(Business in Cameroon) – Camtel, Cameroon’s state-owned telecommunications operator, has partly blamed recent service interruptions on “acts of vandalism that undermine the integrity of infrastructure.” The company also pointed to power instabilities that “affect the reliability of services” and ongoing public works projects that “disrupt network continuity.”
In a September 25 statement Camtel’s General Manager, Judith Yah Sunday, emphasized that the company has strengthened its infrastructure security by integrating its fiber-optic network with that of Eneo, Cameroon’s sole electricity provider. This integration ensures service continuity even during power outages. “Even if our cable is cut, communications are automatically switched to Eneo’s high-voltage cable, and everything continues to function without anyone noticing,” she explained, as the company faces criticism for the quality of its internet services.
To secure its infrastructure, Camtel has integrated Eneo’s fiber-optic network to reinforce the national infrastructure and boost resilience against external incidents. The company also benefits from connections to four international undersea cables, providing sufficient capacity to meet the needs of Cameroon and the region. Judith Yah Sunday highlighted that Camtel “has a national terrestrial backbone connecting all 10 regions of the country, along with four undersea cables that link Cameroon to the rest of the world. Even in the rare event of a cable cut between Yaoundé and Douala, we have a redundancy route through Bafoussam via the Douala-Bafoussam-Yaoundé axis.”
With its current 12,000 km fiber-optic network, Camtel has partnered with Camwater, the state-owned water production and distribution company, to share infrastructure and protect its network. Negotiations are also underway with Camrail, Cameroon’s railway concessionaire, to use the rail network for further expansion, which could strengthen infrastructure resilience and improve territorial coverage.
Moreover, the Zamengoe data center, financially backed by Huawei, a leading global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices, is considered a “major technological asset.” Camtel claims that this infrastructure meets international security and reliability standards, allowing it to host essential services for local businesses while supporting the country’s digital growth.
The company plans to extend its fiber-optic network by an additional 4,000 km, bringing the total to 16,000 km. This expansion aims to provide advanced connectivity services to businesses and individuals, aligning with Cameroon’s goal to modernize digital infrastructure and support economic transformation.
Camtel is at the center of connectivity challenges in Cameroon, where the quality of electronic communication services is constantly evolving. On September 11, the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART) announced an operational audit of Camtel’s national fiber-optic network in response to “the continuous decline in the quality of mobile electronic communication services,” which has also affected mobile operators MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroon.
