Cameroon towards the creation of a digital infrastructure heritage company
January 18th 2024
A Digital Infrastructure Heritage Company (SPIN) should be created in Cameroon by the end of 2024 to manage and develop the country’s public digital assets. This was announced by Judith Yah Sunday (photo), general director of the historic operator Camtel, during a press conference held in Yaoundé on Tuesday January 16.
SPIN will be a subsidiary of Camtel, we learn. She will be responsible for promoting the public company’s assets, in particular the national fiber optic network, the submarine fiber optic cable, the telecommunications satellite, earth stations and data centers. Its mission will also be to develop new digital infrastructure projects, in partnership with the private sector and international donors.
The creation of SPIN comes as the Cameroonian government is considering restructuring Camtel to make it more competitive in the national telecoms market. The solutions envisaged include the transformation of the public company into a holding company made up of three entities, the reduction of its workforce and the reduction of its debt which amounts to 600 billion CFA francs (996.7 million USD). President Paul Biya opposed privatization of the historic operator.
Ms. Yah Sunday believes that SPIN will allow Camtel to refocus on its core business, which is the provision of fixed line, mobile and Internet services. The company is also seeking to improve the quality of service and extend the coverage of its network in Cameroon in order to meet the requirements of authorities and consumers. It plans to deploy 3,500 km of optical fiber starting this year, among other initiatives.
Source: Agency EcoFin Back