PHNOM PENH, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Six mobile phone towers disguised as trees have been installed in Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park to give mobile operators improved coverage and internet speed, local media reported on Tuesday.
The Apsara Authority, a government body that manages the park, installed the towers in six locations in the ancient site, the Khmer Times reported, citing a senior official.
Sok Sangvar, deputy director-general of the Apsara Authority, said Smart was the first mobile operator to launch a 4G mobile internet service in the Angkor on Thursday, and that other mobile operators would soon follow suit.
"The installation of mobile phone towers in the Angkor area will make it easy for local and international tourists to make phone calls, post pictures on Facebook and live stream videos immediately," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
According to the Apsara Authority, it is the first time Cambodia has installed towers that look like trees, an effort to help maintain the beauty of the natural surroundings in accordance with World Heritage Site standards.
Located in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province, the Angkor Archaeological Park, inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1992, is the kingdom's top tourist destination.
The ancient site attracted almost 2.2 million foreign visitors in 2016, earning revenue of 62.5 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales, according to government figures.
