According to the Cambodian government, the deployment of the national internet gateway has been postponed due to technical difficulties and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The country launched its plan for a single gateway to the internet to boost revenue collection, better regulate internet providers, and crack down on cybercrime. The plan's opponents, however, feared it would be used to suppress online speech.

Local telcos and internet service providers were supposed to connect to the national internet gateway on Wednesday. In a joint statement issued earlier this month, U.N. officials urged Cambodia to halt its implementation. According to them, the legal framework underlying the system grants Cambodian authorities "exhaustive power" to monitor its citizens online. Last month, the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), an association with members like Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon, said the gateway would have "significant repercussions."

As soon as a new date is set for deployment of the national internet gateway, it will be announced.

Photo credit: Paul Szewczyk