Orange will replace the Méditel brand which has 14.2 million customer making it the second largest number of customers within the Group’s Middle East and African footprint, after Orange Egypt.
Meditel contributes close to 10% of revenues in this region and was formed in 1999 offering both fixed and mobile networks.
According to Stéphane Richard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orange, “Our goal is to offer fixed and mobile digital services under a single brand, Orange, and to strengthen our position in Africa and the Middle East. We are delighted that Méditel is becoming Orange at a time when the Moroccan market is firmly turning toward digitisation.”
With the move, Orange brand now serves over 55 million Arab-speaking customers across the region and aims to invest in providing exceptional quality of service, and a unique and incomparable experience to Orange customers in this strategically important region for our Group.
Méditel has more than 5,400 kilometres of optical fibre and more than 4,000 radio sites throughout the Kingdom.
Méditel’s 2G and 3G networks provide coverage for 99% of the population. In March 2015, the Moroccan regulator assigned one of the three 4G licenses to the operator in recognition of the company’s highly-skilled staff and its technical know-how. Méditel was the first operator to launch a 4G service, in June 2015, and now provides coverage for 42% of the population.
The Orange Group has backed Méditel since December 2010, when it acquired 40% of the company. Orange has held 49% of Méditel’s capital since July 2015 and consolidates its financial results in the Group’s financial statements. Orange is present in 29 countries across the globe, including 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Yves Gauthier, CEO of Orange in Morocco, added: “Our customers’ uses are evolving. Today, the Moroccan market is at a decisive turning point, and the challenge for us is to support the country’s digital development. Our goal is to continue the excellent work already accomplished in this field in recent years and to make Orange a standard-bearer for the telecoms market in Morocco. We want to be the operator that gives its customers a unique connected experience and that is always there for its customers in their day-to-day connected lives, no matter what their needs or desires.”
