Maroc Telecom
5326712
219432940
2008-06-15T05:25:00Z
UnitedStatesian
3461395
fix ticker
{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = MAROC TELECOM |
company_logo = [[Image:Logo maroctelecom.gif]] |
company_type = [[Public company|Public]] ({{Euronext|IAM}}) |
company_slogan = |
foundation = Owned by Vivendi (51%) ([[2005]])|
location = [[Rabat]], [[Morocco]] |
key_people = [[Abdeslam Ahizoune]], [[Chairman]] & [[Chief Executive Officer|CEO]]<br/>[[Arnaud Castille]], [[Chief Financial Officer|CFO]]|
num_employees = 11,178 ([[2005]])|
industry = [[Telecommunications]] |
products = Land line phones, Mobile phone lines, Internet access |
revenue = $945 million (2007 Q1)|
net_income = |
homepage = [http://www.maroctelecom.com]|
}}
'''Maroc Telecom''' ({{lang-ar|اتصالات المغرب}}; ''Itissalatt Al Maghreb''; [[Acronym]]: '''IAM''') is the main [[telecommunication]] [[:Category:Companies of Morocco|company in Morocco]].
IAM employs around 11,178 employees. It has 8 regional delegations with 220 offices present on all the territory of [[Morocco]].
IAM is controlled by [[Vivendi Universal]] which has a 53% share of its capital.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vivendi.com/corp/en/subsidiaries/index_maroc.php |title=Maroc Telecom |accessdate=2008-02-06 |format= |work=Vivendi }}</ref> The company is listed in both [[Casablanca Stock Exchange]] and [[Euronext Paris]].
In [[June 1]], [[2006]], IAM launched the [[Internet television]] package via the [[ADSL]] line. The service was the first of its kind in [[Africa]] and the [[Middle East]].
==History==
===From postal services to telephony===
{{Main|Postal history of Morocco}}
The origin of IAM dates back to [[1891]] when King [[Hassan I]] created the first postal service of Morocco. In [[1913]], the Moroccan [[Postal Telephone and Telegraph]] was established before a [[Dahir]] (King's [[decree]]) related to the [[monopole]] of the state of [[Telegraphy]] and [[Telephony]] was published.
===Telephony===
In [[1967]], Morocco placed the first [[underwater]] [[cable]] between [[Tetouan]], [[Morocco]] and [[Perpignan]], [[France]] through the [[Mediterranean]]. A few years later, in [[1970]], a transmission via [[INTELSAT]] was introduced. The [[Telex]] service was then automated in [[1971]] just before the installating of a [[digital]] center in [[Fes]].
Due to the advancement of [[Telecommunications]] around the globe, Morocco decided to create a new entity called [[ONPT]] (''Office National des Postes et Télécommunications'') to manage the industry. ONPT was responsible of the introduction of Analog Mobile Radiotelephony in [[1987]]. Later on, in [[1992]], Morocco set up the first underwater [[optical fiber cable]]. Two years later, a [[GSM]] service was operational.
===Internet===
{{Main|Menara, Maroc Telecom}}
The internet was introduced in Morocco by [[ONPT]] in [[1995]].
===The birth of IAM===
After the publication of a telecommunications' [[decree]], '''Maroc Telecom''' (IAM) is founded in [[1998]].
==Activities==
IAM has three main activities:
===Land lines===
It consists of the provision of public phones throughout Morocco. The fixed park reaches 1,34 million lines.
===Mobile phones===
[[Mobile phone|Mobile service]]s are provided via a [[GSM]] network. Morocco Telecom counted 8,8 million customers at at the end of [[December 2005]]. Its network covers 97% of the [[Demographics of Morocco|Moroccan population]].
===Internet services===
IAM provides over more than 9,700 kilometres of fibre-optic cables. The park is around 320.000 lines. The service is commercialized under the ''Menara'' brand.
==Projects and investments==
In [[July 2006]] Maroc Telecom signed with the [[France|French]] [[telecommunications]] equipment company [[Alcatel]] a contract for a [[submarine]] [[cable network]] connection between Morocco and France. Morocco Telecom's aim is to upgrade the capacity of its services (i.e.[[broadband]] services, [[call center]]s...). The project cost [[Euro|€]] 26 million and was named "[[Atlas Offshore]]". <ref>[http://www.e4engineering.com/Articles/295189/Alcatel%20goes%20submarine%20to%20Morocco.htm ''Alcatel goes submarine to Morocco'']</ref>
In December 2006, IAM invested in [[Burkina Faso]]’s [[ONATEL]] acquiring 51% of its capital. <ref>[http://www.lefaso.net/article.php3?id_article=18208 ''Maroc Telecom prend le contrôle d’Onatel''] - lefaso.net</ref>
==See also==
* [[Internet censorship in Morocco]]
* [[Communications in Morocco]]
* [[List of telephone operating companies]]
* [[Meditel]]
==External links==
* [http://www.iam.ma/ Maroc Telecom website]
* [http://www.euronext.com/news/companypressrelease/0,4616,1732_11894_835488948,00.html Euronext analysis]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Vivendi}}
{{Moroccan telecommunications companies}}
[[Category:Telecommunications companies of Morocco]]
[[Category:Mobile phone companies of Morocco]]
[[ar:اتصالات المغرب]]
[[fr:Maroc Telecom]]
[[it:Maroc Telecom]]