The telecommunications regulatory agency (ART) announced, Thursday, May 25, fines against mobile phone companies operating in the country. Thus, MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroon, Viettel and the para-public operator Camtel will together pay six billion FCFA for the poor quality of their services and their costs applied to consumers.
With our correspondent in Yaoundé,Polycarp Essomba
These sanctions were announced Thursday, May 25, after a wave of protest by consumers against the costs and quality of services offered by these operators.
A total of six billion FCFA will thus be paid into public coffers by the four approved operators in Cameroon, enough to satisfy David Eboutou, initiator in April of the citizen boycott movement which consisted of putting telephones in airplane mode between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., so as to prevent any operation of calling or receiving communications via mobile phone.
” We are quite satisfied that our grievances are now heard by the authorities who are trying to get telephone operators to respect consumers because that is what it is about. In reality, this reinforces our position, which was that of a citizen boycott a few weeks ago. “, he underlines.
Satisfaction also on the part of Alphonse Abena, president of a consumer association who, however, invites the regulator and the State to maintain pressure on these companies and, if necessary, to increase the penalties if significant changes are not observed. medium term.
“ We call for lower communication costs and lower internet connection rates so that there is compensation for the long-standing damage suffered – months and years – by Cameroonian consumers. “, he specifies.
In the meantime, the watchword “airplane mode” which had gradually become a habit, has been lifted by its initiators. They say they give the benefit of the doubt to these operators who each claim to have heard consumer complaints and are committed to responding to them as soon as possible.
>> To read also: Cameroon: consumer phones in “airplane mode” to denounce operator tariffs