Cameroon has submitted a request to the African Development Bank (AfDB) to extend the fiber optic project in Central Africa, also known as the Central African Backbone (CAB), the national completion rate of which is estimated at 15 percent, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications told APA on Thursday.
Funded to the tune of 30 billion CFA francs for a three-year period, the national component of the broadband telecommunications network expired on December 31. The government has mentioned several difficulties encountered in the implementation of the project’s 52 activities, some of which are still in the contracting or preparation phase.
It was not until 2019 that work began, with laying optical fiber in the eastern and southern regions, for the interconnection with the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Republic of the Congo, respectively.
The CAB plans, locally, the extension of the fiber optic backbone on five essential sections for some 916 kilometers, the supply of solar, office and computer equipment for multipurpose community call centers, education and community actions and centers for the advancement of women with the deployment of photovoltaic solar panels.
With more than 4.8 billion CFA francs as Cameroon’s compensation, it is also planned to set up a skills development center at the National School of Posts and Telecommunications.
FCEB/cd/fss/abj/APA