Residents of state-built housing in Cameroon will be able to get fibre internet at home under a new agreement between Cameroon Telecommunications (CAMTEL) and SIC, the public housing developer. The two companies signed the framework agreement in Yaoundé, Business in Cameroon reported on 14 October.
CAMTEL general manager Judith Yah Sunday Epse Achidi and SIC general manager Ahmadou Sardaouna signed the deal. It covers both new and existing SIC developments.
What residents get
SIC tenants and buyers will be able to sign up for CAMTEL's high-speed internet and phone services at preferential rates. Fibre subscriptions start at CFAF 15,000 a month, with a CFAF 25,000 installation fee.
The rollout starts small, with about 40 households. Residents of the Mfoundi housing development, where the connection infrastructure is already in place, can ask for internet and television to be switched on now. SIC says more than 30,000 of its clients could eventually benefit.
Fibre built in from the start
The bigger change is in how new estates will be built. Under the agreement, SIC buildings will be pre-wired for fibre during construction, so cables are part of the building rather than added later. Work on future developments will still depend on specific agreements and regulatory approvals for each project.
Achidi described telecom infrastructure as an essential part of modern housing, in the same category as water and electricity, and pointed to the role of home internet in education, remote work and staying in touch with family.
What SIC gets
The deal also covers SIC's own operations. CAMTEL will support an ERP system linking SIC's headquarters with its 19 sites, and SIC may use CAMTEL's data centre and secure database services. For CAMTEL, the deal adds a steady pipeline of residential customers in estates that are already built or under way.
Why it matters for households and businesses
At CFAF 15,000 a month, the entry plan is within reach of many salaried households, but the CFAF 25,000 installation fee and a limited initial rollout mean most SIC residents will wait. How fast CAMTEL moves beyond the first 40 homes is the number to watch.
Building fibre into new homes is cheaper and quicker than digging up finished estates to lay cable. If SIC makes it standard in every new project, it could set an example for private developers in Douala and Yaoundé.
The agreement adds to a string of utility and infrastructure moves this month, including SOCADEL's CFAF 44.54 billion power tenders.
