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MOROCCO |
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Following the opening up of the telecoms market to the private sector and thanks to a record offer, a Telefonica-led consortium acquired in July 1999 the second GSM licence for a cost of 1.1 billion US dollars (the equivalent of 10.8 billion DH). |
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Telefonica invades the Moroccan mobile and call centre market |
Following the opening up of the telecoms market to the private sector and thanks to a record offer, a Telefonica-led consortium acquired in July 1999 the second GSM licence for a cost of 1.1 billion US dollars (the equivalent of 10.8 billion DH). Medi Telecom (Méditel) then became the competitor of the historic operator Maroc Telecom in the mobile telephone industry.
After a successful bid for Morocco’s second fixed telephony license in July 2005, implying a DH 5 billion investment plan over 3 years, and the acquisition for DH 320 million of a UMTS license in July 2006, Méditel rapidly took its place as a major telecoms player in the Kingdom. As of December 31st 2005, it claimed 4 million mobile phone subscribers, while the commercial launching of its fixed telephony services in May 2006 prevents Meditel from giving any significant figure for 2006 in this sector..
Telefonica, via its operational division Telefonica Moviles, together with Portugal’s PT Moveis, both owners of a 32.18% stake in Méditel (while the rest of the capital is held by Moroccan partners), is happy to reap the benefits from its massive investments into Moroccan telecoms infrastructures.
The Spanish giant is also active in the call centre business, through Atento Marruecos, Telefonica’s Atento local subsidiary, present in Morocco since 2000. With three hubs at Casablanca, Tangiers and Tetouan, Atento has more than 1,000 positions (telemarketers) and is in consequence one of the main players in the sector. The creation of 230 extra positions is planned for Tangiers. The investment amounts to 80 million DH (7.5 M €) for each centre. Atento Marruecos has among its clients, Méditel, Royal Air Maroc and Crédit du Maroc. |
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