January 2000	Update: Morocco

The number of Moroccan web sites grew steadily during the final quarter of 1999.

Private initiatives continued to more noticeable than publicly sponsored sites. The SEPTI listed 571 national sites at the end of December, Marweb 548. Whereas public sites constitute eighteen percent of the total, 42% of the listed sites can be classified as "economic affairs", 15% as "arts and culture", and 4% concern the "medias".

Three recent initiatives should contribute significantly to the growth of Moroccan sites in the immediate future :

1. France Telecom Interactive, a subsidiary of the French operator France Telecom, will soon launch its Wanadoo Morocco portal site in cooperation with two Moroccan companies: Maroc connect and Netcom.
   
2. An American multinational is setting up a subsidiary to develop the Moroccan Internet. Orientation.com is specialized in the creation of regional portal sites. A link dedicated to Morocco in French will be integrated into the site www.orientation.com (20 countries covered, 1 million visitors each day).
   
3. The consumer credit company Eqdom and the provider Abnet recently presented an offer which would provide Internet access with advantageous conditions to the general public. Eqdom proposes a preferential rate of 355 dirhams per month, which includes the cost of computer material and the Internet connection. The goal is to help popularize the Internet while equipping homes with computer material.