Cameroon Regulator Fines Orange and MTN CFA 2.6 Billion for Service Failures
Through this decision, the ART sends a strong signal to operators who are also called upon to continue their efforts to improve the quality of service.
The Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART) , Prof. Philémon Zoo Zame has just taken a strong step by imposing financial penalties of a cumulative amount of 2.6 billion CFA francs on the operators Orange Cameroon and MTN Cameroon, for non-compliance with their contractual commitments.
In a context marked by the urgency of digital development and the need to guarantee users fair access to quality services, proven breaches of the obligations of coverage, quality of service and pricing were observed at the end of a series of control operations carried out by the Agency’s sworn agents during the months of April and May 2024.
The ART has thus identified significant shortcomings in the coverage and quality of service of electronic communications, as well as in price transparency. These controls were carried out on several strategic axes of the national territory, including the Yaoundé–Mbalmayo–Ebolowa–Kyé-Ossi and Yaoundé Mbalmayo–Ebolowa–Mintom–Ntam corridors, as well as in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala.
Specific checks were also carried out at the premises of Orange Cameroon and MTN in Douala, relating to pricing practices. The findings are clear: coverage rates below the thresholds required in the specifications of the two operators and, for Orange Cameroon, the malfunctioning of the codes for unsubscribing to value-added services, in clear violation of consumer rights.
To reaffirm the authority of the Regulator, in view of these breaches, the ART has decided to sanction the operators concerned as follows:
Orange Cameroon: 1.4 billion CFA francs for non-compliance with coverage and quality of service obligations, 200 million CFA francs for non-compliance with pricing rules.
MTN Cameroon: 1 billion CFA francs for shortcomings in terms of coverage and quality of service.
These sanctions are part of the prerogatives conferred on the ART by Decree No. 2013/0399 of 27 February 2013, which guarantees the consumer the right to a quality service, accessible throughout the national territory, with standards of performance and regularity in accordance with the very nature of electronic communications. They are also enforceable titles and their recovery may lead to the exercise of the privilege of the treasury, a prerogative enjoyed by the ART.
Through this decision, the ART sends a strong signal to operators who are also called upon to continue their efforts to improve the quality of service. The Agency also clearly reaffirms its mission as guarantor of the protection of the rights of consumers of electronic communications products and services, a rapidly expanding sector and an important lever for Cameroon’s development.
