RABAT, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Morocco plans to sell a third wireless phone network licence to boost competition and bring down prices, the country’s telecom regulator said on Thursday.
Maroc Telecom IAM.CS, the country's dominant telecoms company, and Meditel -- a joint venture of Spain's Telefonica TEF.MC and Portugal Telecom PTC.LS -- operate the two existing networks in the North African country of more than 30 million people. The Telecoms National Regulation Agency (ANRT) said in a statement that telecommunications operators and other interested parties are invited to obtain the file detailing the tender beginning Nov. 3, 2008 for a payment of 40,000 dirhams ($4,603).
ANRT did not say when it would award the licence but offical sources close to the tendering said they expected the sale operation to be successfully wrapped up by the end of the first quarter nex year.
The government expects the telecoms industry share of the country’s gross domestic product will grow from 7 percent currently to 10 percent in 2010 on the back of more liberalisation and greater competition.
Wana, the telecommunications arm of Morocco's biggest conglomerate, ONA ONA.CS, has already expressed its interest in getting a wireless network licence.
Wana currently offers limited-range mobile, fixed-line and Internet services.
ONA, with wide interests ranging from banking and insurance to retailing and mining, is controlled by the Moroccan royal family.
Last week Wana had said it would detail its investment strategy early next year when the business outlook would be clearer and after the government outlines the criteria of a tendering for the third mobile phone licence. ($1=8.690 Moroccan dirhams) (Reporting by Lamine Ghanmi; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
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