Chapter 2. The ICT Development Index (IDI) Box 2.5: Mobile Internet in Morocco Morocco improved its ranking by ten places, attaining an IDI value of 3.29 as compared with the average IDI in developing countries of 3.19. This improvement is a result of increases of 62 per cent in the use sub-index and 27 per cent in the access sub-index during the past two years. The significant progress in the access sub-index – moving the country up seven places – was due to the almost threefold increase of international Internet bandwidth, from 25 130 Mbit/s to 75 000 Mbit/s. Internet user penetration increased by almost 50 per cent, mainly due to mobile broadband. Within two years of 3G mobile-broadband services being introduced in Morocco, mobile-broadband penetration jumped from 2.3 per cent in 2008 to ten per cent in 2010 (Chart Box 2.5). This trend is expected to continue, with mobile broadband to grow faster than fixed broadband. Fixed-broadband penetration remains flat, recording one per cent growth from 2008 to 2010, whereas mobile-broadband penetration, which represents 76 per cent of total broadband subscriptions, grew from two to ten per cent. Morocco has three operators sharing the mobile-broad-band and are today competitive with fixed-broadband prices (see Table 3.8 in Chapter 3). The fixed-broadband ADSL market is dominated by incumbent operator Maroc Telecom, which holds a monopoly. Moroccan incumbent Maroc Telecom continues to develop the fibre-optic backbone network, which will link Morocco with West African countries. In 2010, Maroc Telecom reached 60 per cent completion in the first phase of plans to roll out the fibre-optic backbone network. Maroc Telecom plans to also deliver mCommerce solutions to the growing mobile-broad-band market and in view of the growing demand for mobile financial transactions.24 Moroccan telecommunication regulator ANRT has set a 65-70 per cent reduction target for voice-termination interconnec-tion tariffs on fixed and mobile calls between 2010-2013 for Morocco’s mobile operators. ANRT has also set a 24-40 per cent end reduction target for asymmetric interconnection tariffs for 2013. The measure is intended to further stimulate competition in the fixed and mobile markets in the interests of end users.25 Internet market, thus creating a more competitive sector, and mobile-broadband prices have come down substantially Chart Box 2.5: Mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2008, 2010 % 12 10 Morocco 8 Developing countries average 6 4 2 0 2008 2010 Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database. * ( + ( $ 2 , \"$ $ . ( ( 5) ( \" 8 +, % % $ , % \" \" ( ( % # ):6 % % $ C # %+?$ ( + $ = -6)7 -60)? ($ 0>) 18