Orange increases its interest in the Moroccan operator Méditel with the acquisition of an additional 9% of Méditel’s share capital, bringing its total share to 49%. The latest move by the French telecom operator allows the Operator to take control of Meditel directly and is seen as its move to expand beyond Europe. It is also expected that Meditel will adopt a name change to Orange Morocco.
Méditel has more than 13 million mobile subscribers, representing a 31% market share as at the end of 2014 and has posted posted revenues of 5.5 billion dirhams (503 million euros) with an EBITDA of 1.86 billion dirhams (170 million euros) last financial year. The operator has undertaken massive investments in its networks, which now include over 5,400 km of fiber optic cable, including 870 km in Morocco’s ten largest urban areas. In addition, Méditel will complete the overhaul of its mobile network this year, extending its 3G coverage to 95% of the population. Last month, the Operator launched its 4G service.
