Morocco: CAN 2025 and World Cup 2030, True Catalysts for Growth in the Telecommunications Sector

Major sporting events like the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2025 and the FIFA World Cup 2030 are prompting a profound transformation of Morocco's national digital infrastructure. According to BKGR's recent sector note titled "Telecoms: A New Breath with 5G?", these competitions are creating unprecedented investment dynamics in the telecommunications sector. The preparation for these international competitions comes with strict technological requirements set by FIFA to ensure uninterrupted global media transmission of all matches. This includes international fiber optic connectivity and advanced telecommunications infrastructure. In response to these demands, Morocco has embarked on a technological acceleration process. BKGR highlights that the National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT) has confirmed that the IT infrastructures of the six proposed Moroccan stadiums are rated as very good by FIFA, meeting the organization's requirements. This is a significant asset for hosting the 2030 World Cup. Furthermore, the accelerated rollout of 5G, scheduled for November 2025, is strategically timed to coincide with the kickoff of the CAN in December. This tight timeline aligns with the national strategy "Morocco Digital 2030," aiming for a minimum coverage of eight cities and their airports by November 2025, reaching 25% of the population by the end of 2026, and 70% by the end of 2030. Initially, the launch will utilize 5G NSA (Non Stand Alone) technology, leveraging existing 4G infrastructure for a quicker and more cost-effective deployment. The transition to 5G SA (Stand Alone), which offers latency under 1 millisecond and tenfold capacity, will gradually occur by 2030 to meet the demands of advanced applications such as Industry 4.0, connected health, and smart cities. Beyond the event-driven aspect, the commercial launch of 5G represents a strategic turning point for the sector. In line with regional trends, the contribution of 5G to the GDP in the MENA region is expected to exceed $50 billion by 2030. In Morocco, 5G could generate an estimated economic contribution of between $4 billion and $6 billion by 2030, accounting for approximately 1.5% to 2% of projected GDP. This includes direct effects (telecom revenues), indirect effects (development of digital services, IoT, cloud), and induced effects (productivity gains). This dynamic is expected to be driven by increased adoption in professional uses—such as Industry 4.0, connected health, and smart cities—as well as sustained growth in consumer data consumption. Beyond telecom operators, the impact is anticipated to benefit the entire ecosystem, with nearly 40 billion dirhams in additional investments expected in associated infrastructure and services. This presents notable opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), tech startups, equipment manufacturers, and civil engineering actors. The manufacturing, logistics, agricultural, health, and education sectors are also likely to benefit.