Medi Telecom

completed

In August 1999, Medi Telecom was awarded a 15-year license to build and operate a nationwide Global Systems Mobile (GSM) 900 digital cellular telecommunications network in Morocco. Medi Telecom is owned by a consortium of international telecom operators (Telefonica of Spain and Portugal Telecom) and local Moroccan institutional and financial investors. The other GSM license in Morocco is held by the incumbent, Maroc Telecom, and together the two companies will have exclusivity in mobile telephony through August 2003. Meditel launched its service in March 2000 and expects to serve 400,000 users by the end of 2000 and to reach about 2 million by 2004. Coverage focuses on major cities, major ports and airports, and key intercity highways, and within five years the network will be required to have 95% coverage of Morocco''s population. Total project cost, covering the license and the initial investment program, is estimated to cost about US$1.6 billion.During the now-complete start-up phase through April 2000, the company installed over 300 base transceiver stations (cells that serve localized areas), as well as two switches in Casablanca and Rabat for connection to the public telephone system. Meditel is developing an internal network of microwave links, and a fiber optic backbone and radio link system between Fez, Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech. The company''s head office and technical center are in Casablanca.