Maroc Telecom invests €150M to connect West Africa using subsea cable

Itissalat Al Maghrib (Maroc Telecom), the Moroccan telecommunications group, has recently made significant strides in expanding its reach across the continent. Maroc Telecom has invested a substantial sum of 150 million euros in the development of a state-of-the-art fiber optic submarine cable known as “West Africa.”

This cutting-edge infrastructure was unveiled during the Gitex Africa 2023 event held in Marrakech from May 31 to June 2. The primary objective of the cable is to interconnect Maroc Telecom’s subsidiaries and operators in the West African region with the international optical loop in Europe.

Spanning an impressive distance of 9,414 km, the West Africa cable is comprised of two segments. The South segment connects Morocco with various West African countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Gabon, and Mauritania. This segment covers a distance of 8,600 km and boasts seven landing points. Since its commissioning in July 2021, it has provided a capacity of 20 Tb/s, with room for expansion up to 40 Tb/s. On the other hand, the North segment, which became operational in April 2022, links Casablanca to Lisbon, Portugal, spanning 814 km and offering an impressive capacity of 60 Tb/s.

Maroc Telecom, also known as Itissalat Al Maghrib, is a major telecommunications company based in Morocco. It is the leading provider of fixed-line, mobile, and internet services in the country. Maroc Telecom was originally established in 1998 as a state-owned company, but it was later privatized and acquired by the French multinational company Vivendi in 2001. In 2013, Vivendi sold its majority stake in Maroc Telecom to the Emirati company Etisalat.

Maroc Telecom’s expansion into Africa signifies its commitment to meeting the rising demand for broadband connectivity across the continent. By investing in advanced infrastructure such as the West Africa cable, the company aims to position itself as a leading provider of telecommunications services, enabling greater access to reliable and high-speed internet connectivity for individuals and businesses in the region. As the demand for connectivity continues to grow, Maroc Telecom’s strategic investments are poised to play a pivotal role in driving Africa’s digital transformation and fostering economic development across various sectors.