Maroc Telecom Hit with $245 Million Fine in Ongoing Unbundling Dispute

Two years ago, the regulator had imposed a series of "injunctions" under "penalty" to compel the operator, among other things, to accelerate the unbundling process of the local loop. A case in which Maroc Telecom had received a fine of 3 billion dirhams for abuse of a dominant position.

Among these injunctions, the non-compliance with certain was accompanied by a penalty reaching "4 million dirhams" per day of delay. In reaction, the operator has made known in a press release that it "takes note of the decision of the Management Committee of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency relating to the liquidation of the penalty imposed on it in the context of the decision of January 17, 2020 on unbundling".

The amount of the penalty is set at 2.45 billion dirhams and was fully provisioned in the accounts as of June 30 last, the operator specifies. Maroc Telecom has a period of 30 days to file an appeal with the Court of Appeal of Rabat.