Rebecca Enochong Slams Cameroon Government Over Starlink Ban: A Call for Internet Freedom

Prominent Cameroonian-born, US-based tech entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong has sharply criticized the Cameroonian government’s decision to ...

Prominent Cameroonian-born, US-based tech entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong has sharply criticized the Cameroonian government’s decision to ban Starlink, the satellite internet service from US-based SpaceX.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on April 16, Enonchong accused the government of hiding behind “consumer protection” claims while prioritizing its own control over the nation’s internet.

“If the government had any concern for consumer safety with independent internet providers, they would ban bars, alcohol, cigarettes, betting, and many other products that have a more deleterious effect on consumers,” she wrote. “The truth is they don’t care about consumers. The only security they care about is theirs — the ability to shut down the internet at will, as they did for 93 days in 2017.”

Her remarks came in response to the Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, formally prohibiting the installation of Starlink in Cameroon.

Why Starlink is a Threat to the Status Quo

Starlink offers direct-to-consumer satellite internet without relying on local telecom infrastructure — meaning it cannot easily be regulated or controlled by the Cameroonian government. The ban follows a surge of interest in the service after recent disruptions to Cameroon’s internet, caused by damage to undersea fibre-optic cables.

Enonchong believes the resistance to Starlink is not about safety, but about fear.
She points out that Starlink’s affordability and reliability expose the shortcomings of Cameroon’s current internet system.

The Monopoly Problem: Camtel at the Center

Currently, Cameroon’s state-owned telecommunications provider, Camtel, holds a monopoly on fibre distribution. It buys capacity from multiple undersea cables landing in Cameroon — but according to Enonchong, the country is using less than 15% of its available capacity because Camtel simply doesn’t purchase enough.

“We have amazing infrastructure with several high-capacity undersea cables, but we purchase far too little capacity to meet demand,” she said.

Camtel then resells bandwidth to private operators like MTN, Orange, and Nexttel at what Enonchong describes as “outrageous” prices. In turn, consumers are charged exorbitant rates — with 1GB of mobile data costing around 500 FCFA (about $0.80), despite frequent service interruptions.

Solutions Are Political, Not Technical

Enonchong insists that fixing Cameroon’s internet problem could happen almost overnight if the government had the political will. She recommends:

Purchasing 10–20 times more capacity from undersea cables, even if subsidized initially.
Breaking Camtel’s monopoly and allowing fair competition in bandwidth distribution.
Reducing wholesale rates so telecom companies can pass on savings to consumers.

She argues that such measures would not only improve internet reliability but also fuel significant economic growth.

“Reliable, inexpensive, and available internet is a necessity, not a luxury,” she said. “These are political, not technical problems. Let them unleash our internet and watch the economy grow.”

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Inside Cameroon’s Starlink Ban: Monopoly, Control, and the Battle for the Internet

When the Cameroonian government officially banned the installation of Starlink in the country, the public explanation was simple: security concerns and consumer protection. But scratch the surface, and a different story emerges — one of monopoly, control, and fear of losing grip on a lucrative market.

Prominent Cameroonian-born, US-based tech leader Rebecca Enonchong is not buying the official narrative. In a fiery post on X (formerly Twitter) on April 16, she accused the government of hiding behind consumer safety rhetoric while protecting its own ability to control the nation’s internet flow.

“If the government had any concern for consumer safety with independent internet providers, they would ban bars, alcohol, cigarettes, betting, and many other products that have a more deleterious effect on consumers,” she wrote. “The truth is they don’t care about consumers. The only security they care about is theirs — the ability to shut down the internet at will, as they did for 93 days in 2017.”

A Direct Threat to the Establishment

Starlink, operated by SpaceX, beams high-speed internet directly from satellites to users — bypassing national telecom infrastructure. This makes it nearly impossible for governments to throttle, control, or spy on internet traffic in the same way they can with domestic providers.

That independence is precisely what worries some in power. The government’s decision comes just weeks after Cameroon experienced widespread internet outages due to damage to undersea fibre-optic cables — outages Starlink could have completely bypassed.

Some claim the operators are resisting to prevent a rising giant from capturing the lion’s share of Cameroon’s internet market. Others see the ban as part of a broader pattern: a state unwilling to loosen its grip on communication channels.

Camtel: The Bottleneck in the System

At the center of Cameroon’s internet landscape is Camtel, the state-owned telecommunications provider. On paper, Cameroon is well-connected — multiple high-capacity undersea cables land in the country. In reality, according to Enonchong, the nation uses less than 15% of its available capacity because Camtel buys far less than what’s needed.

Camtel’s monopoly means every private operator — MTN, Orange, Nexttel — must buy bandwidth from them. The wholesale prices are steep, forcing operators to charge consumers some of the highest data rates in Africa.

“We have amazing infrastructure with several high-capacity undersea cables, but we purchase far too little capacity to meet demand,” Enonchong says.

For everyday Cameroonians, that means paying 500 FCFA (about $0.80) for just 1GB of mobile data — often with slow speeds and service blackouts.

The Real Fix Isn’t Technical — It’s Political

Enonchong insists that solving Cameroon’s internet crisis is straightforward:

Buy more capacity from undersea cables — 10 to 20 times more.
Break Camtel’s monopoly to allow fair competition.
Slash wholesale bandwidth prices so operators can cut costs for consumers.

She argues the benefits would be immediate — cheaper data, faster speeds, and a surge in economic activity driven by a connected population.

“Reliable, inexpensive, and available internet is a necessity, not a luxury,” she says. “These are political, not technical problems. Let them unleash our internet and watch the economy grow.”

The Starlink ban, then, isn’t just about one foreign company. It’s about who gets to control the gateway to information in Cameroon — and whether the government is willing to put the public’s needs above its own grip on power.

SOLOWAYNE.COM