Telecom sector in Morocco: Beginning of a malaise?

Maroc Telecom , Meditel and Inwi have shown reduced performance in the domestic market in recent years.

Turnover declined inspite the number of fixed lines, mobile and internet which is in the tens of millions in a country of 33 million inhabitants.

The Moroccan market is saturated, historic operators such as Maroc Telecom must, increasing, its performance in its African subsidiaries, its operations are still young.

And activity indicators regularly published by the ANRT, do not hide the great malaise in the sector which is looming on the horizon.

In fact, ANRT indications between 2011 and 2012, the price per minute fell 30%, while the operators gained only 6% in terms of new portfolios, expected to bring additional volumes.

The three operators fear the consequences of a slowdown in its sector jobs, territorial coverage and network quality.

The health of the telecom sector in Morocco, was the subject of a prospective study, produced in October by the American firm Frost & Sullivan which predicts a change for the sector in 2018, to adopt a market policy conditional on a renewed focus primarily on a new class of consumers, decisive for the future of the sector, namely the low income class.

The Californian firm had asked the three Moroccan operators to strengthen and maintain their current markets, working intelligently to deploy cheaper offers and a more simplified view reduced to destination for new customers in the low income market.

Frost & Sullivan predicted that it is this last category that will allow customer growth even for years, and large spatial extensions of the telecom market in Morocco.