Morocco’s telecoms watchdog Agence Nationale de Reglementation de Telecom (ANRT) has announced its plans to launch an auction for 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile licences by the end of 2013, state news agency MAP reported. The ANRT’s boss Azdine El Mountassir Billah specified in the statement: ‘We will launch the tenders to award 4G licences by the end of the year, and the opening of the service is expected in 2014.’
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, the ANRT began preparing for 4G licensing in 2012 by launching a tender to select an adviser for the process. The watchdog set a deadline of 23 August 2012 for the submission of bids, and the winner’s main responsibility was outlined as assisting ANRT with the setting of terms and conditions, including deciding on how many concessions are to be made available. The regulator 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 Mr Azdine El Mountassir Billah did not give a reason for the new delay.
27 May 2013
