As to the second issue, terrorism, Casablanca was the site of a major terrorist attack in
May 2003 when suicide bombers detonated five
bombs targeting a Jewish community center, a
Spanish restaurant and social club, a hotel, and
the Belgian consulate. 10 According to Human
Rights Watch, “several hundred” suspects
remain detained in connection with the incident
and face “mistreatment, and sometimes torture,
while under interrogation, and then convict[ion] in
unfair trials.” 11 An antiterrorism law passed soon
after the attacks placed further restrictions on the
press.
12
Internet in Morocco
The Internet was first introduced in Morocco in
1995,
13
and the country now has one of the highest degrees of connectivity in Africa. Maroc
Télécom is the largest Internet service provider
(ISP) in Morocco, with an estimated market share
in June 2006 in excess of 95 percent. 14 The
majority of the remaining customers are with
Maroc Connect, which provides an ADSL service
through wholesale access agreements with
Maroc Télécom. 15 Maroc Télécom offers wholesale services to other ISPs, following the
Reference Access Offer approved by Morocco’s
telecom regulatory body, the National
Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT),
in October 2006. 16 In 2005 the total number of
Internet users in Morocco was 4.6 million, up
from 100,000 in 2000.
17
This constitutes approximately 15.1 percent of the country’s population.
18
Penetration remains low in absolute terms as a
result of cost, the country’s low literacy rate, and
a lack of infrastructure in rural areas. The mushrooming number of cybercafés, however, has
expanded access from the capital city of
Casablanca to Morocco’s smaller cities and villages. As of mid-2006, ANRT had granted over
10,000 licenses to ISPs and cybercafés. 19
Internet service is also becoming faster and more
reliable; ADSL service was launched in Morocco
in 2003 and has attracted an increasing number
of subscribers. The ADSL market grew by nearly
300 percent in 2005, and the number of subscribers topped 300,000 in mid-2006. 20 Morocco
offers the cheapest DSL access in Africa; a
monthly broadband connection starts at USD17
per month. 21
The growing Moroccan blogosphere now
includes over 10,000 blogs, mostly in French. As
a result of the more widespread availability of the
Internet, a Moroccan company recently launched
334
Country Summaries
KEY INDICATORS
worst
best
GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2000 international $) ........3,954 3.98
Life expectancy at birth (years)..............................................70 5.64
Literacy rate (% of people age 15+)......................................52 2.29
Human development index (out of 177) ...............................123 4.19
Rule of law (out of 208).......................................................101 4.80
Voice and accountability (out of 208)...................................153 3.47
Digital opportunity index (out of 180).....................................78 5.44
Internet users (% of population) ..........................................15.2 4.48
Source (by indicator): World Bank 2005, 2006a, 2006a; UNDP 2006; World Bank 2006c, 2006c; ITU 2006, 2005
May 2003 when suicide bombers detonated five
bombs targeting a Jewish community center, a
Spanish restaurant and social club, a hotel, and
the Belgian consulate. 10 According to Human
Rights Watch, “several hundred” suspects
remain detained in connection with the incident
and face “mistreatment, and sometimes torture,
while under interrogation, and then convict[ion] in
unfair trials.” 11 An antiterrorism law passed soon
after the attacks placed further restrictions on the
press.
12
Internet in Morocco
The Internet was first introduced in Morocco in
1995,
13
and the country now has one of the highest degrees of connectivity in Africa. Maroc
Télécom is the largest Internet service provider
(ISP) in Morocco, with an estimated market share
in June 2006 in excess of 95 percent. 14 The
majority of the remaining customers are with
Maroc Connect, which provides an ADSL service
through wholesale access agreements with
Maroc Télécom. 15 Maroc Télécom offers wholesale services to other ISPs, following the
Reference Access Offer approved by Morocco’s
telecom regulatory body, the National
Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT),
in October 2006. 16 In 2005 the total number of
Internet users in Morocco was 4.6 million, up
from 100,000 in 2000.
17
This constitutes approximately 15.1 percent of the country’s population.
18
Penetration remains low in absolute terms as a
result of cost, the country’s low literacy rate, and
a lack of infrastructure in rural areas. The mushrooming number of cybercafés, however, has
expanded access from the capital city of
Casablanca to Morocco’s smaller cities and villages. As of mid-2006, ANRT had granted over
10,000 licenses to ISPs and cybercafés. 19
Internet service is also becoming faster and more
reliable; ADSL service was launched in Morocco
in 2003 and has attracted an increasing number
of subscribers. The ADSL market grew by nearly
300 percent in 2005, and the number of subscribers topped 300,000 in mid-2006. 20 Morocco
offers the cheapest DSL access in Africa; a
monthly broadband connection starts at USD17
per month. 21
The growing Moroccan blogosphere now
includes over 10,000 blogs, mostly in French. As
a result of the more widespread availability of the
Internet, a Moroccan company recently launched
334
Country Summaries
KEY INDICATORS
worst
best
GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2000 international $) ........3,954 3.98
Life expectancy at birth (years)..............................................70 5.64
Literacy rate (% of people age 15+)......................................52 2.29
Human development index (out of 177) ...............................123 4.19
Rule of law (out of 208).......................................................101 4.80
Voice and accountability (out of 208)...................................153 3.47
Digital opportunity index (out of 180).....................................78 5.44
Internet users (% of population) ..........................................15.2 4.48
Source (by indicator): World Bank 2005, 2006a, 2006a; UNDP 2006; World Bank 2006c, 2006c; ITU 2006, 2005