Cameroon Regulator Cracks Down on Poor Telecom Services with Nationwide Inspections
The move aims to guarantee citizens reliable, fair, and efficient access to electronic communications nationwide.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART) is intensifying technical inspections across Cameroon in response to mounting complaints over deteriorating voice and data services. The move aims to guarantee citizens reliable, fair, and efficient access to electronic communications nationwide.
Users in major cities such as Yaoundé and Douala, as well as in northern regions, have reported frequent issues including dropped calls, poor audio quality, and unstable internet connections. In response, ART has adopted a proactive approach, building on initiatives launched since 2022. These include a national workshop on service quality, securing over 150 billion CFA francs in investment commitments from operators, conducting audits of the national fiber optic network, and carrying out inspection visits to operators such as MTN, Orange, Camtel, and IHS.
Between April and June 2025, the regulator conducted quality of service control operations across key roads and urban centers in the Centre, South, and Littoral regions. The evaluations measured voice, SMS, and data performance against contractual obligations. More recently, new campaigns have been rolled out in the East, Adamawa, North, and Far North regions to assess operator compliance, pinpoint service gaps, and implement corrective measures.
On routes such as Yaoundé–Nanga Eboko–Bertoua and Yaoundé–Abong Mbang–Bertoua, tests covered 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, with results showing uneven performance in voice, SMS, and data services. Similar inspections on the Bertoua–Garoua Boulai–Meiganga–Ngaoundéré axis and in the city of Ngaoundéré highlighted coverage inconsistencies and service instability.
Beyond field testing, ART is also tackling the underlying causes of poor quality of service. These include internal operator shortcomings in network management and supervision, as well as external factors such as fiber optic cuts, energy supply challenges, and radio interference.
Through this integrated strategy, ART is working to ensure long-term improvements in telecom services while driving operators to meet their obligations. The regulator’s vision is to create an inclusive digital environment where every citizen, regardless of location, can fully benefit from the opportunities offered by telecommunications and digital technology.
