Telecommunications in Morocco
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The following is an outline of communications technology in Morocco.
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[edit] Telecoms industry
While the Moroccan telecoms market remains under-saturated, its three mobile operators have experienced robust growth in recent years, both at home and abroad. Meditel, which received a mobile licence in 2000, is the kingdom's first private operator, holding 36.69% of the market. While the company performed strongly last year, registering a 17% growth in client base (to 7.4m) over the first three quarters of 2008, it began to falter as consumer spending slowed, resulting in a 1% annual increase in turnover for Q2 2009. Meditel's focus on lower-income markets impacted their average revenue per user, which fell by 16%, but the resulting expansion of the customer base helped drive up the country's mobile penetration rate from 65.7% in 2007 to 74% in 2008. Meditel's biggest competitor is Maroc Telecom, holding 60.71% of the market. A former state monopoly now controlled by French entertainment giant Vivendi, Maroc Telecom is one of the region's fastest-growing multinational telecoms operators, actively pursuing expansion across northwest Africa, including Gabon, Mauritania and Burkina Faso. MT has announced plans to create a fibre-optic network connecting the Moroccan cities Laâyoune and Dakhla to Nouadhibou, which would ultimately be extended to other North African countries.
Meditel and MT operated a duopoly until 2008, when the state regulator Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications waved in Wana, owned by Morocco's Omnium Nord Africain. Though holding a tiny share (2.6%) of the voice market, this new player has captured a majority of the 3G market (69.11%). Total subscribers for this new technology increased 527% in 2008. Earlier this year, Wana sold a 31% stake for €228m to the partnership of two Kuwaiti companies, mobile operator Zain and Al Ajial Investment Fund Holding, to help finance the roll out of its 15-year 2G GSM network at the end of 2009.
[edit] Telephone system
- main lines in use: 2.394 million (2007) : estimation
- mobile cellular: 21 million (2007) : estimation
source: [1]
[edit] Domestic Telephone system
Morocco has a good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links. The internet is available but expensive. The principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat. The national network is nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links. An improved rural service employs microwave radio relay.
[edit] International Telephone System
The system has seven submarine cables, three satellite earth stations, two Intelsat (over the Atlantic Ocean) and one Arabsat. There is a microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain and the Western Sahara. Coaxial cables and microwave radio relays exist to Algeria. Morocco is a participant in Medarabtel and a fiber-optic cable links from Agadir to Algeria and Tunisia.
[edit] Radio broadcast
[edit] Television
- Television broadcast stations: 36 (plus 35 repeaters) (2007)
- Televisions receivers: 5.6 million (2007)
[edit] Internet
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 27 (1999)
- Country code (Top level domain): MA
The country has more than 7,3 internet users in 2008.[2]
[edit] Broadband Internet access
Operated by Maroc Telecom. The service started as a test in November 2002 before it was launched in October 2003. The service is offered by the subsidiary Menara. It offers the following options:
- Menara ADSL 128 kbit/s (around €11)
- Menara ADSL 256 kbit/s (around €13)
- Menara ADSL 512 kbit/s (around €17)
- Menara ADSL 1 Mbit/s (around €26)
- Menara ADSL 2 Mbit/s (around €34)
- Menara ADSL 4 Mbit/s (around €52)
- Menara ADSL2+ 8 Mbit/s (around €69)
- Menara ADSL2+ 20 Mbit/s (around €78)
The installation is free, but the ADSL modem is not always free (only during promotions).
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html
- ^ Africa Internet Statistics
[edit] External links
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