Camtel, a Cameroonian company in charge of investment and operation of telecommunications networks, has decided to increase the prices of its optic fiber internet service.
This Camtel unlimited internet fibre service was initially presented as a service meant to combine cost efficiency, innovation while listening to the faithful Camtel customers.
Camtel Cameroon Increases Optic Fiber Internet Prices
- The installation of this optical fiber service (Camtel Mboa Fiber Bleu) was initially free but will now be billed at 50,000 FCFA.
- Also, you will also have to pay for maintenance costs for the equipment installed and the associated telephone line; a total of 80,600 FCFA per year.
- The highest unlimited internet offer on Camtel Cameroon would be 60,000 FCFA per month (20MBps) and the cheapest will be 25,000 FCFA (8MBps).
Suggested: All Camtel Xtremnet Internet Packages
Reactions to the Camtel Unlimited Internet Price Increase
The news is already being debated within certain consumer associations. They are protesting against what they perceive as an increase in both the costs of both access and use of the Internet by public enterprises.
However, Camtel says that the practice of free installation was not profitable. Some customers after benefiting from a free installation refused to pay their bills and were not reluctant to terminate their contracts. This Camtel argues, resulted in losses for the company.
The After-Sales Service of Camtel Cameroon in Question
But on close observation, one of the challenges the company will have to address is that of after-sales service. Today, it is not unusual to wait sometimes six months to have the optical fiber service installed and several weeks to receive a technical maintenance team in the event of a problem.
“We provide housing services. For CHAN, for example, we are still without internet. We had chosen the solution of the national company and its optical fiber. But today, we are receiving bills when the service has not been running since November. We hear that there is no equipment to come and solve our problems, it makes you want to go see other suppliers, "protested a manager of furnished apartments in Yaoundé.
Other Complains About Poor Internet
Beyond retail customers, complaints are also reported from large customers including the leaders of mobile telephony in the country (e.g, MTN and Orange), who are forced by regulations to source from Camtel.
Camtel has promised that in the new configuration, connections will now be made in 72 hours. But the operator did not give more details on what will be done to improve after-sales service.
However, despite this price increase, the state-owned company remains competitive compared to other internet service providers in terms of access costs. But it will face stiff competition when it comes to value for money.
Some national suppliers, who are nevertheless Camtel customers, manage to offer 400 television channels compared to 45 for the state-owned company and a higher quality of connection.