National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (Morocco)
National telecommunications regulator of Morocco
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (French: Agence nationale de réglementation des télécommunications; ANRT) is the Moroccan public body responsible for regulating the telecommunications sector. It was created in 1998 under Law No. 24-96, which reorganized the sector and opened it to competition. The agency is attached to the Head of Government.[1]
- Azzelarab Hassibi, Director General
| الوكالة الوطنية لتقنين المواصلات (Arabic) Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications (French) | |
| |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | February 9, 1998 |
| Jurisdiction | Morocco |
| Headquarters | Rabat, Morocco |
Agency executive |
|
| Website | www |
History
The ANRT was established in February 1998 under Law No. 24-96 on postal services and telecommunications. The law ended the monopoly previously held by the Office national des postes et télécommunications and created an autonomous regulator for the telecommunications market.[2]
The creation of the agency was part of the liberalization of Morocco’s telecommunications sector. The ANRT was given responsibility for applying telecommunications legislation, monitoring competition and managing technical resources such as numbering and radio frequencies.[3]
By the end of March 2025, the agency reported 39.9 million internet subscriptions, including fixed and mobile subscriptions, corresponding to a penetration rate of 108%.[4]
Responsibilities
The ANRT regulates the telecommunications market and ensures the application of the legal and regulatory framework governing the sector. Its responsibilities include granting authorizations and licences, monitoring competition, approving certain operator offers, settling disputes between operators and protecting users of telecommunications services.[5]
The agency is also responsible for managing scarce telecommunications resources, including the national numbering plan and the radio frequency spectrum. It sets technical and administrative conditions for telecommunications networks and equipment, and supervises aspects of interconnection between operators.[6]
Its main areas of activity include:[7][8][9]
- regulation of telecommunications operators and services;
- management of the radio frequency spectrum;
- management of the national numbering plan;
- supervision of interconnection and access conditions;
- monitoring of competition in the telecommunications market;
- settlement of disputes between operators;
- approval and control of telecommunications equipment;
- publication of sector indicators and observatories.
In October 2025, the ANRT and the Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes digitized the import procedure for telecommunications equipment through the PortNet platform.[10]
5G licensing
In July 2025, the ANRT granted licences for the deployment of 5G networks in Morocco.[11] The licences were awarded to the three national mobile operators, Maroc Telecom, Orange Morocco and Inwi.[12] The operators were required to meet deployment commitments, including population coverage targets for 2026 and 2030.[13]
Leadership
The agency has been headed by several directors general since its creation.
| Director general | Term started | Term ended |
|---|---|---|
| Mostafa Terrab | 9 February 1998 | 2002 |
| Mohamed Benchaâboun | September 2003 | 2008 |
| Azzeddine El Mountassir Billah | 2008 | 25 October 2016 |
| Azzelarab Hassibi | 26 June 2017 | present |
Gallery
Main facade of the headquarters.
Side view of the ANRT offices in Rabat.
