Cameroon Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: September 2024

Report Pages: 181

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Cameroon’s telecom regulator punishes the MNOs for poor quality of services

Cameroon was for many years one of the few countries in Africa with only two competing mobile operators. After some delays, Viettel Cameroon launched a third network and has since grown its subscriber base rapidly. Camtel became the fourth mobile operator in early 2020 after securing three licences, however it suspended the launch of services in early 2021. Despite this, by the end of the year a launch under the Blue brand was imminent.

The investment programs among operators over the next few years will considerably boost mobile broadband services in rural areas of the country, many of which are underserved by fixed-line infrastructure.

The ICT sector in Cameroon is making steady progress, enabling the country to make better use of the digital economy. About 95% of all electronic transactions are carried through the m-money services operated by MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroon. The government has also been supportive, having launched its ‘Cameroon Digital 2020’ program, aimed at improving connectivity nationally. A large number of small ICT projects form part of the overall program. Improved submarine and terrestrial cable connectivity has substantially increased international bandwidth, in turn leading to reductions in access prices for consumers.

Other projects such as Acceleration of the Digital Transformation of Cameroon are aimed at developing the digital economy, and accelerating the use of ICT in areas such as government services, agriculture, and commerce.

Key developments:

MNOs respond to customer criticism by committing to invest XAF156 billion in network upgrades.
MTN Cameroon has XAF14 billion in assets frozen pending legal dispute.
Camtel launches 3G services under the Blue Mobile banner.
YUP e-wallet services closes down.
Africa Mobile Networks enters Cameroon as a passive infrastructure operator.
Telecom regulator opens a new office in Yaoundé.
Report update includes the regulator's market reports for 2021, telcos' operating data to Q3 2023, updated Telecom Maturity Index tables, charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroon, Camtel, Cameroon Mobile Telecommunications (CMT), Pastel, CamNet, MTN Network Solutions, Matrix Telecoms, Ringo, Nexttel Cameroon (Viettel), YooMee

Key statistics
Regional Africa Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Digital Cameroon 2020
National Development Strategy 2030

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Licensing
Market liberalisation
Privatisation
Interconnection
International gateways
Universal Access Fund (UAF)
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Mobile network developments

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
SIM card registration
Roaming
Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G
EV-DO
GSM

Mobile data
Mobile broadband
Other infrastructure developments

Satellite mobile

Major mobile operators

MTN Cameroon
Orange Cameroon
Viettel Cameroon
Camtel Mobile
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)

Mobile content and applications

M-payment and m-banking
M-health

Fixed-line broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview

Public access locations

Broadband statistics

ISP market

Fixed-line broadband technologies

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP)
Other fixed broadband services

Fixed network operators

Cameroon Telecommunication (Camtel)
Pastel

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network

National fibre backbone
Central African Backbone (CAB)
Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)
Cloud services

International infrastructure

Terrestrial cable
Submarine cables
VSAT

Digital economy

E-government
E-commerce

Data Centres
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Cameroon – 2023 (e)
Table 2 – Development of telecom market revenue (XAF billion) – 2012 – 2021
Table 3 – Change in the market share of revenue by sector – 2012 – 2021
Table 4 – Telecom market investment (XAF billion) – 2012 – 2021
Table 5 – Market share of investment by sector – 2012 – 2021
Table 6 – Development of maximum interconnection tariffs by service – 2010 – 2021
Table 7 – Development of voice interconnection tariffs by operator (XAF/minute) – 2018 – 2021
Table 8 – Development of SMS interconnection tariffs by operator (XAF/message) – 2018 – 2021
Table 9 – Change in the volume of mobile roaming voice traffic – 2011 – 2021
Table 10 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 11 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by type – 2012 – 2021
Table 12 – Change in the share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 13 – Mobile ARPU, SMS and voice traffic per subscriber per month – 2012 – 2021
Table 14 – Change in mobile voice traffic by type (million minutes) – 2013 – 2021
Table 15 – Development of mobile market revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 16 – Change in mobile market revenue by type (XAF billion)– 2016 – 2021
Table 17 – Change in the share of mobile market revenue by operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 18 – Localities covered by mobile networks – 2018
Table 19 – Change in the volume of SMS traffic – 2013 – 2021
Table 20 – Decline in CDMA SMS traffic – 2015 – 2021
Table 21 – Development of off-net SMS tariffs by operator (XAF/message) – 2018 – 2021
Table 22 – Development of on-net SMS tariffs by operator (XAF/message) – 2018 – 2021
Table 23 – Increase in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2027
Table 24 – Increase in mobile internet traffic – 2016 – 2021
Table 25 – Change in the number of MTN Cameroon’s mobile sites by technology – 2016 – 2023
Table 26 – Decline in MTN Cameroon’s ARPU ($) – 2012 – 2023
Table 27 – Development of MTN Cameroon’s ARPU (XAF) – 2012 – 2023
Table 28 – MTN Cameroon financial data (ZAR billion) – 2012 – 2023
Table 29 – Development of MTN Cameroon’s revenue by type (ZAR million) – 2015 – 2023
Table 30 – Development of MTN Cameroon’s revenue (XAF) – 2016 – 2023
Table 31 – Increase in the number of MTN Cameroon’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 32 – Increase in the number of Orange Cameroon’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 33 – Development of Orange Cameroon’s revenue – 2012 – 2023
Table 34 – Change in the number of Viettel Cameroon’s mobile subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Table 35 – Growth in the number of MTN Cameroon’s m-money subscribers – 2018 – 2023
Table 36 – Change in the number of m-money users and transactions – 2012 – 2021
Table 37 – M-money penetration – 2012 – 2021
Table 38 – Average m-money transactions per user – 2013 – 2018
Table 39 – Increase in the value of m-money transactions – 2015 – 2021
Table 40 – Fixed internet market revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 41 – Increase in the total number of fixed and mobile internet subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Table 42 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2027
Table 43 – Increase in fixed internet traffic – 2016 – 2021
Table 44 – CamNet’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 45 – Increase in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Table 46 – Change in the number of WiMAX subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 47 – Change in the number of MTN’s mobile WiMAX subscribers – 2018 – 2021
Table 48 – Development of Camtel's revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 49 – Change in the number of Camtel’s fixed lines by type – 2014 – 2021
Table 50 – Change in Camtel’s fixed-line traffic by type (million minutes) – 2014 – 2021
Table 51 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service – 2012 – 2027
Table 52 – Change in the number of Camtel’s fixed-line connections by type – 2015 – 2021
Table 53 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2020
Table 54 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1998 – 2011
Table 55 – Historic - MTN Cameroon ARPU ($) – 2003 – 2011
Table 56 – Historic - Orange Cameroon annualised ARPU – 2012 – 2017
Table 57 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate – 1997 – 2015
Table 58 – Historic - fixed line subscribers – 1995 – 2011
Table 59 – Historic - Fixed-lines in service – 2000 – 2011
Table 60 – Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2005 – 2011
Table 61 – Historic - International bandwidth – 2008 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Africa – Market Leaders global ranking
Chart 3 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 4 – Africa – Market Challengers global ranking
Chart 5 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 6 – Africa – Market Emergents global ranking
Chart 7 – Africa – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 8 – Africa – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Africa – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Development of telecom market revenue – 2012 – 2021
Chart 11 – Change in the market share of revenue by sector – 2012 – 2021
Chart 12 – Telecom market investment – 2012 – 2021
Chart 13 – Market share of investment by sector – 2012 – 2021
Chart 14 – Change in the volume of mobile roaming voice traffic – 2011 – 2021
Chart 15 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 16 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by type – 2012 – 2021
Chart 17 – Change in the share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
Chart 18 – Change in mobile voice traffic by type – 2013 – 2021
Chart 19 – Development of mobile market revenue – 2012 – 2021
Chart 20 – Change in mobile market revenue by type – 2016 – 2021
Chart 21 – Change in the share of mobile market revenue by operator – 2012 – 2021
Chart 22 – Change in the volume of SMS traffic – 2013 – 2021
Chart 23 – Increase in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2027
Chart 24 – Increase in mobile internet traffic – 2016 – 2021
Chart 25 – Change in the number of MTN Cameroon’s mobile sites by technology – 2016 – 2023
Chart 26 – Development of MTN Cameroon’s ARPU (XAF) – 2012 – 2023
Chart 27 – MTN Cameroon financial data – 2012 – 2023
Chart 28 – Development of MTN Cameroon’s revenue by type – 2015 – 2023
Chart 29 – Increase in the number of MTN Cameroon’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 30 – Increase in the number of Orange Cameroon’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 31 – Development of Orange Cameroon’s revenue – 2012 – 2023
Chart 32 – Change in the number of Viettel Cameroon’s mobile subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Chart 33 – Change in the number of m-money users and transactions – 2012 – 2021
Chart 34 – Increase in the value of m-money transactions – 2015 – 2021
Chart 35 – Increase in the total number of fixed and mobile internet subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Chart 36 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2027
Chart 37 – Increase in fixed internet traffic – 2016 – 2021
Chart 38 – CamNet’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 39 – Change in the number of Camtel’s fixed lines by type – 2014 – 2021
Chart 40 – Change in Camtel’s fixed-line traffic by type – 2014 – 2021
Chart 41 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service – 2012 – 2027
Chart 42 – Change in the number of Camtel’s fixed-line connections by type – 2015 – 2021

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Africa – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Africa – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Africa – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – International internet capacity by submarine cable (Gb/s) – 2021

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Cameroon Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Cameroon’s telecom regulator punishes the MNOs for poor quality of services

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Africa Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Digital economy

Data Centres

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views