Satellite Internet in Cameroon

The geographically and culturally diverse country of Cameroon is characterised by its many different features from beaches, deserts and mountains to rainforests and savannahs. With a population of around 18 million, Cameroon is located in Western Africa, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. The Cameroonian economy is rooted in petroleum, cocoa, coffee and cotton exports and aluminium production is also a key industry for the country.

Growing Digital Economy

The government of Cameroon is taking steps to help develop its ICT sector which it recognises as a critical part of its economy. To address this, it has set up an initiative entitled ‘Cameroon Digital 2020’. This aims to increase the amount of jobs within the digital economy sector from 10,000 to 50,000 by 2020. Connectivity in Cameroon is soon to benefit from the SAIL submarine cable. At present, fixed line infrastructure in the country requires more development and there are various investment programmes that are being put into place to deal with improvements. However, the mobile broadband sector is fast developing across the country. It has outstripped fixed lines in terms of subscribers and, as a result, there are now 5 million Internet users across Cameroon. This continues on its growth trajectory thanks to investment in mobile infrastructure.

Opportunities in Finance

The biggest mobile applications in use across Cameroon are banking and finance and also commerce platforms. Finance platforms in particular have seen huge growth. Less than 5 percent of Cameroonians have access to a bank account or financial services, so microfinance is a sector that is proving extremely popular in the country, allowing individuals access to a range of financial services such as loans, insurance, savings accounts and financial advice. This is coupled with easy access to their accounts so that they may be managed over the data connection on a smartphone. BusinessCom Networks can facilitate these links to microfinancing institutions, especially for those who are located in more rural areas. Through use of VSAT networks, the mobile operators that provide these financial services can extend their reach to areas that may not be connected and are difficult to reach.

Natural Oil Reserves

Aside from finance, another important potential market for the use of the Internet through VSAT networks provided by BusinessCom Networks is the oil sector. Cameroon is the sixth largest oil producer in Sub Saharan Africa with resources located both on and offshore. Both the upstream and downstream oil business is important to the country. BusinessCom Networks has a high level of experience in the provision of VSAT services to the oil and gas industry, enabling much more effective communications, monitoring and oversight of operations. Installation of VSAT networks enable the ‘Digital Oilfield’ and create an offshore office for employees and a means for transfer of large amounts of data at all phases of the oil and gas cycle from prospecting, drilling, extraction and production. Not only this, VSAT networks provide vital voice, video and data links for employees that have to spend long periods of time away from their loved ones.

These are just two examples of the ways in which cost-effective VSAT technology can help Cameroon to develop its infrastructure and provide critical services to the population that is located in hard-to-reach areas. BusinessCom Networks can provide a full suite of services across Cameroon with in-country installers and 24×7 customer services to provide help no matter when, or where it is required.