Camtel receives new shipment of telecoms gear for next phase of MNE

Details: John Tanner; Category: Wireless Networks; 21 September 2026; 509 views

Cameroon’s state-owned operator Camtel said on Thursday it has received a second delivery of telecoms equipment from China to begin the next phase of its MNE (Mobile Network Expansion) project.

Under the next phase of the project, Camtel said in a LinkedIn post that it will deploy 245 new mobile sites alongside its 473 existing sites. According to Camtel MD Judith Yah Sunday Achidi, the project will focus on densifying its network in rural areas.

That said, the next phase of MNE also aims to provide decongestion for 122 sites, strengthen the transport capacities of metro loops, extend energy workshops, modernise Camtel’s billing system and develop new innovation capacities, particularly through cloud computing.

“From the capitals of departments to the capitals of districts, from peri-urban areas to our villages, connectivity must be able to progress wherever Cameroonians live, work and do business,” the Camtel post said.

Camtel didn’t specify who supplied the equipment, only that the shipment of 35 containers arrived from China. Camtel has been partnering with Huawei on various projects since 2009, including its 4G network in Yaoundé and Douala, a Tier-III data centre in Yaoundé, and the South Atlantic Inter Link (SAIL) project connecting Cameroon to Brazil.

The first phase of the MNE project kicked off at the start of this year after Camtel secured a syndicated financing agreement worth CFA44.884 billion (about US$ 81.2 million) with Commercial Bank Cameroon (CBC) to fund the project.

The 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.

According to news agency Ecofin, the financing formed part of a larger investment plan valued at CFA52.2 billion.

At the ens of last year, Camtel signed a three-year master service agreement with Ethio Telecom to work together on four main areas: modernisation of Camtel’s mobile network (including 4G and 5G), development of Camtel’s Blue Money service, digitisation of public services and the establishment of a sovereign government cloud, and internal transformation for Camtel including organisation, information systems and customer culture.