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Marrakech – Morocco’s telecommunications regulator has approved a major partnership between two of the country’s largest telecom operators. The National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT) has officially authorized the economic concentration project between Itissalat Al-Maghrib (Maroc Telecom) and Wana Corporate (Inwi).
The decision, published Monday, allows the creation of two joint ventures focused on infrastructure sharing. This marks a turning point in Morocco’s telecom landscape and was formally notified to the regulator on May 20.
The first joint venture, nicknamed FiberCo, will focus on passive fiber optic infrastructure deployment. With capital of MAD 3 billion (approximately $300 million), this company will specialize in deploying passive FTTH (Fiber To The Home) infrastructure accessible to all operators.
FiberCo will provide passive access to fiber up to the end customer, allowing each operator to maintain technical and commercial freedom over the services it offers. The venture has ambitious targets of reaching 1 million connections within two years and 3 million connections over five years.
The second entity, TowerCo, will concentrate on hosting infrastructure for radio equipment—including towers, sites, and antennas—with a planned investment of MAD 1.4 billion ($140 million). Both companies will be legally autonomous with their own human, material, and financial resources.
TowerCo will focus on constructing new telecommunications towers and renovating existing infrastructure, targeting 2,000 towers within three years and 6,000 towers over the next decade.
The partnership marks a notable reconciliation between the two telecom giants, ending a legal dispute that saw Maroc Telecom ordered to pay MAD 6.38 billion ($638 million). Under the new agreement, both sides will drop ongoing proceedings, with compensation reduced to MAD 4.38 billion ($438 million).
Terms, conditions, and advantages
In its decision dated June 18, the ANRT stipulates the independent nature of these entities. They must operate according to principles of neutrality, transparency, and non-discrimination.
The parent companies cannot claim any advantage in terms of access or pricing. The decision also governs information flow between FiberCo and TowerCo, as well as their parent companies. The regulator mandates watertight information systems and separate decision-making processes.
From a competitive standpoint, ANRT considers that the operation does not raise major concerns. It does not modify the structure of retail markets, in which the joint ventures have no intention of participating.
Regarding wholesale markets, the agency believes that creating FiberCo could actually promote competitive dynamics, particularly in FTTH, through infrastructure sharing that has been underdeveloped in this format until now.
For TowerCo, ANRT acknowledges that Maroc Telecom and Inwi already hold more than 65% of the passive mobile infrastructure market together. This level could induce dominant position reinforcement effects if access to infrastructure was not strictly regulated.
However, the current regulation has sufficient guarantees to prevent any discrimination, based on Law 24-96 and sharing obligations under Article 22 bis, along with the monitoring mechanism that ANRT intends to maintain.
The decision also records commitments provided by Maroc Telecom and Inwi. These cover various aspects, from publishing reference offers validated by ANRT to effective opening of services to third parties, and governance mechanisms designed to prevent any anti-competitive coordination.
A legitimate partnership
During the public consultation period from May 21 to 30, ANRT received observations from eighteen individuals and from Médi Telecom (Orange Morocco). Individual comments focused mainly on expectations regarding FTTH coverage expansion, price reduction, and service quality improvement.
Médi Telecom stated it was “favorable to any structuring and inclusive initiative aimed at accelerating the digital transformation of the Kingdom of Morocco” while also suggesting various safeguards to ensure fair competition.
As part of their application, Maroc Telecom and Inwi submitted detailed commitments including governance structures for each joint venture, information system separation from parent companies, non-transfer of existing assets to the new entities, and guarantees of non-discriminatory access for all operators.
Market shares as of March show Maroc Telecom holding 52.5% of fixed internet market share and 49.7% of FTTH market share, while Inwi holds 22.4% and 13.3% respectively. In mobile, Maroc Telecom has 32.6% market share with Inwi at 33.2%. For radio sites, Maroc Telecom owns 42.8% while Inwi controls 28.8%.
Towards a digital transformation
By validating this operation, ANRT paves the way for a more rationalized model in passive infrastructure deployments. It represents a step toward reasoned network sharing in a sector historically marked by costly duplication logic.
The agency announced it will maintain enhanced surveillance over the first years of operation to ensure compliance with commitments.
This green light comes as Morocco begins a new phase of digital transformation, where fair access to infrastructure will largely determine the effectiveness of competition and service quality for all users.
As Morocco currently prepares for AFCON 2025 and the 2030 World Cup and major other international events, it is moving away from the old anti-competitive policies during Abdeslam Ahizoune’s tenure at the helm of Maroc Telecom.
