Moroccan network operator Inwi (Wana) is planning to invest MAD10 billion (USD1.03 billion) in the deployment of broadband services over the next five years, domestic news source Aujourd’hui Le Maroc reports. The operator disclosed that for the period 2010-2014 it has invested 30% of turnover in infrastructure upgrades, with plans to accelerate its CAPEX to 40% of revenues in 2015. The cellco is aiming to upgrade its network to Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, conditional on the award of a 4G licence, while also heavily investing in ADSL technology in order to extend its broadband reach across the country.
As previously reported by CommsUpdate, telecoms regulator the Agence Nationale de Reglementation de Telecom (ANRT) initially planned to award 4G licences at the start of 2013, with commercial launches following by the end of that year at the latest, although the tender has since been postponed on several occasions. In November 2014 Inwi trialled LTE technology in Mohammedia, achieving download speeds of 150Mbps over its test network. Shortly after, CEO Frederic Debord disclosed that the operator’s participation in the forthcoming LTE tender was subject to the conditions for granting and operating a 4G licence; the cost of the licence itself and terms regarding infrastructure sharing were said to be Inwi’s primary concerns.
