MTN, Orange Cameroon promise better network quality, but customers want price reduction

Cameroon’s two major telecommunications operators, MTN and Orange, have promised to upgrade the quality of their services and to start refunding customers’ unused data bundles in case of network problems.

In separate communiqués published on Sunday, both companies were reacting to an ongoing boycott of their services by some Cameroonians over the poor networks and exploitation of customers.

The communiqués also came some two weeks after the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications summoned executives of both companies over the poor quality of their services.

“From Thursday, May 11, your unused and lost data volume in the event of network unavailability will be refunded to you in the days following that incident. In that case, you will receive a message specifying the volume of data considered and its validity,” MTN’s CEO Mitwa Ng’ambi said.

She added that MTN is finalizing its 2023 network investment plan, which will give customers a “better quality of experience” when completed.

MTN will also publish updates on the network upgrades across the country, and will publish a map of its network coverage across the country, the CEO added.

Her counterpart, Patrick Benon, the Managing Director of Orange Cameroon, made similar commitments.

He promised that Orange will “reduce the number of advertising messages” on its services as of May 11, adding that they will “set up a comparative tool for the prices of offers, as well as a device information on network coverage and performance”.

He added that they will improve awareness of the electronic communications services they offer and their uses and that they will be launching a network investment plan soon.

Both communiqués from MTN and Orange were written in similar styles and contained almost the same promises.

However, some customers of both companies do not seem satisfied with the promises made so far.

Many service users say they have not addressed one of their key concerns – the high cost of bundles and exorbitant mobile money charges.

“MTN services are too expensive. It’s actually one of the most expensive, contrary to your claims,” said Morlins LeBeau, an MTN customer.

Ramzy Stanley, another customer, said: “What is happening with MoMo services, charges, and scams around MoMo? You have to improve and protect your customers by putting more security measures regarding MoMo. Data and calling charges are too much high, bring it down.”

Alex Essome, another MTN customer also noted: “MTN Cameroon care again about cost please, but actually, you really do a great job and the network sounds improving. If you reduce again the cost, I’m more than sure you’ll completely impact the population.”

Concerning the cost of services, MTN said it has curtailed the cost of its network services by 70 percent in the last eight years. However, customers complain that the price of bundle bundles in Cameroon has remained higher than those in other countries, like Nigeria.