Camtel receives 35 containers for Cameroon mobile expansion

TL;DR: Camtel said on Thursday it received a second shipment of telecoms equipment from China for the next phase of its Mobile Network Expansion project in Cameroon. The operator said the phase will add 245 mobile sites, decongest 122 sites, and support wider 2G, 3G, and 4G coverage expansion.

Camtel said on Thursday it received a second shipment of telecoms equipment from China to start the next phase of its Mobile Network Expansion project in Cameroon. The operator said the shipment comprised 35 containers.

Camtel said the next phase will deploy 245 new mobile sites alongside its 473 existing sites. Managing director Judith Yah Sunday Achidi said the project will focus on densifying the network in rural areas.

Camtel said the phase also aims to decongest 122 sites, strengthen metro loop transport capacity, extend energy workshops, modernise its billing system, and develop cloud computing capacity. The broader MNE project targets congested infrastructure and aims to extend 2G, 3G, and 4G coverage to regional and departmental capitals, university cities, strategic economic zones, and rural areas with limited connectivity.

Camtel began the first phase of the MNE project at the start of this year after securing a syndicated financing agreement worth CFA44.884 billion, about US$81.2 million, with Commercial Bank Cameroon. Ecofin said that financing formed part of a larger investment plan valued at CFA52.2 billion. At the end of last year, Camtel also signed a three-year master service agreement with Ethio Telecom covering mobile network modernisation, including 4G and 5G, Blue Money, public-service digitisation, a sovereign government cloud, and internal transformation.