Internet penetration in CMR woefully low

The penetration rate for internet remains very low in Cameroon, with only 400,000 Cameroonians connected to the Internet. This number accounts for barely 5 percent of the country’s total population, as per APA's report gathered from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

This is a very low penetration rate compared to the African average which is at 18 percent.

The origin of this delay in the appropriation of Internet in Cameroon is apparently in particular linked with the very high cost charged by the country’s incumbent operators themselves and the quality of existing infrastructure.

A comparative study with a country like Cote d’Ivoire shows that an internet megabite costs 47,000 CFA francs, while in Cameroon it costs 236,000 CFA francs making the service five times more expensive.

However, knowing that only 3,000 Cameroonians were connected to the Internet in 2005, there is a progressive development that should improve with the extension of fiber optic across the country.