Cameroon regulator flags CFAF18.6 billion in telecom violations
ART identified 93 violations involving CAMTEL, Orange Cameroon and MTN Cameroon, with the state-owned CAMTEL accounting for the largest share.
Cameroon's telecom regulator, the ART, has counted 93 breaches by the three main operators, assessed at CFAF18.6 billion in total. The state-owned CAMTEL faces 41 of them, valued at CFAF8.2 billion, while Orange Cameroon has 29 worth CFAF5.8 billion and MTN Cameroon 23 worth CFAF4.6 billion. The regulator stressed in a November 10 statement that these are its own valuations, not fines already imposed.
The inspections ran from July 13 to August 10 in Yaounde, Douala and Bafoussam, and along three major road corridors. They found problems with equipment certification, use of assigned radio frequencies, voice and data service quality, and network coverage. At CAMTEL, the regulator also flagged weak SMS performance and core-network failings, including availability, service continuity and automatic failover.
The regulator separately reported widespread deterioration of the national fibre-optic network run by CAMTEL, which it says is costing the industry several billion CFA francs in lost revenue. An audit launched in 2025 covered 112 sections of that network.
Why it mattersTelecom customers in Cameroon are affected by the service-quality failings, and the industry is losing several billion CFA francs in revenue from the network's deterioration.