Cameroon’s state-owned telecommunications operator Camtel and electricity utility Socadel have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore sharing infrastructure, with the aim of extending fibre-optic coverage, reducing deployment costs and improving network resilience. The agreement was signed in Yaoundé on 16 October 2026 and establishes a framework for assessing how the two companies can combine their existing assets.
Under the proposed arrangement, Camtel would contribute its national fibre-optic backbone, domestic and international connectivity capabilities, and telecommunications expertise. Socadel would provide access to electricity infrastructure, including utility poles and rights-of-way, while the companies will also consider integrating fibre into future infrastructure projects.
The immediate next step is a series of technical, legal and economic studies to determine the feasibility and terms of the proposed infrastructure sharing. The companies intend to identify potential pilot sites before moving towards implementation. No final deployment agreement or rollout timetable has yet been confirmed.
For Camtel, using existing electricity infrastructure could make fibre deployment more cost-effective, extend connectivity into additional areas and diversify transmission routes. This could strengthen network resilience and improve service continuity. Socadel, in turn, could use Camtel’s connectivity capabilities to link its agencies, operational centres and other strategic facilities, supporting the modernisation of its electricity operations.
The initiative builds on previous infrastructure-sharing arrangements. In 2023, an approximately 812-kilometre overhead fibre-optic network installed on electricity poles along Cameroon’s southern interconnected grid was transferred to Camtel. The network serves major urban centres, including Douala and Yaoundé, and added to Camtel’s existing terrestrial fibre network of approximately 12,000 kilometres.
The proposed partnership reflects a wider infrastructure strategy with potential implications for Africa’s broadcasting and media industries. Fibre expansion and more resilient transmission routes can support broadcasters’ contribution networks, studio connectivity, cloud-based production workflows and the delivery of content to digital platforms. However, the benefits for media operators will depend on where infrastructure is deployed, the capacity made available and the commercial terms offered to service providers.
The MoU remains an exploratory step rather than a commitment to a nationwide rollout. The forthcoming studies and any subsequent framework agreement will determine how the infrastructure is shared, how safety and regulatory requirements are addressed, and which pilot projects proceed. Their outcome will indicate whether the partnership can translate infrastructure coordination into measurable connectivity improvements.
