Morocco Climbs in Global Internet Access Rankings, but Challenges Remain

Ranked 59th out of 100 countries in the Inclusive Internet Index established by the Economist Intelligence Unit for Facebook, Morocco is making progress in improving Internet access; but it still has a long way to go. By positioning itself this way, the Kingdom is moving up three places, from 62nd place in the 2019 edition of the index, to 59th out of 100 countries for the 2020 edition.

The kingdom is one of the weakest countries in the index in supporting Internet inclusion on a global scale due to the "result of an outdated national broadband development strategy and limited development of e-inclusion strategies," it is noted. The report also notes that "digital culture is weak compared to a global and regional benchmark, although local content and online government services are available".

The overall score of the index is based on four categories, namely availability which examines the quality and extent of the infrastructure required for Internet access and usage levels; affordability which examines the cost of access relative to income, and the level of competition in the Internet market; relevance which focuses on the existence and extent of local language content and relevant content. This is complemented by operational readiness which examines the ability to access the Internet, including skills, cultural acceptance and supporting policy.

According to the authors of the report, five main conclusions emerge from this aspect, including the global increase in Internet access, the slowdown in the rate of use in the most inaccessible areas, etc.