20 February 2025

In a statement published on 17 February, Camtel denied the statements of its competitor, Orange Cameroon, which attributed the deterioration of its network to the repeated cuts in the fibre optic transmission links provided by Camtel.

Camtel has reportedly criticized Orange Cameroon for ‘deliberately’ restricting the technical solutions used on its network by relying solely on dark fibre. The company emphasizes that Orange could nevertheless integrate alternative solutions, such as managed capacities, which automatically ensure redundancy in the event of a failure or cut in the optical fibre, thus guaranteeing the continuity of services.

"It should be noted that all mobile operators in Cameroon operate the same transport network, each being responsible for the redundancy strategy of its different sites, according to its own choices," said Camtel in a statement.

Consumers and the Cameroonian government are putting increasing pressure on telecom operators to improve the quality of services. In addition to Orange, MTN had already highlighted the continued degradation of the fibre optic network, a finding also shared by the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART). In 2024, the latter conducted an operational audit of the infrastructure, on the orders of the government, to assess the situation.