As part of a concerted bid towards enhancing digital sovereignty and enhancing telecommunication infrastructure, Chad and Cameroon concluded a collaborative technical mission that sought to resolve cross-border signal interference.
The mission conducted by Chad’s Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) and Cameroon’s Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART), was on frequency coordination and minimising radio signal interference along their common border.
Carried out from June 30 through July 8, 2025, the mission preceded the June 16 high-level commitments. Participating key actors included Idriss Béchir Soumaine, Director of Radiocommunications and Normalization, ARCEP Chad, and Mouhamadou Awallou, Technical Advisor #1, ART Cameroon.
The representatives of prominent telecom operators like Airtel Chad, Moov Africa Chad, MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroon, and CAMTEL facilitated their participation, hence ensuring high public-private alignment in running regional telecom firms.
The technical experts conducted extensive fieldwork in the form of drive tests and signal analysis in border areas such as N’Djamena and Kousseri, where cross-border signal interference was prevalent. Their primary purpose was to scan for and clear signal overlap among 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies in the urban areas.
Key Highlights from the Mission:
- Telecom operators in Cameroon made technical adjustments that successfully stopped their signals from spilling into N’Djamena.
- Chadian signals were found extending into Kousseri, prompting immediate commitments from stakeholders to resolve the issue.
- Both sides agreed on clear signal strength limits going forward, ensuring better control and preservation of each country’s radio spectrum rights.
The mission also facilitated evaluation of technical readiness for the new Chad-Cameroon Free Roaming agreement. With Technical preparations ongoing, deployment is anticipated by August 11, 2025. While some parts of the contract are still being finalized, the foundation for moving forward is already in place.
Bilateral Commitments at the Mission’s Conclusion:
- Both countries pledged to strictly follow agreed-upon signal strength limits near the border.
- Efforts will be made to remove any unauthorised cross-border signal interference.
- Work is now underway to finalise and formally sign a new Border Frequency Coordination Agreement to guide future collaboration.
Haliki Choua Mahamat, Director-General of ARCEP Chad, recognised the technical expertise and spirit of cooperation demonstrated during the mission. He added that the results mark a new phase in subregional cooperation, aiming to improve service quality for citizens living in border communities and reinforce digital sovereignty.
This joint response shows an emerging regional strategy to the protection of telecoms ecosystems through advanced infrastructure monitoring and automation over control of signals.