L’Organization of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2025 and the World Cup in 2030 requires Morocco to significantly strengthen its telecommunications infrastructure. The increased demand for connectivity by tens of thousands of spectators, media and officials represents a significant challenge for today’s networks. With the expected increase in Internet traffic during these events, network modernization becomes imperative.
5G, this new generation of mobile network, promises to revolutionize communications with ultra-fast connection speeds, low latency and increased capacity for connected objects. However, although this technology is making great strides in many regions of the world, Africa, including Morocco, remains in a catch-up phase. In Morocco, the deployment of 5G is part of the “Maroc Digital 2030” strategy.
This plan aims to position the country as a regional leader in the digital field. Through the Ministry of Digital Transition, the government announced that the official adoption of 5G will be effective before the organization of the 2030 World Cup, a strategic event for the Kingdom. 5G will play a vital role in transforming the spectator experience, enabling services such as augmented reality, contactless payments and secure visitor flow management.
At the same time, the installation of optical fiber is accelerating in large cities and rural regions. In 2024, the rate of fiber optic connection reached 12%, with a goal of connecting 5.6 million homes by 2030. However, to effectively support the 5G network, a significant expansion of fiber optic coverage is necessary. Currently, only 450,000 FTTH (fiber to the home) connections have been made, well below the 2 million needed to meet current needs. The massive investments required for these infrastructures represent a major challenge.
-The pooling of resources and the involvement of specialized infrastructure operators are solutions envisaged to reduce costs and accelerate deployment. For example, Google and other international investors are showing increasing interest in the Moroccan telecommunications market, providing an opportunity for collaboration between the public and private sectors. The rise of regional data centers in Morocco is alsoa key factor in supporting technological advances. These centers will not only manage the growing volume of data generated by 5G, but also strengthen cybersecurity and support emerging technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
These technologies could enrich the spectator experience, particularly during major sporting events such as the CAN and the World Cup. In Africa, as in Morocco, the transition to 5G also relies on the release of spectrum in the low and medium bands, which are essential to expand coverage and improve network performance. According to the Ericsson Mobility 2024 report, only 11 million 5G subscriptions were recorded in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023. This figure is expected to rise to 320 million by 2029, demonstrating enormous growth potential for the region.
