Cameroon advances in telecommunication infrastructure

During a Council of cabinet meeting recently held in Yaoundé, the Government took note of the development and strengthening of telecommunications infrastructures in the country.

Chaired by the Prime Minister, Philémon Yang, and attended by all members of the Government, this Council has, on the one hand, made the results and prospects for the implementation of telecommunications infrastructure-building projects.

They on the other hand examined the State of progress for the construction of the Rehabilitation Centre for people with disabilities in Maroua, as well as the proposed construction of the National Meteorological Center.

The Minister of posts and Telecommunications, Jean Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam said that with regard to the extension of the backbone national, optic fiber, its linear has increased to more than 6,000 Km, with straps for interconnection to neighbouring countries with an aim to install more than 20,000 Km of optical fiber and ensure a good mesh of the national territory.

As for the National Broadband Network (NBN) program, it has already been achieved at 40%, thanks to a concessional credit rates obtained from the Exim-Bank China in July 2012.

They however revolved around five projects, namely the access to wired network, networks and IP Services (RSI), the system of billing and Support (FSS), the wireless network and access to broadband Submarine Cable (MSC).

With regard to the NBN project, the country has committed to build a point of siltation of this cable to Kribi and prolong the optic fibre link from Kribi to Lagos, Nigeria, for a linear ranging from 527 to 950 km, at an overall cost estimated at US $ 17 million.

On the construction of urban optical loops, that ofDouala which is 50 Km long, has been put to service, that of Yaoundé, with a linear of 67,681 Km has just been received. In the coming months, the towns of Buea (29,186 km), Limbe (35.20 km), and Maroua (49,423 km), will benefit from these investments which will cover the capitals of the ten regions of the country to facilitate Internet access for the entire population and to reduce the costs of telecommunications.

Furthermore, Cameroon took the option to establish partnerships with various consortia, including WACS (West Africa Cable System), ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) and Main One, in order to construct the points of siltation of their cables along its coastline.

Negotiations for the takeover of the siltation station of limbe has just obtained on one hand, payment for membership fee, of 12 billion CFA from WACS and on the other hand, the signing of a contract for purchase at a cost of nearly $ 2,113 million CFAF.

The Minister of Social Affairs, Catherine Bakang Mbog, revealed that the National Rehabilitation Centre for the disabled in Maroua, estimated at 1.6 billion CFAF, is been carried out in partnership with an Italian association on a space covering 4,000 m2 in the Borough of Maroua.

Today, the shell of the 1st and 2nd phases of the work is completed, for a total cost of 430,727 million CFA. This centre will host training workshops, and a boarding school of 60 places.

The Minister of Transport, Robert Nkili outlined on the creation of the National Meteorological Center, which will be responsible for the development and dissemination of products for monitoring climate and long term forecast in support of climate activities carried out by the States in its sub-region.

This is in order to better manage the risks related to the vagaries of the climate in the socio-economic sectors such as agriculture, health, the management of water, natural disasters, activities aeronautical and maritime and many other fields.

For the most part, the status of this project is today estimated at 90%, apart from finishing work at a total of CFAF 509,598 million estimated cost.