Non-compliant Transmission Pylons : Regulator Calls Operators To Order

#Economie

The Telecommunications Regulatory Board has urged telco operators to respect installation regulations or they will be sanctioned and have their masts dismantled in the near future.

The Telecommunication Regulatory Board (ART) has called on telecoms operators to strictly respect the conditions of installation of transmission pylons in the country. In an April 23 communique, the Director General of ART, Philemon Zoo Zame said the Board has observed that most of the operators were installing masts in urban residential area without respecting engineering guidelines.

The Director General also cited the non-respect of maximum limit of exposure to radiation, non-compliance with height restriction (150m maximum), reluctance to share network infrastructures and the non-respect of distance between masts.

ART says the unnecessary and incoherent multiplication of transmission pylons and the non-sharing of network infrastructures by telecom operators have a negative impact on the environment, urbanization, public safety, public health and tariff plans of operators. The regulator wants the disorder to stop henceforth. ART regulates the telecommunications sector, including installation of masts and telecom towers.

According to Ali Soungui, ART’s Director of Licensing, Competition and Interconnection, the time for administrative tolerance has had to come to an end. “Operators who install masts and telecom towers must respect all binding regulations, specifically an April 18 order of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications fixing conditions of installation of pylons and towers for telecommunications purposes in Cameroon,” Ali said.

To justify the Board’s action, the Director also mentioned: a 2010 law regulating telecommunications in Cameroon; a 2012 prime ministerial order fixing conditions of interconnection, access to electronic network communication for the public and infrastructure sharing; and a 2013 prime ministerial order fixing maximum limits of exposure to radiation. 

Ali pointed out that one of the most common violation is the installation of pylons supported by ropes in towns and villages; an installation method prohibited in residential areas. He also noted that operators do not respect an expected minimum distance between pylons which stands as 750m in residential areas and 2km in other areas. Cameroon Tribune has also observed the irregular installations.

The Director said after an undefined period, ART will proceed to check if the operators have regularized their infrastructure issues, failing which they will be sanctioned and have their masts dismantled.