(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s incumbent telecom operator Camtel reported on October 19 that it ended 2023 with a net profit of CFA11.2 billion. The company expressed pride in achieving this profit for the first time in its history, especially in light of recent criticism regarding its service quality.
When asked, company officials did not share details on how this profit was made, with one stating that the report included confidential information. However, they did mention that Camtel will distribute CFA4.6 billion to its sole shareholder, the state.
As the exclusive distributor of fiber optic services, which it sells to clients and competitors like Orange Cameroon and MTN Cameroon, Camtel has faced complaints about the poor quality of its infrastructure. This situation directly impacts the services offered, particularly internet provision.
On September 23, MTN Cameroon pointed out that “since the beginning of the year, operators have faced a constant decline in the quality of fiber optic services provided by Camtel. The number of fiber outages has risen by more than 40% compared to last year, which was already a concerning issue.”
Judith Yah Sunday, Camtel’s General Director, defended the company by stating, “Not only do we have the capacity, but we also have redundancy.” However, despite her reassurance, the telecom regulator revealed in a recent report that Camtel’s infrastructure quality needs significant improvement.
On October 11, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, shared figures showing that Camtel has invested CFA117 billion in 2023 to enhance service quality for consumers. However, she expressed concern that these investments have yet to produce substantial results. “Although Camtel has announced significant investments — CFA117 billion in 2023 and CFA109 billion in 2024 — the results on the ground remain insufficient. The slow network expansion and ongoing quality issues raise questions about the effectiveness of these investments,” she said after visiting the facilities of major operators in the sector.
