Cameroon imposes significant penalties on Telecom giants Orange and MTN

The Cameroonian telecommunications regulatory agency (ART) has imposed a fine of nearly 4 million euros on the local subsidiaries of multinational companies Orange and MTN for violations.

The Cameroonian Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART) has imposed fines totaling nearly 4 million euros on the local subsidiaries of multinational companies Orange and MTN due to failures related to service quality, as announced by ART in a statement shared with the press on Monday.

According to ART, inspections conducted in April and May 2024 revealed serious deficiencies, including "coverage rates below the thresholds required in the specifications of both operators."

The agency also criticized Orange Cameroon for "malfunctions" in the process of unsubscribing from certain services, which result in a "clear violation of consumer rights."

As a result, Orange Cameroon faces a fine of approximately 2.44 million euros "for failing to meet coverage and service quality obligations" and about 304,898 euros "for non-compliance with pricing rules."

MTN Cameroon is penalized with a fine of 1 billion FCFA (around 1.52 million euros) "for shortcomings in coverage and service quality."

Both groups, with Orange being French and MTN being South African, together control over 80% of the telecommunications market in Cameroon.

They are frequently criticized for the quality of their services in a country where access to digital technology has become a major economic and social issue.

In May 2023, the four operators active in the Cameroonian market had already been fined approximately 9.15 million euros for similar violations.

Despite this penalty and significant investments announced by the operators, the overall quality of the network remains unsatisfactory for many consumers.

The regulator hopes that these enforceable sanctions will serve as "a strong signal to operators who are also called to continue their efforts to improve service quality."