Competition Heats Up as a New Player Enters Cameroon’s Mobile Market, Pyramid Research Finds

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts - A potential new player in Cameroon’s mobile market and regulatory pressure to cut prices will help to more than double the country’s mobile penetration by 2014, according to a new report from Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com), the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network (www.lightreading.com).

Communications Markets in Cameroon offers a precise, incisive profile of the country’s converged telecommunications, media, and technology sectors based on proprietary data from our research in the Cameroon market. The 23-page report provides detailed competitive analysis of both the fixed and mobile sectors, tracks the market shares of technologies and services, and monitors the introduction and spread of new technologies such as WiMax, IPTV, and VoIP. This executive study provides a comprehensive view of the Cameroon communications market by analyzing key trends, evaluating near-term opportunities, and assessing upcoming risks factors.

Download an excerpt of this report here: www.pyr.com/downloads.htm?id=18&SC=PR051809_CIRCAM

Cameroon is characterized by high per-minute prices and a lower penetration than its GDP per capita would suggest, reaching only 30 percent at year-end 2008, notes Yejide Onabule, analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report. “However, due to the potential entry of a third mobile operator and the increased use of mobile services due to regulatory pressure to cut prices, Pyramid predicts Cameroon’s mobile penetration to more than double in the next five years from 36 percent expected in 2009 to 80 percent by 2014,” she says.

“There are currently three main players in Cameroon’s telecom market: fixed incumbent Camtel, which dominates the fixed market, MTN, and Orange sharing the mobile space,” says Onabule. “The potential entry of Camtel as an operator in the mobile market will hit MTN’s share the most, while Orange will maintain a more stable position,” she adds.

“Camtel, as the only operator with a fixed wireline network, would have an edge in providing converged services, once it’s able to get over its funding problems and privatization process,” Onabule explains. “All three operators should consider further investments to upgrade and improve their network and services - with the introduction of higher network speeds and new applications, the use of mobile broadband and other data services will increase,” she says.

Communications Markets in Cameroon is part of Pyramid Research’s Africa and the Middle East Country Intelligence Report Series. Pyramid Research’s premium Country Intelligence Reports are the industry’s best available analysis on market trends, regulatory environments, and competitive dynamics for 60 countries worldwide.

Download an excerpt of this report here: www.pyr.com/downloads.htm?id=18&SC=PR051809_CIRCAM

Communications Markets in Cameroon is priced at $US990 and can be purchased online here: www.pyramidresearch.com/store/CIRCAMEROON.htm?sc=PR051809_CIRCAM or through Dave Williams via email at dave.williams@pyr.com or telephone at +1-858-485-8870.

For more information about Pyramid Research’s products and services, please visit www.pyr.com or contact us at info@pyr.com.

About Pyramid Research

Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com) offers practical solutions to the complex demands our clients face in the telecommunications, media and technology industries. Our analysis is uniquely positioned at the intersection of emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models, powered by the bottom-up methodology of our market forecasts for over 100 countries — a distinction that has remained unmatched for more than 25 years. As the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network, Pyramid Research works with Heavy Reading, providing the communications industry’s most comprehensive market data, trusted research and insightful technology analysis.

About Light Reading

Founded in 2000, Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) is the leading online media, research, and focused event company serving the $US3 trillion worldwide communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading’s research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20 targeted communications events including TelcoTV, Ethernet Expo New York and Ethernet Expo London, The Tower Summit @ CTIA, and Optical Expo, as well as focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and operates as a unit of TechWeb.

About TechWeb

TechWeb (techweb.com/aboutus), the global leader in business technology media, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million* business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events, Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat, and VoiceCon; online resources such as the TechWeb Network, Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com, and The Financial Technology Network; and the market leading, award-winning InformationWeek, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, and Wall Street & Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services including next-generation performance marketing, integrated media, research, and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $US2.5 billion.

*13.3 million business decision-makers: based on number of monthly connections

About United Business Media Limited

UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM’s businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities - from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists - with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to www.unitedbusinessmedia.com.

Press contact: Jennifer Baker +1-617-871-1910 jbaker@pyr.com

Source: Pyramid Research

Jennifer Baker, +1-617-871-1910, jbaker at pyr.com