching the 3G network.
The company agreed to launch without the video feature, allowing the deal to go through, MobiTel general manager David Spriggs said.
"If and when the government changes its position, we will be able offer video phone," he said.
According to Spriggs, the ban isn’t likely to effect the dissemination of adult content, since 3G phones offered by the company have unlimited Internet access, meaning users can view pornographic websites on their mobile devices.
"At the moment what they've banned is video phone, and as far as we're aware, they haven't banned the Internet," Spriggs said.
Khun said the Telecommunications Ministry technicians were working on effectively blocking pornographic websites in the country, but conceded that a complete solution may never come to fruition.
MobiTel has more than 1 million users in Cambodia.