The public company Camtel is the exclusive manager of Cameroon’s fiber optic infrastructure. The company’s network currently extends over 15,000 km.
The incumbent operator Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) plans to install 3,500 km of additional optical fiber from 2024 across Cameroon, particularly in rural areas. The project was revealed by Judith Yah Sunday (photo, left), general director of the public company, on Tuesday October 17, on the sidelines of “Digital Week Cameroon 2023”, which is being held in Yaoundé from October 16 to 20.
The initiative is part of Camtel’s desire to improve the quality of service and extend the coverage of its network in Cameroon. The company said last March that it needed to seek 50 billion FCFA (80.5 million USD) for the extension of its mobile network in 2023.
This announcement comes as Cameroonian telecom operators are under pressure from authorities and consumers to improve the quality of their services and expand the coverage of the telecom network in the country. The Cameroon Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART) imposed a fine of 800 million FCFA francs on Camtel last May for non-compliance with the obligations set out in its specifications.
This investment will increase Camtel’s fiber optic network in the country to 18,500 km, compared to 15,000 km currently. The expansion of its network is expected to enable Camtel to reach millions more people and strengthen its position in the national telecoms market while helping to meet the ever-increasing demand for high-speed connectivity.