Morocco’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT) has reported that it has made a decision approving the creation of two new joint ventures by Moroccan operators Maroc Telecom and Inwi.
This move follows a formal notification (reported here) submitted by both companies in May this year.
The first joint venture is called FiberCo. This will focus on deploying new passive fibre optic (fibre to the home or FTTH) network infrastructures to customers across Morocco. The other is TowerCo, which will be responsible for deploying new telecom towers and sites to host mobile radio equipment, offering passive access to these infrastructures for other telecommunications operators.
Both companies are designed to operate as autonomous economic entities with their own resources, decision-making independence, and strict functional separation from their parent companies. They will focus solely on wholesale services.
According to ANRT, a key commitment by the parent companies and the joint ventures is to ensure objective, proportionate and non-discriminatory access to these new infrastructures for all telecommunications operators, including competitors, some of which reportedly submitted observations during the review process.
The hope is that the creation of these joint ventures will foster a more competitive environment in wholesale markets
But it’s been a good week for Maroc Telecom in another way. Reuters says that Morocco's largest telecoms operator has raised US$330 million in its first private bond issuance on the domestic market.
The money will help the company refinance a part of its debt and support its investments in 5G and fibre optic development. Maroc Telecom is 53% controlled by the UAE's Etisalat; the government owns a 22% stake.
As well as its business in Morocco, Maroc Telecom operates subsidiaries in Benin, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Togo.
