Morocco launches bid for fixed telecom networks licenses

The Moroccan Telecom Regulation Agency (ANRT) will launch at the end of this year a bid for the granting of fixed telecom networks licenses.

Fifteen Moroccan and foreign firms have already shown interest after the announcement of the program last March, said ANRT.

The firms include Alcatel, AVE Phone, CBI, Comptel, Forbes Telecom Africa, France Telecom, Ittissalat al-Maghrib, Meditelecom, Neurones Technologies, P.A Conseils International and Skypoint.

The program is part of Morocco's policy to liberalize its telecom sector.

In December 2000, Morocco had sold 35 percent of the capital of Maroc-Telecom to French Vivendi group at $ 2.33 billion.

In 2000, the company was managing a network of 3,012,386 phone subscribers, including 1.4 million mobile phone users. Maroc-Telecom Internet users numbered 16,000 direct users and 450 leased lines.

In the same year it posted a turnover of $ 1.2 billion.

Besides Maroc-Telecom, Morocco has a private operator, Meditel, which bought in 1998 a Moroccan second GSM license for $ 1.1 billion.