Cameroon’s Camtel and electricity utility Socadel plan to share infrastructure to expand fibre-optic coverage, cut deployment costs and improve services.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding in Yaoundé on 16 October, paving the way for technical, legal and economic studies to assess the feasibility of pooling their networks and infrastructure.
The proposed arrangement would combine Camtel’s national fibre-optic backbone, international connectivity capabilities and telecommunications expertise with Socadel’s electricity infrastructure, including utility poles and rights-of-way.
The companies also plan to consider incorporating fibre into future infrastructure deployments.
The partnership’s immediate next step is to determine the feasibility and terms of infrastructure sharing, with the companies aiming to identify pilot sites for implementation.
If successful, the arrangement could allow Camtel to extend fibre coverage using overhead electricity infrastructure, diversify transmission routes and improve network resilience, while enabling Socadel to strengthen connectivity between its agencies, operations centres and strategic installations.
Oumarou Hamandjoda, Socadel’s general manager, said the companies wanted to coordinate the development of national infrastructure.
“This MoU confirms our intentions and compels our experts to speedily fine-tune this infrastructure-pooling initiative,” he said, adding that the companies intended to move quickly towards pilot implementation sites.
Judith Yah Sunday épouse Achidi, Camtel’s general manager, said the complementary nature of the companies’ networks could help curb deployment costs and create new opportunities for service delivery.
The agreement builds on earlier infrastructure-sharing arrangements in Cameroon.
In 2023, the government transferred to Camtel an approximately 812km overhead fibre-optic cable network deployed on electricity poles by Socadel, formerly known as Eneo, along the country’s southern interconnected grid, which serves major cities including Douala and Yaoundé.
The transfer added to Camtel’s existing terrestrial fibre-optic network of approximately 12,000km, strengthening its infrastructure footprint.
By exploring further cooperation, the two state-owned companies aim to make better use of existing infrastructure rather than relying solely on new deployments. The outcome will depend on the findings of the planned studies and the terms agreed for any pilot projects.
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