Mobile telecoms operator MTN Cameroon has transferred ownership of the WACS fiber-optic cable landing station at Limbe to the State of Cameroon. The transfer is a result of fruitful negotiations since 2012.
The transferred ownership was signed by MTN Cameroon’s chief executive Karl O. Toriola and Cameroonian minister of posts and telecommunications, in the presence of various officials of the telecommunications sector.
WACS sub-marine cable links Europe to South Africa via the Atlantic Ocean and measures approximately 14500 km. The investment is mostly supported by key South African companies like MTN Group, Telkom SA, Neotel, Broadband Infraco and Vodacom as well as the state of South Africa.
Limbe WACS is the second landing station distributed on the Cameroonian coasts, which comes after the landing station in Douala though experts say that the landing station would soon expire.
The sub-marine cable is designed to provide South African universities with broadband access as well as give other African countries accessibility of the optical fiber. Cameroon is joined to the WACS sub-marine cable via the landing station put up by the MTN Group in Limbe.
WACS fiber-optic cable is critical for Cameroon as it will build sufficient transmission capacity to offer private individuals and enterprises with redundant, high-speed and stable connection they require to perform their activities smoothly. The sub-marine cable will also evenly ease the democratization and growth of the internet and possibly lead to a long-term significant fall in electronic communication costs.
WACS will also promote Cameroon’s position as an ICT hub and sub-regional head in the domain of ICTs. According to Toriola, shifting the landing station to the state of Cameroon is “solid proof of MTN Cameroon’s constant engagement for the growth of Cameroun.”
