Morocco’s government has started a 10-year national broadband plan focused on ensuring a majority of the country’s population accesses the Internet.
The plan will also include ultra-fast broadband connections to increase the country’s online population.
According to the National Telecommunications Regulation Agency’s chief Azzeddine El Mountassir Billah, the government of Morocco will give its population access to broadband services to its population for ten years.
Billah was quoted by the Maghrebia as saying, “Specifically, the ultra-fast broadband plan, which has been approved by the government, will give the entire population access to telecommunication services within ten years – that is, by 2022.”
The agency will carry out the project in two phases, he said.
Phase one of the project, expected to start operation by 2014, will include launch of mobile 4G and allowing open access of the Wi-Fi band by telcos to increase the speed of outdoor networks.
The agency will also pilot a fibre-to-premise (FTP) for housing estates.
Phase two of the 10-year national project will boost the country’s telcos to offer better quality service in data and connectivity as the government looks into technological solutions to increase the uptake of the 2022 ultra-fast broadband project.
Billah told the Maghrebia that the implementation of this nationwide plan will include legal and regulatory measures to encourage the sharing of infrastructures and pooling of investment.
The country has 2G mobile networks used by over 37.4 million active mobile subscribers with only cities served to 3G mobile broadband services .
