(Business in Cameroon) – On October 11, in Yaoundé, Minette Libom Li Likeng, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, announced a set of measures aimed at improving telecom services in Cameroon. This follows her visits to the technical facilities of MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroon, and Camtel, where she found several issues negatively affecting consumers.
In response, the minister instructed the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART) to strengthen its oversight of these telecom operators by implementing automated tools that will monitor network performance in real-time. This will make it easier to detect and resolve problems quickly.
She also emphasized the need for better collaboration between ART and the operators to ensure effective management of shared infrastructure like fiber optics. Within two months, a centralized digital system must be set up to manage customer complaints. This system will allow real-time tracking of complaints and improve transparency and response times.
For MTN Cameroon, the minister called for immediate action, particularly in educating subscribers about the services they offer to improve customer satisfaction. She also urged the company to enhance the performance of the fiber optic lines provided by Camtel. In the medium term, MTN was advised to invest more in high-density areas and develop tools to measure the quality of the user experience, collecting regular feedback from customers.
As for Orange Cameroon, the minister requested that the company start real-time monitoring of its network sites to anticipate performance issues. She also encouraged Orange to make better use of the fiber infrastructure provided by Camtel. Over the long term, she advised the company to boost investments in priority high-density areas to meet growing customer demand. The minister also highlighted the need to improve the skills of their technical staff, particularly those handling core network operations, through training and professional development.
Camtel, the public telecom operator, was urged to comply with its contractual obligations and set up monitoring mechanisms for its infrastructure. In the medium term, the company needs to increase transmission pathways for international connectivity, including satellite links and land-based routes through neighboring countries.
The announcement comes at a time when the quality of telecom services has been declining. Minister Libom Li Likeng expressed concern over issues like unexpected service interruptions, slow response times, and reduced bandwidth, which are having a severe impact on consumers and slowing down the development of Cameroon’s digital economy.
She explained that these problems are due to various causes, including external factors like power outages, fiber cuts, and fuel shortages, as well as internal issues within the operators themselves. She pointed out slow responses to customer complaints, lack of investment in 2G network improvements, poor infrastructure management, and insufficient maintenance and physical protection of external networks.
“The quality of telecom services is crucial for consumer satisfaction and the growth of Cameroon’s digital economy,” said Minister Libom Li Likeng. She added that an evaluation of the progress made on these measures will take place at the end of this month, stressing the importance of the regulator fully exercising its authority, including imposing sanctions when necessary.
This is not the first time the government has pushed for better telecom services. In April 2023, during the “Airplane Mode” protest, urgent measures were introduced to improve electronic communications and better protect consumer rights. These included automatic refunds for unused data in the event of a network failure, a tool allowing consumers to compare service providers’ rates and performance, and modernized complaint-handling systems to make it easier for customers to resolve issues.
