Morocco

Basics

Morocco has three network operators:

Maroc Telecom (a.k.a. Itissalat Al-Maghrib, IAM),
Orange (rebranded from Méditel in December 2016)
Inwi

2G is on 900 MHz only, 3G on 2100 MHz in plain UMTS standard (up to 14.4 Mbps). 4G/LTE has started in 2015 on all providers in some cities. Licenses on 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz were given out. 4G is open to prepaid, where available.

Maroc Telecom is market leader with the best coverage in the country, followed by Orange and Inwi, which is still sufficient when you stick to the cities.

SIM cards can be purchased in the agencies of the network operators and their sales outlets. Be prepared to show your passport.

VoIP situation

At the beginning of 2016 all mobile providers started to block VoIP calls by OTT software/apps like Skype, Whatsapp, Viber by a coordinated move. Some traced the move back to Etisalat, which owns a majority stake in Maroc Telecom as VoIP services are also restricted in two of Etisalat’s key markets, Egypt and the UAE.

This triggered a public outcry and protest by bloggers and websites. In March 2016 all landline ADSL providers were forced to close their ports to VoIP providers temporarily too. This was made official by a degree published in June 2016 which says VoIP services go against competition. As of March 2016, VoIP calls over WiFi we resumed, though such calling over 3G/4G remained blocked.

UPDATE Nov. 2016: Telecoms regulator ANRT has ordered the country’s three mobile operators to allow over-the-top (OTT) VoIP services again. The decision comes several months after an unidentified plaintiff logged a legal lawsuit against the regulator’s decision to ban the service in an administrative court in Oujda. As the situation is still volatile, we publish IDD offers of the providers in our survey in case they change their minds again.

Maroc Telecom (a.k.a. IAM = Itissalat Al-Maghrib)

Maroc Telecom, a.k.a. IAM is the biggest mobile provider, mostly owned by UAE-based Etisalat, with the best coverage (map). In 2015 they have started with 4G/LTE with speeds up to 225 Mbps in major towns that is available for prepaid without surcharges.

According to users the purchase of o SIM card and the data packs proved to be complicated and often needed special assistance which was then double-charged. So if you choose Maroc Telecom, be sure to have an expert on stand-by who can give you a helping hand with the configurations and don't leave town before data is active. The initial activation usually takes about 30 minutes. Some tourist companies offer a free SIM for their clients doing a tourist program.

Start-up

SIM cards called "Jawal 4G" are available for around 30 DH with a small credit (of 10 DH) in their agencies (store locator) and a lot of other sales outles. Old 3G SIM cards work on 4G/LTE too. You need to activate your data service by calling 888.

For data only in tablets and modems, IAM sells pochettes for 59 DH with 4 GB for 10 days.

Reload codes are available all over the country and come with a bonus. The SIM card will be terminated 12 months after the last top-up. Credit stays valid for much shorter. You can do top-ups from

Data feature packs

IAM doesn't provide online top-up for data packages and also doesn't allow to convert your general balance into a data pack. That means that their heavily advertised reloads 'recharge multiple x #' don't work for data. Instead, you need to top-up specifically your data balance. This is done by texting your reload code followed by *3 to 555 or by e-recharge.

Their data packs are called "Pass Jawal Internet" and ale valid for 2G/3G and 4G/LTE:

Recharge	Data Volume	Time
5 DH	200 MB	1 day
10 DH	1 GB	3 days
20 DH	2 GB	7 days
25 DH	2.5 GB	7 days
30 DH	3 GB	10 days
50 DH	5 GB	1 month
100 DH	10 GB	1 month
200 DH	20 GB	2 months

To subscribe you have to call 888 and follow the instructions (in French or Arab). Or enter your recharge code followed by *3 to 555 to activate the pack. It may take up to 24 hours, until your request has been processed. Doing it for the first time, better get some local help with it. The 25 DH reload is available only through e-recharge.

For some social media only (Facebook with Messenger, WhatsApp and Twitter) they sell certain low volume passes, that can be topped up like the internet passes, but with *6 to 555 at the end:

5 DH: 100 MB for 5 days
10 DH: 300 MB for 15 days
20 DH: 1 GB for 30 days
30 DH: 2 GB for 60 days

IDD call option

The cheapest option is to do a special recharge called 'Pass Jawal International" for calls to some European countries, the US and Canada.

20 DH: 20 IDD mins for 7 days

50 DH: 50 IDD mins for 14 days

100 DH: 100 IDD mins for 14 days

200 DH: 200 IDD mins for 14 days

For this special IDD account, type in your corresponding top-up voucher code to 555 to be added by *4 at the end.

WIFi passes

Maroc Telecom has established a network of WiFi hotspots in cities. They are located in public places like bus terminals, train stations, airports, parks, universities, schools and hotels.

To connect you need to pick 'Wifi Public Maroc Telecom' in your WiFi list, then a welcome page opens on your browser. Click 'nouveau client', give your personal data and a mobile number and you will receive a security code by SMS. Enter this code and click on 's'inscrire' and you'll get another SMS with your username (nom d'utilisateur) and a password code (mot de passe) to log in.

Regular recharge vouchers can be used to buy WiFi hotspot time:

5 DH: 1 hour for 1 day
10 DH: 3 hours for 3 days
20 DH: 5 hours for 7 days
30 DH: 10 hours for 10 days
50 DH: 24 hours for 1 month
100 DH: 48 hours for 1 month
200 DH: 100 hours for 2 month

After your WiFi use, be sure to log off again to keep the rest of your credit.

More info

APN: wap.iamgprs.ma
Website in French: http://www.iam.ma/

Orange (rebranded from Méditel)

Orange is the second provider in the country and mostly owned by French Telecom. That's why it was decided to rebrand it from the original brand of Méditel to Orange starting in December 2016.

Coverage is not as good as Maroc Telecom but still reasonable. 3G is available in most towns, 4G/LTE has been started in 2015 in about 8 towns so far: 4G map.

Availability

Orange offers one prepaid SIM card for 20 DH. Their SIM cards stays alive for 1 year after the last top-up. For 4G you need to have a new 4G-enabled SIM card.

Top-ups can be made at their shop, with vouchers, or e-top-ups in acencies or online by credit card. shop locator (in French). Check balance by entering #554# or 5554.

Data feature packages

To activate you must top-up a reload code of the respective amount by typing 555 and the code followed by *3. These packages are on 4G/LTE too, if you have coverage:

Recharge	Data Volume	Time
5 DH	200 MB	1 day
10 DH	1 GB	2 days
15 DH	1.5 GB	3 days
20 DH	2 GB	7 days
30 DH	3 GB	10 days
50 DH	5 GB	30 days
100 DH	10 GB	30 days