MNOs in Cameroon have pledged to share network infrastructure and invest 156-billion francs CFA worth of additional equipment and infrastructure.

This announcement comes after the Telecommunications Regulatory Board warned telecoms companies to accelerate efforts to improve electronic communication service quality and network performance. The regulator stated that it received numerous complaints from users regarding extended network disruptions for calls and slow, unstable, or unavailable internet connectivity.

The Cameroon Association of Mobile Telephony Operators (CATMO) represents Camtel, MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroun, and Nexttel (Viettel Cameroun) and recently confirmed these arrangements in a statement. They also committed to improving the management of fibre optic infrastructure to enhance the customer experience.

According to CATMO's statement, each member has provided the regulator with clear plans, investments, and timelines to improve service quality after an audit by the Telecommunications Regulatory Board in 2022.

“While some initiatives take a significant amount of time to deploy, the members are making progress against their plans, and network optimisation works are underway in several cities and roads across the country,” the organisation stated.

External factors, including power cuts and vandalism, have also affected service quality, and the MNOs collectively reported at least 1,800 fibre optic and 1,000 power cuts in 2022 alone, double the previous year's figure.

The regulator warned that failing to comply with its latest warning could result in operating license curtailment and/or complete withdrawal of the license.