By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Cameroon Telecommunications (CAMTEL) has firmly denied accusations from Orange Cameroun that it is responsible for the ongoing decline in the quality of electronic communications on its network.
In a press release dated February 17, CAMTEL’s General Manager, Judith Yah Sunday epse Achidi, expressed outrage at what she described as attempts by Orange Cameroun to discredit the quality of CAMTEL’s transport network.
“CAMTEL is outraged by these statements aimed at discrediting the quality of its transport network. It wishes to point out that Orange Cameroun’s network is built on dark fibre, an asset over which CAMTEL has no visibility,” she stated in the communiqué.
The communiqué further explained that managed capacity solutions can offer redundancy in case of faults or disruptions on the optical fibre cable, ensuring the continuous availability of services. However, it accused Orange Cameroun of refusing to adopt these solutions, insisting instead on using dark fibre.
“Consequently, CAMTEL cannot be held accountable for the deterioration of a customer’s network resulting from the limitations of the technical solutions that the customer chooses to deploy,” Yah Sunday added.
CAMTEL highlighted that all mobile operators in Cameroon utilize the same transport network, with each operator responsible for its redundancy strategy. In relation to the recent disruptions at the Orange site in Zoetele on February 14, 2025, CAMTEL clarified that the issue lay with the last-mile connection, not its services.
“Given that CAMTEL and MTN Cameroon were unaffected, it is essential for operators to ensure redundancy on their last-mile connections, for which they are solely responsible,” the communiqué stated.
While reaffirming its commitment to improving service quality, CAMTEL criticized Orange Cameroun for attempting to shift accountability for network degradation while tarnishing its reputation.
This response follows an article in Cameroon Eco-Business website that shared a press release from Orange Cameroun, which attributed the decline in its network quality to repeated cuts in the optical fibre transmission links provided by CAMTEL. The article was titled: “Telecommunications: Following the Deterioration of the Telephone Network, Orange Cameroun Alerts Its Subscribers.”
Although News-Lens could not immediately obtain the communiqué, online reports indicate that Orange Cameroun has recorded at least 15 cuts to its fibre optic network since February 1, 2025. These interruptions have caused significant instability in services, impacting both voice calls and mobile internet.
The most affected regions include the South, East, Adamaoua, Far North, North, and Southwest, with localities such as Buea, Zoetele, Sangmélima, Guidiguis, Yagoua, Kaele, Belabo, and Messamendongo facing the most disruption.
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