• Morocco aims to connect 5.6 million households to fiber and achieve 85% 5G population coverage by 2030.
• Telecom operators plan to invest over $8.6 billion in 5G infrastructure by 2035.
• The government completed initial rural coverage and plans further expansion using satellite solutions and subsidies.

Morocco is accelerating its strategy to expand broadband and ultra-fast broadband with ambitious targets for 2030, driven by fiber optic rollout and 5G deployment. The government aims to connect 5.6 million households to fiber and extend 5G coverage to 85% of the population.

The government reaffirmed this roadmap on Monday, April 20, in Rabat during a session at the Chamber of Representatives dedicated to monitoring the National Plan for Broadband and Ultra-Fast Broadband Development (PNHD). During this session, Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni presented the progress of the program.

Rural connectivity and satellite solutions

According to official data, the government has completed the first phase of the PNHD by extending 2G, 3G, and 4G coverage to 10,690 rural areas out of 10,740 targeted localities. This progress has significantly reduced the digital divide between urban and rural regions.

Subsequently, the government launched a second phase to expand coverage to 2,000 additional rural areas in 2026. Authorities are using a participatory approach involving local officials, elected representatives, and parliamentarians to identify priority zones. In hard-to-reach regions, the government will deploy satellite solutions (VSAT) and provide a subsidy of 2,500 dirhams (about $270) per subscription.

$8.6 billion in 5G investment

On the mobile segment, operators have already rolled out 5G services in more than 50 cities, reaching around 7 million subscribers. Telecom operators have committed to investing more than 80 billion dirhams (about $8.6 billion) by 2035 to support network expansion. Operators aim to achieve 45% population coverage by 2026 and 85% by 2030.

At the same time, the National Fiber Optic Plan aims to accelerate fixed connectivity with a target of 5.6 million connected households by 2030. Authorities are supporting this effort through infrastructure sharing among operators and regulations that now require fiber integration in all new real estate developments and housing projects.

Samira Njoya