(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART) has finalized the draft concession agreement and technical specifications governing the entry of Starlink Cameroun Sarl into the domestic market. The company, a subsidiary of SpaceX’s satellite internet provider founded by Elon Musk, is now positioned to seek formal authorization to offer satellite internet services to end users.
In late November, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Minette Libom Li Likeng told lawmakers during the presentation of the 2026 budget that the documents had been forwarded “to the technical supervisory authority for the next stage in the possible granting of a concession agreement.” The step marks significant progress in a file long viewed as sensitive by public authorities.
A sensitive file combining sovereignty and regulatory gaps
Since 2024, the Starlink case has raised concerns related to data security, digital sovereignty, and competition. In April that year, the U.S.-based operator announced it was halting services in Cameroon due to the absence of official authorization. Despite this, some users continued to access the service through workarounds, including purchasing Starlink kits in countries where the service was already available and relying on roaming.
Although roaming was theoretically limited to two months, the rule was not strictly enforced. The government subsequently ordered these uses to be blocked, citing risks to digital sovereignty. “All you need is Starlink equipment and a code, you plug it in and you are connected, with all the risks that entails,” the minister said at the time. Following this intervention, Starlink suspended access for Cameroonian users pending regularization.
A fast-expanding electronic communications market
On June 27, Minette Libom Li Likeng received a Starlink delegation in Yaoundé, formally opening a normalization process. The talks allowed the company to submit a complete application for authorization in line with Cameroon’s regulatory framework.
This process is unfolding against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding market. According to ART’s 2024 Annual Observatory of the Electronic Communications Market, the number of active internet subscriptions reached 15,098,822 in 2024, up 19.15% from 2023.
The increase includes 2,427,073 new mobile subscriptions, a segment that accounts for more than 99% of total connections. Overall fixed and mobile data traffic rose by 25.87% to 779,861,615 gigabytes. Mobile usage represented nearly 88% of total volume, with 687,440,411 gigabytes consumed on mobile networks, excluding Viettel, compared with 92,421,204 gigabytes on fixed networks.
On the fixed segment, state-owned Camtel added more than 3,180 new subscriptions, reflecting a gradual rise in wired and last-mile solutions, despite ongoing exposure to service disruptions.
Revenue trends remain mixed. Some internet service providers reported a 23.90% drop in declared revenue, from CFA6.68 billion in 2023 to CFA5.08 billion in 2024, partly due to missing data for certain operators. At the same time, total revenue from data and internet services, excluding Camtel, rose by 18.63% to CFA321.25 billion from CFA270.79 billion, driven mainly by the mobile segment. MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroon together account for more than 98% of data revenue.
Starlink as an alternative to Camtel’s terrestrial networks
In this context, Starlink’s value proposition lies in its simple, autonomous installation and high-speed connectivity, positioning it as a potential alternative to Camtel’s terrestrial networks. Upgrading these networks requires heavy investment and complex deployments, particularly outside major urban centers.
Experience in Kenya, however, has highlighted the limits of satellite technology. A rapid surge in users can saturate satellite capacity, degrade service quality, and force operators to suspend new activations. Cameroonian authorities are therefore expected to include strict capacity and quality-of-service requirements in the concession agreement to prevent similar outcomes.
Sovereignty, competition, and service obligations
According to the Digital Report 2025, Cameroon’s internet penetration rate stands at 41.9%, with 12.4 million users in early 2025, while Camtel’s fixed-line subscriber base declined by 12.46% in 2024. This contraction leaves room for satellite solutions, particularly in areas where terrestrial infrastructure remains limited.
In 2024, Starlink said it was working “as quickly as possible” to secure the necessary authorizations in all countries, including Cameroon. Regulators and the supervising ministry are nevertheless expected to demand firm commitments on data protection, fair competition, universal service obligations, and respect for digital sovereignty.
If approval is granted, Starlink’s entry could reshape Cameroon’s digital landscape by expanding access to more stable, high-speed internet, including in the country’s most remote areas.
Patricia Ngo Ngouem
