Camtel’s bill of health: higher profit, poor service quality ⁰

Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) continued to improve its financial performance in 2025, posting higher revenue and profit as the state-owned telecom operator extended a recovery that has been underway for several years.

Speaking at the National Management Days in Douala, CEO Judith Yah Sunday Achidi said Camtel generated net profit of more than CFA13 billion in 2025, up from CFA12.7 billion the previous year.

Revenue also increased, rising above CFA235 billion from CFA217 billion in 2024. The growth continues a steady upward trend. In a statement released in December 2025, Camtel said its revenue had doubled from CFA108 billion in 2018 to CFA217 billion in 2024.

According to the CEO, the company’s performance reflects years of internal reforms, including the digitalization of services, tighter revenue controls, and a stronger focus on operational performance. She cited the expansion of online subscriptions, electronic bill payments, and improved revenue monitoring, saying these measures boosted efficiency without additional capital injections from the state.

That claim, however, deserves some context. Camtel has also said it has invested more than CFA145 billion since 2021 to upgrade and expand its telecommunications network. The company’s stronger financial results therefore reflect both management reforms and sustained investment in its infrastructure.

Fixed Services Remain the Backbone

The financial gains come even as Camtel’s business model continues to depend largely on its traditional activities.

According to an audit by the Audit Bench of Cameroon’s Supreme Court covering 2015 and subsequent years, the company operates under three concession agreements signed on March 12, 2020, covering transmission infrastructure, fixed telecommunications, and mobile services.

Between 2015 and 2020, Camtel’s fixed-services business generated most of its revenue, ahead of transmission services and mobile operations. But the nature of that business has changed significantly. Traditional landline services have steadily declined as mobile telephony expanded, while fixed broadband has become the company’s main growth driver.

That shift explains Camtel’s increasing focus on fiber-optic services, enterprise connectivity, and wholesale data transport. According to the Telecommunications Regulatory Board (ART), the transmission segment where Camtel is the dominant operator continues to benefit from rising demand for bandwidth. The company operates a national fiber-optic network stretching nearly 12,000 kilometers and connected to several submarine cable landing stations.

The picture is less encouraging in mobile services. Despite expanding its Blue mobile brand, Camtel remains a distant competitor in a market dominated by Orange Cameroon and MTN Cameroon. According to the ART, mobile service revenue reached CFA631 billion in 2024, with growth driven largely by mobile data.

The regulator’s figures also highlight the market’s concentration. Orange Cameroon and MTN Cameroon account for most mobile revenue, while Camtel continues to hold only a small share. That limits the public operator’s ability to turn its nationwide infrastructure into a stronger position in the mobile market.

Better Service Remains the Real Test

Service quality remains Camtel’s biggest challenge.

The company’s stronger financial performance contrasts with frequent customer complaints about slow internet speeds, service outages, and difficulties accessing both fixed and mobile services. Such complaints remain common on social media, highlighting the gap between the company’s financial progress and users’ day-to-day experience.

Camtel acknowledges that network modernization remains a priority. In its December 2025 statement responding to the Supreme Court audit, the company said it had committed more than CFA145 billion since 2021 to modernize and expand its telecommunications infrastructure.

That effort continued in 2026 with the signing of a CFA44.884 billion syndicated financing agreement with Commercial Bank Cameroon. According to Camtel, the funding will support the first phase of its Mobile Network Expansion project, which aims to strengthen existing infrastructure and extend 2G, 3G, and 4G coverage across regional and divisional capitals, university towns, strategic economic zones, and selected rural communities.

The challenge now is to turn those investments and stronger financial results into tangible improvements for customers. In a market increasingly driven by mobile data, Camtel will narrow the gap with Orange Cameroon and MTN Cameroon only if it improves network coverage, service reliability, internet quality, and its commercial performance.

The 2025 results show a company that is more profitable, financially stronger, and further along in its transformation. But they also underline the company’s biggest test: customers will judge Camtel less by its earnings than by the quality of the service it delivers.

Source: Business in Cameroon