Cameroon - Cybercafe v. Mobile 'net

Cameroon: Cyber Cafes Fear Competition From Mobile Net

Some operators of Cyber cafes have expressed the fear of being sent out of business by mobile internet facilities.

This fear is growing out of the fact that all mobile phone networks in the country are currently offering internet facilities to their clients. It is almost sufficient for one to have a telephone with an internet function in order to get connected to the world through the World Wide Web and electronic mail. Cyber operators have reported facing problems because of this new trend.

According to Frida Nalova, a lady who runs a cyber café at Bongo Square, Buea, a good number of her clients are reluctant to buy her services because they have access to the internet on their mobile phones. To her, it is obvious that people refuse to pay FCFA 200 for services they can obtain free and more conveniently through their mobile phones.

Although Nalova sees these internet facilities as a commendable effort, she regrets the fact that it is causing an increasing drop in her income. She even expressed fear that her income could be wiped out completely if all people start using their phones to browse.

Jean-Paul Essono, who runs another cyber café at Long Street, said his clients have reduced significantly. According to him, he often had between 40 and 60 clients everyday, but now he has an average of less than 40 people per day. He saw the introduction of mobile internet as good but bad because it is harmful to his business.

Essono, however, is sure to regain his clients in the near future because he sees the mobile internet facilities as inefficient. To him, telephones are very cumbersome, time consuming and strenuous to use. "People are still excited since the services are new but in the long run, they will come back to us in the cyber cafes because our services are more effective than those on the phone."

Yet, another cyber operator, Valerie Ombang, said there is no significant change in the number of clients he receives everyday. According to him, the mobile internet is not yet affecting him because people are yet to get acquainted to its style. Besides, Ombang remarked that very few people know about these services.

Telephone owners and users of mobile phone internet had their own story to tell.

Micheal Ayuk, a mobile internet user, said internet on the mobile phone eases connectivity to the world. Ayuk said he no longer needs to displace himself anytime he has either an e-mail or an e-chat. Therefore, he has no reason to visit cyber cafes unless he has full-blown research to do on the net.

Rose Nyenty thinks mobile internet is very cheap if not free because it gives her the opportunity to spend as much time on the net as she wants which is a major advantage over cyber cafes.

Peter Achu holds an opposing view. To him, internets on mobile phones serve no purpose. He said they are a waste of time as it is very difficult to use since people have to strain in order to read material on undersized screens.

To Loveline Banadzem, the internet on mobile phone is very cumbersome and time consuming. She also said it is inefficient as she finds it difficult to have access to as much information as she wants at any one time. "Telephone networks are very wise.

Any wise person must know by now that mobile internet services are really more expensive than the services of cyber cafes. I prefer going to the cyber café for cheap and unperturbed services," she argued.