Cameroon plans to recover $52 million from telcos

Camtel plans to tackle frequent network problems by expanding its technical personnel and embracing emerging technologies.

The telco says the budget represents its intention to upgrade infrastructure, improve the quality of its service, and consolidate its position in the market.

Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng wants to assess the level of implementation of commitments taken by the mobile operators and compliance with recommendations given by government.

All winners will be handed gadgets, mentorship/training, cash prizes, and national recognition during Camtel's 25th anniversary celebrations.

Camtel's optic fibre network has been interrupted 17 times since September due to vandalism.

The telco highlighted worries about the monopoly granted to the state-run Camtel in the administration of the national optic fiber backbone following recent outages.

Camtel said last week that it was observing an uptick in complaints from its main competitors criticising the quality of its network.

The regulator says it has been mandated to ensure that the telco's network is rehabilitated to improve performance.

Camtel, MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroun and Nxttel have all fallen victim.

During the meeting, MPs and representatives from other tech companies promised to work swiftly to improve the legal environment for the digital sector.

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