Cameroon - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Forecasts

Licensing of third mobile network finally underway

This annual report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Cameroon's telecommunications market.

Subjects covered include:

Key statistics;
Market and industry overviews;
The growth potential of the country's mobile market;
Government policies affecting the telecoms industry;
Market liberalisation and regulatory issues;
Major players (fixed, mobile and broadband);
Telecoms operators – privatisation, acquisitions, new licences;
Infrastructure development;
Convergence (voice/data, fixed/wireless/mobile).
Internet and broadband development and growth;
Mobile data services and pricing;
Average revenue per user.

Cameroon's economic growth has lagged behind other countries in the region which is mirrored by the development of its telecommunications sector. In early 2012 it is one of only a few countries in Africa left with only two competing mobile networks, MTN and Orange. The re-entry into the mobile market by fixed-line incumbent Camtel as the third player has been delayed by controversy regarding its licence. The licensing of a third mobile network finally made progress in early 2012 with several international players in the bidding.

The result of the restrictive market structure is a mobile market penetration rate that is below the African average and also below that of other countries with similar GDP per capita levels. Third generation (3G) mobile service has still not been introduced apart from Camtel's EV-DO fixed-wireless service. Fixed-line penetration is extremely low, and the privatisation of Camtel's fixed-line business has failed several times.

Mirroring a trend throughout developing markets, the average revenue per user in Cameroon's mobile sector has fallen continuously as lower income groups gain access to services. The operators are trying to generate new revenue streams from the virtually untapped Internet and broadband market by introducing mobile data and WiMAX wireless broadband services.

Camtel has been allowed to monopolise access to the SAT-3/WASC international fibre optic submarine cable, which has led to extremely high prices and a grey market of unlicensed satellite gateway operators offering Internet access and Voice over Internet Protocol services. A major expansion program for international fibre connections and a national fibre backbone network is underway with funding from the Word Bank and China.
Under a more liberal regulatory regime, Cameroons telecommunications market could catch up very quickly with its peers in the region. The industry regulator has indicated it plans to complete the privatisation of Camtel and increase competition by licensing more operators.

Market highlights:

Licensing of third mobile network finally making progress;
Two scenario forecasts for Cameroon's mobile market for 2013 and 2016;
Profiles of major players in all market sectors;
Privatisation of Camtel planned in a public-private partnership;
Competition in international fibre bandwidth expected in 2012;
Significant improvements in national fibre backbone infrastructure;
All major players have adopted WiMAX as broadband access technology. SHOW LESS READ MORE >

1. Executive summary

2. Key statistics

3. Overview of Cameroon's telecom market

4. Regulatory environment
4.1 Sector reorganisation and liberalisation
4.2 Regulatory authority
4.2.1 Agence de Regulation des Telecommunications (ART)
4.3 Licensing
4.4 Interconnection
4.5 International gateways
4.6 National backbone infrastructure
4.7 Universal Access Fund (UAF)
4.8 Registration of subscriber details

5. Fixed-line operators in Cameroon
5.1 Camtel
5.1.1 Privatisation
5.1.2 Network infrastructure
5.1.3 National fibre backbone
5.1.4 Wireless local loop (WLL)
5.1.5 Fixed-line statistics
5.2 Pastel

6. International infrastructure
6.1 Submarine cables
6.1.1 SAT-3/WASC submarine fibre optic cable
6.1.2 Other projects
6.2 Terrestrial fibre
6.2.1 Central African Backbone (CAB)
6.3 VSAT

7. Internet market
7.1 Overview
7.1.1 Internet statistics
7.2 Cameroon's ISP market
7.2.1 CamNet
7.2.2 MTN Network Solutions (MTN NS)
7.2.3 Orange
7.2.4 Matrix Telecoms
7.2.5 Ringo
7.2.6 Other ISPs
7.3 Public access locations

8. Broadband market
8.1 Overview
8.2 ADSL
8.3 Wireless broadband
8.3.1 WiMAX
8.3.2 WiFi
8.3.3 EV-DO

9. Convergence
9.1 VoIP

10. Mobile communications
10.1 Overview of Cameroon's mobile market
10.1.1 Mobile statistics
10.2 Major mobile operators
10.2.1 MTN Cameroon
10.2.2 Orange CM
10.3 Third mobile licence
10.4 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO)
10.5 Mobile data services
10.6 M-payment and m-banking
10.7 Satellite mobile

11. Forecasts
11.1 Forecasts – mobile market – 2013; 2016
11.1.1 Notes on scenario forecasts

12. Related reports

Table 1 – Country statistics Cameroon – 2012
Table 2 – Fixed-line network statistics – 2012
Table 3 – Internet provider statistics – 2012
Table 4 – Internet user statistics – 2012
Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2012
Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
Table 7 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995 - 2012
Table 8 – Internet users and penetration rate – 1997 - 2012
Table 9 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1998 - 2012
Table 10 – Mobile subscribers by operator and annual change – June 2011
Table 11 – MTN Cameroon ARPU – 2003 - 2011
Table 12 – Forecast mobile subscribers – 2013; 2016

Chart 1 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2002 - 2012

- MTN Cameroon;
- Orange CM;
- Camtel;
- Cameroon Mobile Telecommunications (CMT);
- Pastel;
- CamNet;
- MTN Network Solutions;
- Matrix Telecoms;
- Ringo.