Moroccan MPs Demand Better Internet Access in Rural Villages Amid Digitalization Criticism

During a heated parliamentary session, Morocco's digital transition minister faced sharp criticism from lawmakers across various parties regarding the pace and effectiveness of digitalization efforts. Members of Parliament (MPs) voiced concerns over the persistent issues of poor mobile phone and internet coverage in rural and remote areas, as well as the slow rollout of digital services and the integration of artificial intelligence into public administration.

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Your management of the digitalization process is very slow, there is still fragility in the digital infrastructure and frequent failures of platforms... which negatively affects the lives and services of citizens.

Opposition MPs led the charge, describing the digital infrastructure as "fragile" and prone to frequent disruptions. One MP from the Justice and Development Party criticized the ministry's management of digitalization, stating that the slow progress negatively impacts citizens' lives and services. MPs from both the majority and opposition highlighted the "digital imbalances and spatial disparities" in coverage quality affecting mountainous regions. A representative from the Authenticity and Modernity Party specifically called for effective 3G or 4G service in remote areas of the Taroudant province, emphasizing that residents were not demanding 5G but basic reliable connectivity.

In response, the Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Ghita Mezzour, defended the government's commitment to improving telecommunications infrastructure. She cited Morocco's two-point advancement in the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) ICT Development Index for 2026, maintaining its leading position in Africa for 2025 and 2026. Mezzour detailed measures under the National Broadband Development Plan (Phase II 2026), which aims to provide 4G coverage to 2,000 rural areas through a participatory approach. She also mentioned ongoing field visits to assess technical conditions and a rapid response mechanism for unserved populated areas.

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remote mountainous and rural areas, especially the centers of communes and surrounding villages in the province of Taroudant, whose inhabitants suffer from weak coverage and only demand effective third-generation (3G) or fourth-generation (4G) networks, emphasizing that they are not asking for "fifth generation."

The minister also highlighted the successes of the first phase of the broadband plan, which covered over 10,690 areas by 2024. To address connectivity challenges in difficult regions, alternative solutions like the VSAT initiative, offering satellite coverage with financial support, and the activation of "National Roaming" service in over 7,300 areas were presented. MPs also urged the ministry to enhance cybersecurity readiness and train personnel for AI integration to improve public services and administrative efficiency.

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The current government has given great attention to the development of telecommunications infrastructure