Study on Internet Connectivity in Cameroon : Performance Analysis, User perception, Challenges, and Recommendations

This study on the Internet connectivity in Cameroon provides an understanding of the Internet quality from measurements and user opinion along with the challenges and the possible solutions. The results are obtained from a mixed three steps methodology including a performance analysis of the services of the four main mobile network operators, an online survey to collect the public opinion, and a series of focus groups to better understand challenges and to identify ways of improvement.
Although some operators are performing well in some regions, efforts are not homogeneous throughout the country. The measurements revealed a gap between the advertisement of some operators who claim to be offering a 4G or 4.5G network to users and their quality of service in some regions. However, MTN is offering the best effort by providing an upload speed in the range of a 4G region in four regions out of five. Results from tools like OONI probe and online transparency report from Google revealed no censorship nor blocking during the measurement period despite some anomalies classified as HTTP request failure. However, the IODA platform exposed worrying outage severity levels for some operators that are justified by the frequent optical fibre cuts.
Internet is daily accessed by 75% of respondents. This increasing use is partly justified by the emergence of the Covid19 that impacts several sectors including education and commerce. However, according to the same percentage of respondents, the cost of the Internet is still high, and the quality is not following. The situation has pushed users to adopt several Internet providers. But frustrations remain and include unreliability and instability of the Internet. Moreover, 93% revealed have been in place where access to the Internet was not possible. Although the responsibility over the current situation is mainly shared between operators, the local and national government are not exonerated. As stated by the majority, the frustration is compounded by the unreliability of the power supply that prevent access to the Internet. Yet, the majority agreed on the fact that a better Internet would sustain the national development, despite the possible spread of misinformation. The results from the survey are sustained by focus groups that stressed on the unreliability of the Internet and the higher costs, especially since the special offers from MNOs that have been launched during the emergence of Covid19 are no longer available.
From a general point of view, the Internet connectivity in Cameroon requires an improvement throughout the country in terms of quality of service according to the measurements, and a decrease in terms of price according to the users to sustain the local and national development. Government should think about new strategies to increase the network coverage, Telecommunication Regulatory Board should really assess the QoS offered by MNOs and users should more involve themselves in the advocacy for a better Internet in Cameroon.
This report also highlights some limitations due to infrastructure such as the unreliability of the power supply that influenced the running of focus groups and the performance measurements in some regions, particularly the North West. Other limitations include the fact that the survey has been held only online, and mainly advertised using Facebook.