Morocco’s Telecom Giant Faces $300 Million Fine for Anti-Competitive Practices

Considered at first as a rumor, the sanction was confirmed by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT) during the past week.

Four years earlier, the regulator had issued a warning against IAM Maroc Telecom, accused by its competitors of slowing down the unbundling of the local loop. Regarding this conviction of Maroc Telecom, the ANRT did not provide any details on the grievances against the historical operator. However, the ANRT did not specify whether it was an abuse of a dominant position.

This sanction, imposed by the ANRT, is close to 10% of Maroc Telecom’s turnover, which was 36 billion DH in 2018, it is reported. However, the ANRT, whose power of sanction has been strengthened, made its decision while the commercial court has not yet ruled on the Wana case, in which Maroc Telecom would also be involved.

Wana would reproach its competitor for monopolizing telecommunications infrastructure and would claim more than 5 billion DH from it in compensation.