Morocco Gears Up for 5G Expansion

January 17, 2025

(3 Minutes Read)

Morocco announced that the country is planning an imminent rollout of transformative 5G internet as part of its preparations to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Morocco’s Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, has detailed the government’s connectivity plans, which include achieving 5G Coverage for 25% of the population by 2026 and 70% by 2030. The cities hosting World Cup matches—Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat, and Tangier—will receive comprehensive 5G coverage to ensure continuous, high-speed internet access for both residents and visitors.

The improvement of Morocco’s 5G coverage aligns with the country’s National Plan for High-Speed and Very High-Speed Internet Development. The first phase, spanning 2018 to 2024, brought second-, third—, and fourth-generation telecom services to over 10,640 areas, consequently achieving a 99% penetration rate. The remaining remote regions will be connected via satellite due to the nature of their geographic isolation, Al-Falah noted.

In phase two, satellite technology will be leveraged to expand coverage to 1,800 rural areas by 2026. Seghrouchni highlighted that, as part of the satellite internet initiative, residents in areas without terrestrial coverage will be provided with financial aid of up to USD 243 per subscription. This initiative and supportive approach is expected to benefit up to 4,000 users annually.

Additionally, 6,300 public administrative sites are set to be equipped with fiber-optic technology by the same year. By 2030, the initiative aims to expand fiber-optic access to 5.6 million homes, significantly enhancing digital service availability. Seghrouchni emphasised the importance of these efforts in advancing Morocco’s telecommunications sector, adding that the government committed over MAD 8.4 billion (USD 834.8 million) in 2023 to support telecommunications providers and accelerate the nation’s digital transformation.