Cameroon Regulator Flags Network Quality and Frequency Compliance Issues
In a communiqué dated 10 November 2026, the regulator said its technical teams conducted a multidisciplinary inspection of CAMTEL, MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroon between 13 July and 10 August 2026.
Cameroon’s Telecommunications Regulatory Board (ART) has identified shortcomings in the operations of the country’s licensed mobile network operators following a nationwide inspection of their network performance and compliance with regulatory requirements.
In a communiqué dated 10 November 2026, the regulator said its technical teams conducted a multidisciplinary inspection of CAMTEL, MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroon between 13 July and 10 August 2026. The exercise covered Yaoundé, Douala and Bafoussam, as well as the Yaoundé-Edéa-Douala, Douala-Nkongsamba-Bafoussam and Bafoussam-Bafia-Yaoundé road corridors.
The inspection identified shortcomings in the operators’ compliance with obligations set out in their respective licence specifications. The communiqué’s opening section refers to 29 shortcomings, although the individual figures listed for MTN Cameroon and CAMTEL are 23 and 41 respectively. These figures do not reconcile, and the available text does not provide enough information to establish the correct total.
For Orange Cameroon, ART valued the identified shortcomings at CFA5.8 billion. They relate to the type approval of telecommunications equipment, compliance with frequency assignment agreements governing the use of service frequencies and radio links, and network performance.
The regulator specifically cited the quality of 2G and 3G voice services in Yaoundé, Douala and Bafoussam, as well as data service quality in Douala and Bafoussam. It also identified insufficient 2G network coverage along the Yaoundé-Edéa-Douala road corridor.
MTN Cameroon’s identified shortcomings were valued at CFA4.6 billion. They cover similar areas, including equipment type approval, compliance with frequency allocation agreements, 2G and 3G voice service quality in the three cities, data service quality in Douala and Bafoussam, and 2G coverage along the Yaoundé-Edéa-Douala route.
The available communiqué text is cut off after the MTN Cameroon section, leaving the details of the findings against CAMTEL undisclosed. ART did not provide the full breakdown of the corrective measures or any potential sanctions in the portion of the document available.
