Following the regulator's investigations, MTN, Orange, Camtel and Nexttel will cumulatively pay fines amounting to $9.8 million

Cameroon telecoms regulator has fined four mobile network operators in the country over the poor quality of services.

The Telecoms Board (TRB) ordered Orange Cameroun to pay $3.6 million, MTN Cameroon $2.2 million, the other two Camtel and Viettel Cameroun $1.3 million and $2.6 million respectively.

In a statement yesterday, Philemon Zoo Zame, TRB director general, said the fines were levied after regulator inspected the companies checking on the quality of service.

This, he said, was followed by formal warning notices, but yesterday the regulator decided to sanction the mobile operators.

“These sanctions came as a result of repeated infringement observed while following up the obligations contained in their respective specifications in terms of coverage and quality of electronic communications services,” Zame said.

The mobile operators are yet to respond, but they recently pledged to fix connectivity issues, including increasing network buildout investments.

In the last few months, the quality of service provided by operators has persistently deteriorated, with users complaining of prolonged network disruptions.

Yesterday, TRB assured the nation that the regulator will protect consumers, and authorities have been carrying out multidisciplinary inspection missions to ensure mobile operators adhere to telecom laws.

Zame said: “The director general of the TRB reassures consumers that the regulator will use all the means at its disposal, in accordance with the regulations in force, to ensure that concession holding mobile telephony operators provide electronic communications services of satisfactory quality to their subscribers throughout the national territory.”