(Business in Cameroon) - According to the La Nouvelle Expression publication, Cameroon will soon have a new cellular phone service provider. The newcomer will not be the Vietnamese company Viettel which had nabbed the third private licence. Instead, it will be a national company spearheaded by Cameroonian businessman, Seme Noungon (photo), who is also owner of Seme New Beach Hotel in Limbé and Seme Mineral Water.

The project, which is being carried by Afriland First Bank’s 5 billion FCfa in financing, aims “to slash cellular service prices in Cameroon” using VolP technology so that consumers can fully enjoy phone services.

Altylis Seme Telecom expects its first calls to be made “at the start of 2014.” For more than three months, the operator conducted technical testing, hired personnel and trained its staff.