(Business in Cameroon) - On September 12, 2014, Cameroon’s third largest mobile provider, Nexttel, began selling its SIM cards ahead of its official telecom network launch on September 18.

Long lines have been stretching in front of the Nexttel shops in Yaoundé and Douala as customers wait patiently in lines to buy the precious, magic key that will open the long awaited 3G. The going price is 100 FCFA per SIM (0.19 USD).

In order that most of the country can access its network on the first day, Nexttel, a Viettel Cameroon brand, opened 22 shops in nine of the country’s ten regions. Only the North region will not yet have a store.

Out of the 22 “Nexttel stores” in activity, the Centre region where Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital, is located, will start with seven shops, followed by Littoral with five. Extreme-North, North-West and South-West will start with two shops while the Adamaoua, West and South regions will each have one.

For the time being, the mobile provider has given no information on the cost for recharging credit. Nexttel is expected to propose rates 25% lower than those of its competitors – close to 25 FCFA.