Morocco: Emerging 5G Markets of Africa

Morocco’s mobile market is one of the more mature in the region, with a penetration rate of about 125%. All three mobile network operators offer fixed-line or fixed-wireless services and have developed mobile data services based on the extensive reach of LTE infrastructure. Growth in mobile data traffic is supported by the popular use of smartphones, which account for about 80% of all mobile phones in use.

The mobile operators are the main providers of internet services, accounting for the great majority of all internet connections. The issuing of LTE licences in 2015 included conditions to ensure that services covered at least 65% of the population by 2020, while the promotion of broadband accessibility nationally is also supported by the National Broadband Plan through to 2022 and by the Maroc Digital 2020 strategy. The extensive deployment of mobile broadband infrastructure will further consolidate the dominance of mobile players in the broadband sector in coming years.

Morocco has three network operators: Maroc Telecom (a.k.a. Itissalat Al-Maghrib, IAM),
Orange (rebranded from Méditel in December 2016) and Inwi.

2G is on 900 MHz only, 3G on 2100 MHz in plain UMTS standard (up to 14.4 Mbps). 4G/LTE has started in 2015 on all providers in the cities. Licenses on 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz were given out. 4G is open to prepaid, where available. Maroc Telecom is market leader with the best coverage in the country, followed by Orange and Inwi, which is still sufficient when you stick to towns.



Maroc Telecom, a.k.a. IAM is the biggest mobile provider, mostly owned by UAE-based Etisalat, with the best coverage . In 2015 they have started with 4G/LTE with speeds up to 225 Mbps in major towns that is available for prepaid without surcharges.

A live 5G demonstration was organised at Maroc Telecom headquarters  in partnership with Ericsson  in Rabat earlier this year, showcasing the capabilities of the next-generation mobile technology.

The demonstration showcased several 5G use cases using a standalone end-to-end 5G system from Ericsson, including a prototype radio, baseband, and prototype UE device. The demo delivered 5G throughput, achieving speeds up to 25.8 Gbps, which is the highest speed reached in Africa to date.


Orange is the second provider in the country and mostly owned by Orange in France (formerly called France Télécom). That's why it was decided to rebrand it from the original brand of Méditel to Orange starting in December 2016. Coverage is not as good as Maroc Telecom but still reasonable. 3G is available in most towns, 4G/LTE has been started in 2015 in about 8 towns so far.




Inwi is the smallest provider in Morocco but still reasonable, if you stick to the towns mainly. 4G/LTE has started in 2015 in 26 cities.

Inwi is also conducting 5G trials in collaboration with Huawei and is installing new equipment on its radio to expand its backhaul fibre backbone network.


Related Posts:

• Maroc Telecom's African Presence
• Africa: The Race For No. 2 Operator

Maroc Telecom's African Presence

Morocco has been consistently making it into the top 50 countries for LTE availability and speed. This is mostly thanks to Maroc Telecom, Morocco's largest mobile operator. According to the facts and figures published:

As a global operator and leader in Morocco and other African countries, the Maroc Telecom Group actively participates in teh development of Africa's telecommunications sector. It is a major player on the contintent with a presence in ten countries: Morocco, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Central African Republic, and Togo, with nearly 51 million customers.

A major focus on the group's sustainable development policy is the reduce the digital divide. Aware of its responsibility as a leading economic and social force, the group contributes to numerous social initiatives.

In connection with the South-South cooperation policy supported by His Majesty the King, the group is estalbishing a sustainable presence in Africa. Its successful development strategy is built on partnerships founded on confidence, knowledge sharing, and respect for local cultures and skills.

Privatised in 2001, Maroc Telecom has been listed simultaneously on the Casablanca and Paris stock exchanges since December 2004. Its major shareholders are the Etlisalat Group (53%) and the Kingdom of Morocco (30%).

According to Halberd Bastion, the Ownership/Controlling Entities of Maroc Telecom is Etisalat group.

The following are some interesting facts according to a recent Investor Presentation:

• Sustained revenue growth in outgoing services thanks to the surge in Mobile Internet revenue (+53% year-on-year).
• Growth in mobile customer base: Growth in Postpaid Mobile customer base which represents more than 9% of the customer base
• Decline in incoming revenues: Resulting from the liberalization of VoIP since November 2016 and the reintroduction of the asymmetry in call terminations since March 1, 2017
• Mobile Internet very popular: Data penetration up to 51% - Increase in data usage, thanks to 4G customers who consume 2.3x more than 3G customers
• Activation of 900 MHz frequency on 3G, allowing the improvement of Indoor and Outdoor coverage

The following information about Maroc Telecom subsidiaries is from Halberd Bastion:

Atlantique Telecom
Headquarters: Côte d'Ivoire
Comments: Recognizing the development potential of mobile telephony in sub-Saharan Africa, Atlantique Telecom Group, created in 2002 by African professionals is a major player in the economic fabric of countries where it operates. The company was acquired by UAE telecommunications giant Etisalat in 2005, only to be sold in 2015 to Maroc Telecom. Atlantique Telecom Group is now a fully owned subsidiary of Maroc Telecom. Being geographically represented in 6 African countries (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Niger, Central African Republic, and Togo), ATLANTIQUE TELECOM is positioning itself, in terms of presence as one of the leading telecom operators in West Africa and Central Africa. In addition, the group is also operates in the areas of Internet, data and IP telephony, through Prestige Telecom also part of the group.


Telecel (Moov) Faso (Officially Telecel Faso S.A.)
Website
Country: Burkina Faso
2G Bands: 900 MHz
3G Bands: None
4G Bands: None
Comments: Telecel Faso is the third largest mobile carrier operating in Burkina Faso. The company, owned by Atlantique Telecom (now owned by Maroc Telecom), was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Telecel Faso is in the process of being rebranded to Moov. The company operates a standard 2G GSM network over the 900 MHz band, including GPRS data services. Telecel Faso has announced its intentions to launch 3G service in the country however to date rollout has not begun.


Onatel (Telmob)
Country: Burkina Faso
2G Bands: 900 MHz
3G Bands: B1 (2100 MHz) - DC-HSPA+
4G Bands: None
Comments: Onatel is the largest mobile carrier operating in Burkina Faso. The company was the first to launch mobile services in the country, with a GSM network launched in December 1996. While still state-owned enterprise, Onatel is considered partially privatised and is listed on the Abidjan Regional Stock Exchange with symbol ONTBF. The largest shareholder is Maroc Telecom with a 61% controlling stake, itself owned by Etisalat. Onatel offers its mobile phone services under the brand Telmob. The company operates a 2G GSM service over the 900 MHz frequency and 3G UMTS network over the B1 (2100 MHz) band since May 2013. DC-HSPA+ data services were announced 10 days after launch.


Moov (Officially Atlantique Telecom Centrafrique SA)
Website
Country: Central African Republic
2G Bands: 900 MHz
3G Bands: None
4G Bands: None
Comments: Moov is a mobile carrier operating in Central African Republic (Centrafrique). The company began operations in 2005 then owned by Atlantic Telecom, only to be acquired by Etisalat shortly after. In 2014 Maroc Telecom took over Etisalat's West African operations comprising of its subsidiaries in Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Niger, the Central African Republic and Togo. The company operates 2G GSM services over the 900 MHz band. Currently no 3G UMTS or 4G LTE services are available.


Moov Côte d’Ivoire (Oficially Atlantique Telecom Côte d'Ivoire)
Country: Côte d'Ivoire
2G Bands: 900 MHz
3G Bands: B1 (2100 MHz)
4G Bands: None
Comments: Moov is a mobile carrier operating in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). The company began operations in 2006 then owned by Atlantique Télécom, only to be acquired by Etisalat shortly after. In 2014 Maroc Telecom took over Etisalat's West African operations comprising of its subsidiaries in Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Niger, the Central African Republic, and Togo. Maroc Telecom holds a direct 84.99% stake in Moov, with the minority shareholder not disclosed. The company operates 2G GSM services over the 900 MHz band. 3G UMTS was launched in December 2012 over B1 (2100 MHz), providing up to 21 Mbps via HSPA+ which Moov markets as "3.75G". As with all national carriers in Côte d’Ivoire, the company holds 800, 1800, and 2600 MHz licences which may be used in future to deploy LTE services.

Gabon Telecom (Officially Gabon Telecom SA)
Website
Country: Gabon
2G Bands: 900 MHz
3G Bands: B1 (2100 MHz)
4G Bands: B3 (1800 MHz), B7 (2600 MHz), B20 (800 MHz)
Comments: Gabon Telecom is the largest telecommunications operator in Gabon. Historically a state-owned enterprise, the company was formed in June 2001 following the reorganisation of the postal and telecommunications sector. In March 1999, Gabon Telecom created Libertis, its mobile brand. In February 2007, following an international tender, the Gabonese state ceded 51% of the shares to Maroc Telecom, finalised in December 2010. Gabon Telecom has since July 2016, operated a merger with the company Atlantic Telecom Gabon (MOOV), subsidiary of the Etisalat Group. Gabon Telecom, through merger of Libertis and Moov, operates 2G GSM services over the 900 MHz band, and 3G UMTS over B1 (2100 MHz) with HSPA+ data. 4G LTE is available through the merging of Gabon Telecom's network which was launched October 2014 (and upgraded to LTE-A 223 Mbps in November 2015), and Moov's 300 Mbps LTE-A network which launched November 2016. The network implements aggregation of B3 (1800 MHz), B7 (2600 MHz), and B20 (800 MHz).