Morocco has developed one of the most advanced telecommunications markets in Africa, supported by the government’s Maroc Digital 2020 strategy to encourage the development of a digital economy and on the National Broadband Plan which aims to provide fixed or mobile broadband access to the entire population by 2022. The country had the fastest mobile broadband data rates in Africa as of June 2020, a testament to investments made by the MNOs over the years.
The part-privatised incumbent telco Maroc Telecom remains the dominant player in the fixed-line sector though it has effective competition in the mobile sector. The fixed-line broadband market remains dominated by Maroc Telecom. In February 2020 the company was heavily fined for failing to enable competitor access to its DSL infrastructure, but despite these regulatory efforts to enforce LLU and wholesale pricing there is little in the way of access to its networks and as a result the fixed-line broadband market has not developed to its potential.
The introduction and extension of mobile broadband services has gone far to improving access nationally. Mobile internet by early 2020 accounted for 93.3% of all internet connections, leaving Maroc Telecom’s DSL service with most of the remainder. The dominance of mobile internet access is likely to continue given the improvements in LTE reach and capabilities, and the preference among consumers to adopt mobile solutions for both voice and data.
This report analyses Morocco’s fixed-line, broadband and mobile telephony sectors, including statistics, assessments of recent regulatory measures, details on licensing regimes and spectrum auctions, and profiles of the major players. The report also includes a range of subscriber forecasts to 2025.
BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries.
On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.