By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Cameroon Telecommunications (CAMTEL), and Cameroon Real Estates Cooperation, better known in French as Société Immobilière du Cameroun (SIC), have entered into a framework agreement aimed at integrating smart connectivity into residential environments.
The agreement was signed on October 7 in Yaounde. Judith Yah Sunday épouse Achidi, Director General of CAMTEL, signed on behalf of her institution, while Dr. Ahmadou Sardaouna represented SIC. The agreement is intended to support the digital modernization of the housing stock and to incorporate connectivity needs into future construction projects.
During the signing ceremony, Judith Yah Sunday described the event as a remarkable moment in which SIC contributes its expertise in housing while CAMTEL brings its expertise in networks.
Regarding the changes the agreement will bring for residents of SIC housing, Judith Yah Sunday explained that both parties want connectivity to become an integral part of the home environment. “Together with SIC, our goal is to gradually roll out fiber optics across the relevant housing stock and to factor in connection requirements for future real estate developments,” she said.
She continued, “For residents, the expected benefit is tangible: the ability to study, work, or handle administrative tasks online from the comfort of their homes. CAMTEL contributes its network expertise, while SIC brings its knowledge of the buildings and its residents’ needs. This complementary partnership aims to bring services closer to households.”
On the conditions under which residents will be able to access this offer, the Director General noted that discussions have paved the way for a preferential offer featuring an access fee of FCFA 25,000, tax included, and a monthly fee of FCFA 15,000, tax included. “The precise terms and conditions are yet to be mutually finalized.”
According to Judith Yah Sunday, “We want every resident to have clear information regarding their home’s eligibility, service specifications, and subscription terms. Equipping a building must result in access that is genuinely usable for its occupants. That is the core purpose of the agreement with SIC.”
When asked whether all 12,000 SIC housing units would be connected immediately, the Director General of CAMTEL clarified that the figure indicates the scale of the housing stock covered by the project and does not imply an immediate rollout of 12,000 connections. “Implementation will be phased, based on technical assessments and priorities agreed upon with SIC. The initial sites and the schedule will be defined within this framework. We will evaluate the results based on the number of homes actually connected, services activated, and the quality of the resident experience. Our goal is for the deployed fiber to translate into reliable service for households,” Judith Yah Sunday said.
On his part, Dr. Ahmadou Sardaouna emphasized the need for connectivity, stating that the world is oriented toward smart cities where everything is managed automatically. “Connectivity is an important ingredient for research, for the education of our children. Today, we have a fair price for our clients,” the Director General of SIC said.
He nevertheless stressed that the partnership with CAMTEL will go a long way toward bringing good tidings, as they will benefit from CAMTEL’s data center. He added that connectivity of sites and offices will allow SIC officials to catch up with the gap in updating their accounts and many other tasks.
It is worth noting that the partnership outlines a phased approach to deploying fiber optics in the relevant housing units. For existing buildings, installation work must take into account the site layout, available cable pathways, and network connection conditions.
For future real estate projects, digital needs are to be considered right from the building design phase. This proactive approach allows for the proper planning of conduits, cable pathways, and equipment locations.
From the comfort of their homes, occupants will be able to take advantage of digital services for education, professional activities, and daily tasks. Actual access will keep pace with the progress of the rollout and the eligibility of the housing units.
