The new system was launched on August 21, 2017 at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in Yaounde.
By George MBELLA
Beginning September 1, 2017, every mobile telephone network service user in Cameroon will be able to change from his mobile operator network to another without changing his number. This new system called “porting” was launched on August 21, 2017 by authorities of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in Yaounde. Only users of Nexttel Cameroon, Orange Cameroun and MTN Cameroon networks will benefit from this operation.
Experts in the ministry held that porting will not only stimulate competition in the telecommunications sector but also lead to a fall in rates and improvement in quality and supply of services.
Mobile Number Portability was made possible by a FCFA 1.5 billion worth operation by the Chinese company, Huawei, to supply, install and operate a central database in order to manage mobile number portability in Cameroon. It was jointly funded by Orange Cameroun, MTN Cameroon and Nexttel Cameroon following a contract with Huawei on April 19, 2016. Later on January 31, 2017, the three mobile operators signed an agreement launching an Economic Interest Group for the Management of Portability in Cameroon. The outfit will enable the three operators work together to facilitate the migration towards porting while coordinating technical exchange between them.
