Morocco - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Overview

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Morocco’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the fixed-line, mobile and broadband sectors. Subjects include:

Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
Facts, figures and statistics;
Industry and regulatory issues;
Infrastructure developments;
Major Players, Revenues, Subscribers, ARPU, MoU;
Mobile Voice and Data Markets;
Broadband (FttP, DSL, cable, wireless);
Mobile subscribers and ARPU;
Broadband market forecasts;
Government policies affecting the telecoms industry;
Market liberalisation and industry issues;
Telecoms operators – privatisation, IPOs, acquisitions, new licences;
Mobile technologies (GSM; 3G, HSPA, LTE, 5G).

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster
Current publication date:- October 2019 (17th Edition)

Executive Summary

Morocco makes progress in expanding tele-medicine facilities

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 part-privatised incumbent telco Maroc Telecom remains the dominant player in the fixed-line sector though has effective competition in the mobile sector. A key regional player, Orange Group, entered the market through the acquisition of a major stake in the telco Médi Telecom.

Morocco’s fixed-line broadband market is dominated by Maroc Telecom. Despite 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. Nevertheless, a small number of operators, including Inwi and Orange Morocco, have begun to offer competing DSL services, albeit limited in reach. Despite these market limitations and Maroc Telecom’s near monopoly, Morocco has developed some of the lowest broadband prices and highest penetration rates in Africa. This has been helped by the excellent connectivity to international fibre cables.

The introduction and extension of mobile broadband services has gone far to improving access nationally. Mobile internet by mid-2019 accounted for 93.2% 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 2024.

Key developments:

Government progresses with several key telecom projects, rekindles interest in selling an 8% stake in Maroc Telecom;
Maroc Digital 2020 strategy takes shape;
Maroc Telecom designated as having SMP in several market areas;
New cable connecting Mali and Morocco comes online;
Amendment to Telecommunications Act aimed at giving greater powers to the regulator;
National Broadband Plan to 2022 extending reach of services;
Government extends telemedicine services to more rural areas;
MNP process amended to make number portings automated by end-2019;
Inwi launches Morocco’s first m-payment service;
Inwi and Maroc Telecom trial 5G technologies;
Report updates include the regulator's market data to March 2019, telcos' operating data to Q2 2019, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Maroc Telecom, Orange Morocco (Médi Telecom, Méditel), Inwi (Wana), Vivendi, Zain, Morocco Trade and Development Services (MTDS)

Henry Lancaster
October 2019

Table of Contents

Key statistics
Telecommunications market

Market analysis
Government support
Regional Africa Market Comparison

TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband
Fixed and mobile broadband

Regulatory environment

Telecommunications Law 1997

Telecom law amendments 2002
Telecom law amendments 2014
Telecom law amendments 2019

Law 55-01 of 2004
Regulatory authority
Universal service

Universal Service Fund (USF)

Telecom sector liberalisation
Privatisation
Interconnection
Number Portability (NP)
Unbundled Local Loop (ULL)

Fixed network operators

Maroc Telecom
Orange Morocco (Médi Telecom, Méditel)
Inwi (formerly Wana, Maroc Connect)

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecoms network
The MARWAN network
VoIP
Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)
Public call offices (teleboutiques)
International infrastructure

Submarine fibre
Terrestrial fibre and microwave
Satellite

Data centres

Broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview

Market analysis
Broadband statistics

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks

Maroc Telecom (Menara)

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Other fixed broadband services

Satellite broadband
Broadband over Powerlines (BPL)
Wireless broadband

Digital economy

E-commerce
E-learning
E-government
Tele-medicine

Mobile communications

Market analysis
Mobile statistics

General statistics
Mobile voice
Mobile data
Mobile broadband

Regulatory issues

SIM card registration
Licensing
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)

Mobile infrastructure

Analogue networks
Digital networks

Major mobile operators

Itissalatt Al-Maghrib (IAM, Maroc Telecom)
Orange Morocco (Méditel)
Inwi (Wana)

Mobile content and applications

Mobile payments, m-banking
Satellite mobile

Appendix – Historic data

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Morocco – 2019 (e)
Table 2 – Growth in the number of fixed number portings – 2011 – 2019
Table 3 – Change in fixed-line market share by provider – 2013 – 2019
Table 4 – Growth in the number of Maroc Telecom’s domestic subscribers by type – 2011 – 2019
Table 5 – Change in Maroc Telecom’s revenue – 2008 – 2019
Table 6 – Change in Maroc Telecom’s EBITDA – 2008 – 2019
Table 7 – Growth in Orange Morocco’s revenue (€) – 2015 – 2019
Table 8 – Change in the number of fixed and fixed-wireless lines in service – 2005 – 2019
Table 9 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2009 – 2024
Table 10 – Decline in fixed-line voice traffic – 2013 – 2019
Table 11 – Decline in average fixed-line voice traffic – 2012 – 2019
Table 12 – Average revenue per fixed voice subscriber – 2012 – 2017
Table 13 – Decline in the number of payphones in service – 2005 – 2019
Table 14 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2009 – 2018
Table 15 – Increase in the total number of internet subscribers, and penetration – 2009 – 2019
Table 16 – Increase in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2024
Table 17 – Change in the market share of overall internet subscribers by ISP – 2012 – 2019
Table 18 – Change in the average revenue per internet subscriber – 2012 – 2019
Table 19 – Increase in the number of DSL subscribers – 2009 – 2019
Table 20 – Distribution of DSL access by speed (old style) – 2012 – 2017
Table 21 – Distribution of DSL access by speed (new style) – 2018 – 2019
Table 22 – Change in internet subscriber market share: DSL and mobile – 2009 – 2019
Table 23 – Increase in the number of Maroc Telecom’s internet subscribers by access technology – 2009 – 2019
Table 24 – FttP broadband subscribers – 2017 – 2019
Table 25 – Growth in the number and value of e-commerce transactions – 2014 – 2019
Table 26 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2009 – 2024
Table 27 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers – 2012 – 2019
Table 28 – Change in the proportion of prepaid and contract subscribers – 2012 – 2019
Table 29 – Mobile market share of subscribers by operator – 2011 – 2019
Table 30 – Fall in the average price per minute for mobile services – 2012 – 2019
Table 31 – Average mobile traffic per subscriber – 2012 – 2019
Table 32 – Change in mobile network voice traffic – 2005 – 2019
Table 33 – Fall in the number of SMS sent – 2005 – 2019
Table 34 – Growth in the number of mobile internet connections, by type – 2011 – 2019
Table 35 – Change in market share of mobile internet subscribers by provider – 2015 – 2019
Table 36 – Growth in the number of active mobile internet connections, and penetration – 2008 – 2019
Table 37 – Growth in the number of mobile number portings – 2011 – 2019
Table 38 – MTRs by operator – 2011 – 2019
Table 39 – Maroc Telecom’s domestic mobile subscriber base and market share – 2011 – 2019
Table 40 – Change in the number of Maroc Telecom’s mobile subscribers by platform – 2012 - 2019
Table 41 – Decline in Maroc Telecom’s ARPU – 2009 – 2019
Table 42 – Change in Maroc Telecom’s domestic mobile revenue – 2005 – 2019
Table 43 – Change in Orange Morocco’s mobile subscriber base and market share – 2009 – 2019
Table 44 – Orange Morocco revenue – 2015 – 2019
Table 46 – Historic - International internet bandwidth – 1999 – 2009
Table 47 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2005 – 2009
Table 48 – Historic - ICT use of services – 2010 – 2016
Table 49 – Historic - Dial-up internet subscribers – 2004 – 2017
Table 50 – Household penetration of internet by platform – 2014 – 2016
Table 51 – Historic - Maroc Telecom internet subscribers by access technology – 2003 – 2009
Table 52 – Historic - Internet subscribers and penetration – 2003 – 2009
Table 53 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2000 – 2009
Table 54 – Historic - Average SMS cost – 2010 – 2015
Table 55 – Historic - Multiple SIM card use among mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2016
Table 56 – Historic - Smartphone penetration – 2012 – 2016

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Overall Africa view - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita – 2018
Chart 2 – North Africa - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita – 2018
Chart 3 – Africa – Top-tier Telecoms Maturity Index (Market Leaders) – 2018
Chart 4 – North Africa –Telecoms Maturity Index by country – 2018
Chart 5 – North Africa mobile subscriber penetration versus mobile broadband penetration – 2018
Chart 6 – North Africa fixed and mobile penetration rates – 2018
Chart 7 – Growth in the number of fixed number portings – 2011 – 2019
Chart 8 – Change in fixed-line market share by provider – 2013 – 2019
Chart 9 – Growth in the number of Maroc Telecom’s domestic subscribers by type – 2011 – 2019
Chart 10 – Change in Maroc Telecom’s revenue – 2008 – 2019
Chart 11 – Change in Maroc Telecom’s EBITDA – 2008 – 2019
Chart 12 – Growth in Orange Morocco’s revenue (€) – 2015 – 2019
Chart 13 – Change in the number of fixed and fixed-wireless lines in service – 2005 – 2019
Chart 14 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2009 – 2024
Chart 15 – Decline in fixed-line voice traffic – 2013 – 2019
Chart 16 – Decline in average fixed-line voice traffic – 2012 – 2019
Chart 17 – Decline in the number of payphones in service – 2005 – 2019
Chart 18 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2009 – 2018
Chart 19 – Increase in the total number of internet subscribers, and penetration – 2009 – 2019
Chart 20 – Increase in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2024
Chart 21 – Change in the market share of overall internet subscribers by ISP – 2012 – 2019
Chart 22 – Change in the average revenue per internet subscriber – 2012 – 2019
Chart 23 – Increase in the number of DSL subscribers – 2009 – 2019
Chart 24 – Change in internet subscriber market share: DSL and mobile – 2009 – 2019
Chart 25 – Increase in the number of Maroc Telecom’s internet subscribers by access technology – 2009 – 2019
Chart 26 – Growth in the number and value of e-commerce transactions – 2014 – 2019
Chart 27 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2009 – 2024
Chart 28 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers – 2012 – 2019
Chart 29 – Change in the proportion of prepaid and contract subscribers – 2012 – 2019
Chart 30 – Mobile market share of subscribers by operator – 2011 – 2019
Chart 31 – Fall in the average price per minute for mobile services – 2012 – 2019
Chart 32 – Average mobile traffic per subscriber – 2012 – 2019
Chart 33 – Change in mobile network voice traffic – 2005 – 2019
Chart 34 – Fall in the number of SMS sent – 2005 – 2019
Chart 35 – Growth in the number of mobile internet connections, by type – 2011 – 2019
Chart 36 – Change in market share of mobile internet subscribers by provider – 2015 – 2019
Chart 37 – Growth in the number of active mobile internet connections, and penetration – 2008 – 2019
Chart 38 – Growth in the number of mobile number portings – 2011 – 2019
Chart 39 – Maroc Telecom’s domestic mobile subscriber base and market share – 2011 – 2019
Chart 40 – Change in the number of Maroc Telecom’s mobile subscribers by platform – 2012 – 2019
Chart 41 – Decline in Maroc Telecom’s ARPU – 2009 – 2019
Chart 42 – Change in Maroc Telecom’s domestic mobile revenue – 2005 – 2019
Chart 43 – Change in Orange Morocco’s mobile subscriber base and market share – 2009 – 2019
Chart 44 – Orange Morocco revenue – 2015 – 2019
Chart 45 – Change in Inwi’s mobile subscriber base and market share – 2011 – 2019