At Cameroon Digital Week: Orange Cameroun reaffirms commitment to lead state’s digitalisation drive.

The declaration was made Tuesday October 17 by the Director General, DG, of Orange Cameroun, Patrick Benon.

This was during a panel discussion with heads of other telecommunications companies at the Cameroon Digital Week organised by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Union.

The tech leaders’ discussion centered on the theme: “The role of operators in the digital transformation journey of Cameroon”. 

Speaking during the discussion, the Orange Cameroun DG said his company has over the years positioned itself as a lead figure driving the state’s digitalisation mission through the provision of affordable and speedy internet bundles and its corporate social responsibilities. 

These efforts, the official stated, have received an unprecedented amount of positive feedback. 

Despite the past achievements, Benon said the institution is still fully committed to doing more through its challenge of fully expanding the challenge.

“The focus today was to talk about the digitalisation of Cameroon. We had several panelists and at the end, we all agreed on the fact that it is important to have good internet connectivity,” the Orange Cameroun boss said after the panel discussion moderated by celebrated Cameroon scholar, Prof Jean Emmanuel Pondi. 

To attain the set objective, Benon said Orange Cameroun has unveiled two new innovative projects in the field of internet connectivity to boost a fast and steady supply of internet. 

He cited the Home Infinity and Business Infinity innovation and the Orange Energies program. 

Patrick Benon speaking to the press on Tuesday

According to the DG, the Infinity Home Infinity and Business scheme has been unveiled to help enterprises and families with a high demand for internet connectivity have a smooth usage of Orange Cameroun bundles through the unlimited supply of bundles.

“Orange has made several moves to make sure that internet connectivity is available for individuals and for enterprises like our new product Home Infinity and Business Infinity which permits users to have unlimited internet data connection and carry on with their activities smoothly,” Benon stated. 

He said Orange Energies service enables users to subscribe to alternative energy sources as backups in times of energy outage or failure to ensure continuous use of Orange Cameroun tools and other electronic gadgets in a bid to further expand the digitalisation drive. 

The effective coverage of the national territory by telecommunications companies has over the years, remained a major cause for concern in the drive towards full digitalisation. 

Patrick Benon with Orange Cameroun team at event  

Unmatched efforts to ensure efficient nationwide coverage

Benon stated that the company is fully aware of the challenges in terms of nationwide network coverage. 

He said the company is working in full collaboration with other telecommunications companies in the country to make the mission a highly successful one. 

“Collaboration means going beyond our network. The game of telecommunications is not an individual game. It is actually a collective task,” Benon revealed. 

“We are working together. We have platforms where we discuss and make sure that we can collaborate so that we can, first of all, fix some issues of the quality of services provided but also in terms of the coverage especially. The plan is to increase the infrastructure sharing so that we can reach these areas that are not covered today,” Benon stated. 

Expanding coverage through outstanding corporate social responsibilities 

Another major area touched by the Orange Cameroun DG while explaining efforts made and those the company is still planning to make in the country’s digitalisation drive was the company’s engagement in corporate social responsibilities especially those linked to technology. 

He outlined what the company is doing in the domain of training women in the use of ICT tools, the equipment of school, and putting in place ICT teaching schemes for the learning institutions and support to startups. 

“To succeed in digitalisation, we need to go beyond digitalization. We have several activities notably through corporate social responsibilities like our foundation which has several functions and programs like the digital house program which enables the corporation to train women on how to use digital tools in developing their activities,” he said.

Orange Cameroun DG flanked by collaborators 

The digital house program, Orange Cameroun DG said, has had the company train over 4,500 women on how to use ICT tools in carrying out transactions digitally.

Besides the training scheme designed for women, Orange Cameroun has put in place 32 digital schools in the country. 

The company through the initiative, equips schools with ICT tools to train teachers and students on how to use the internet tools. 

The Solidarity FabLab is also set up a project by learning how to use 3D printers, milling machines and laser cutters among tools. 

The initiatives, Benon said, is aimed at continuously championing efforts of making learners and educators ICT-oriented to endlessly boost the drive towards the digitalization of the country.

Special assistance for youths, startups  

During Tuesday’s panel, the various heads of telecommunications companies unanimously agreed that Cameroon’s digitalisation drive cannot be attained without the full involvement of youths.

Benon said the company is taking bold steps to ensure the effective involvement of youths through the sponsorship of projects initiated by youths mainly in the domain of helping start-ups transition into full-blown enterprises. 

The project, the CEO stated, is anchored through the Orange Digital Center designed specifically for the assignment. 

“The Orange Digital Center is a key tool Orange Cameroun is using to accompany youths, talented young people and start-ups to concretize their projects. We want their ideas to be transformed into realities,” he concluded.

Joining a national assignment 

The Cameroon Digital Week is scheduled to run from October 16 to 20. It has as main focus, the digital transformation of Cameroon to ensure all spheres of the nation including administration, education and sciences strive digitally. 

It was launched by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute on Tuesday. 

Actors from Cameroon and over 20 other countries, are through the gathering, coming on board in all sectors to exchange ideas, market existing schemes and chat a way forward towards attaining the goal. 

Besides the panel discussion by Benon, Orange Cameroun is also displaying its highly appreciated services and tools at the event. 

Some startups sponsored by Orange Cameroun like Angolo Agribusiness 360 which is focused among others on marketing agricultural products, are also displayed at the event.