By Doh James Sonkey
The Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board, TRB, Philemon Zoo Zame has fined Cameroon Telecommunications, CAMTEL with FCFA 800 000 000, Orange Cameroun with FCFA 2 200 000 000, MTN Cameroon with FCFA 1 400 000 000 and VIETTEL Cameroun with FCFA 1 600 000 000, for repeated infringements observed while following up the obligations contained in their respective specifications in terms of coverage and quality of electronic communications services.
These fines were published in a communique signed last May 25, 2023 by the TRB Director General.
In response to the persistent deterioration in the quality of services provided by mobile telephone networks, the Director General of TRB in a press release last February 13, 2022 highlighted the following actions taken by the Regulator: 1, carrying out multidisciplinary inspections missions evidenced by reports, 2: sending formal notices to the operators with a deadline to implement corrective measures, and 3: holding bilateral consultations with the operators to assess the level of correction of the shortcomings indentified.
He reassured that these financial penalties are enforceable titles as per the provisions of Decree N°2020/727/ of December 3, 2020 on the reorganization and functioning of the TRB.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Board boss also added that they do not exclude administrative sanctions against the said operators including the reduction of the concession period and or its renovation.
Philemonn Zoo Zame reassured consumers that the regulator will use all the means at its disposal in accordance with the regulations in force, to ensure that, concession holding mobile telephony operators provide electronic communications services of satisfactory quality to their subscribers throughout the national territory.