•  Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) uses only 16% of its four submarine cable capacities.

• A Supreme Court report highlights underutilization, citing low internet penetration and high transit costs.

• The NBN I project, funded by Exim-Bank of China, aimed to boost connectivity.

Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel), the sole concessionaire of the national fiber optic network, is operating at a mere 16% of its four submarine cable capacities, according to a report by the Accounts Chamber of the Supreme Court. The underutilization, detailed in a June 2024 report covering the operator's management since 2015, comes amid persistent criticism of telecommunications quality from consumers, other operators, and regulators.

Specific utilization rates reveal significant disparities: the South Atlantic Inter Link (SAIL) is at 6%, the West African Submarine Cable (WACS) at 57%, the South Atlantic Telecommunications Cable No. 3/South Africa Far East (SAT-3) at 29%, and the Nigeria Cameroon Submarine Cable Systems (NCSCS) at 92%.

Camtel's general management attributes the low usage to several factors, including the modest internet penetration rate in the sub-region, which contrasts with initial projections for rapid bandwidth demand growth. Additionally, 83% of African internet traffic is routed through Europe, diminishing the appeal of the SAIL cable and contributing to its minimal exploitation.

The state-owned company also points to high transit and termination costs in Cameroon, which it deems unaligned with global standards. "These prices have a direct impact on the retail price of electronic communications and can indeed slow down the market," Camtel stated.

The Accounts Chamber recommends optimizing annual billing based on actual exploited capacities. It estimates potential revenues of CFA2.1 billion for WACS, CFA9.3 billion for SAT-3, and CFA2.2 billion for NCSCS, based on 2014 projections.

The landing of these cables on Cameroon's coast was part of the National Broadband Network (NBN I) project, launched in 2014. The project, costing nearly CFA100 billion, was 85% financed by Exim-Bank of China and 15% by the Cameroonian State through the Special Telecommunications Fund.

A decade after its launch, the persistent underutilization of these submarine cables raises questions about the economic model's viability and Cameroon's capacity to transform its digital infrastructure into a genuine driver of competitiveness.

This article was initially published in French by Ludovic Amara

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum