This is why the “e-post” project was created to conduct the construction of a computer and telecommunication network in order to connect post offices by optical fibre or by wireless links, construct a data center, interconnect all post offices of the country, equip them with material and technology equipment and train the staff for an increase productivity of CAMPOST and render them more competitive. To achieve this goal, during a State Visit, in the month of July 2011 in Beijing in the People’s Republic of China, the President of Cameroon, H.E. Paul Biya and his Chinese counterpart H.E. Hu Jintao signed a series of agreements amongst which the agreement on the conduct of the e-Post Project.
What is the e-post project?
The implementation of the “e-post” project is the outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding between the States of Cameroon and China.
The formalisation of this memorandum resulted in the signing of a loan agreement between CAMPOST and EXIM BANK CHINA guaranteed by the State, for a financing of CFA 32 billion francs.
The purpose of the e-post project (that consists in digitalising the whole postal network) is to interconnect 234 post offices spread throughout the national territory. This network will be constructed based on the interconnection of two (02) sub-networks: an optical fibre sub-network and a satellite link sub-network. All the network will be managed at the level of the Datacenter, which building (ground floor +1) construction works on a surface area of 640 m2 are underway.
What will be the fallout for the postal sector?
The implementation of this project shall significantly improve the quality and quantity of the production tool of CAMPOST on the one hand and extend the postal network throughout the national territory on the other hand by providing the needed levers to CAMPOST to meet the challenges it faces in an increasing competitive environment.
It will further contribute in achieving the objectives of the reference framework of the government action for the period that runs from 2010 to 2020, with regards to the development of the postal sector and postal financial services, by:
- densifying the postal network and improving the national postal coverage to ensure a geographical balance of postal services;
- developing the universal postal service to promote universal access to postal services.
It should also be noted that the establishment of this network will not only provide access to quality and quantity universal postal services, but will also significantly contribute to the development of infrastructures, especially in reaching the strategic objectives of the ICT’s sector, through the use of excess capacities of active equipment, installed in post offices by the CAMTEL operator. The use of these infrastructures will contribute in:
- providing the general public with an access offer of at least 2 Mbps in localities where offices are connected by optical fibre;
- equipping these localities with modern communication resources;
- increasing density via the connection of mobile operators BTS to the active equipment of this network.
Expectations of the populations
Populations throughout the national territory will all and simultaneously benefit from a wide range of quality services at affordable prices.
Execution level of works
At the level of the construction of the Datacenter, the structural works were over 60% completed at mid-April 2012.
The commissioning equipment of the optical fibre network is already available, but there are still some few issues to finalise for the effective deployment of this component of the project.
In the nutshell, all technical and practical arrangements are set for the effective launching of all components of this project in the days ahead.
