Cameroon Telecoms (Camtel) has signed an agreement to share infrastructure with Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation (Camwater), as the telecom strives to expand its national terrestrial optic fibre backbone network.

According to officials, the agreement will allow both companies to leverage on each other’s existing infrastructure to expand operations and ensure that their terrestrial networks work seamlessly together.

Camtel notes that it has prioritised network expansion and aims to achieve nationwide coverage by 2030.

Judith Yah Sunday Achidi, general manager of Camtel, said sharing infrastructure with Camwater is a solution for security and stability of the telco’s network.

“In the major cities of Douala and Yaounde, using Camwater’s pipes and conduits can make it possible to secure the metropolitan loops in each of these cities,” Judith said.

“The development of fibre optic broadband is vital and will require major extensions in the years to come. For this reason, it would be most worthwhile for the cost of establishing a single network to be shared by all players, rather than a proliferation of competing networks.”