Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications
 | |
| Type: | Government Agency |
| Industry: | Telecommunications |
| Founded: | 1998 |
| Founder(s): | Government of Morocco, under the Authority of the Prime Minister |
| Headquarters: | Boulevard Ar Riyad, Hay Riyad, P.O. Box 2939, Rabat 10100, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer |
| Country: | Morocco |
| Website: | ANRT.Net.Ma |
Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications, or ANRT is the central body instituted by the government of Morocco to govern and administer the telecommunication sector of that country. ANRT not only administers this sector, but also oversees enforcement of the laws governing the sector by the requisite authorities, as well as manages the country's .ma ccTLD and its IDN version, المغرب. It also ensures that communication networks within Morocco remain secure against any form of infringement. Thirdly, it maintains adequate contingency plans to handle possible emergencies, plans that ensure that communications facilities will remain up and running in a regional or national emergency. [1]
History
ANRT was established under the authority of the prime minister of Morocco, and possesses considerable financial and legal autonomy.
The law that established it was passed in 1998, and since then ANRT has overseen a general reorganization of the communication sector in Morocco. ANRT oversees the practical implementation of various legislation passed by the government of Morocco regarding telecommunications.[1]
Business
ANRT ensures that fair play is observed between different organizations in the telecommunication sector in Morocco. ANRT also suggests possible related legislation. ANRT directly represents the government of Morocco in the management of certain scarce telecommunication resources. Besides all these functions, the organization supports the training of personnel and the advancement of research in telecommunications technology.
ANRT is a functional arm of the Moroccan government, fully empowered by the legislation of that country. [1]
Products and Services
Laws and Legislation: ANRT contributes to the legal and legislative basis of the telecommunications sector of Morocco, even to the extent of preparing draft laws.
Administration of Licenses: ANRT administers the granting of licenses in the telecommunication sector in Morocco, usually via competitive bidding.
Oversight and Arbitration: It oversees technical requirements in the sector, as well as the prices that various operators charge for their services. It is an authority of appeal for competitive disputes between operators in the sector and also handles allegations of violation of fair play.
Advancement of Technology: ANRT functions as a representative of the Moroccan government in encouraging advancement in telecommunication technology in Morocco.
Administration of Resources: ANRT also manages certain important resources, such as the radio spectrum, in terms of telecommunication facilities.
Domain Names: ANRT also manages domain names in Morocco.[1]
.ma ccTLD
The .ma ccTLD was re-delegated to ANRT in 2006, after initial concerns in 2005 from the IANA that community outreach would be lacking if the ccTLD's management was led by the private sector. After that 2005 online consultation and a subsequent internet conference to address issues of community outreach, ANRT lodged another re-delegation request with IANA with 2006, and the Moroccan Minister of Economic and General Affairs approved the ccTLD's re-delegation.[2]
The Administrative and Technical Contact of the registry at the time assented to the re-delegation to ANRT, commenting that "ANRT recognises that the Internet naming system is a public resource in the sense that its functions must be administered in the public or common interest".[3]
In 2006, the ICANN Board considered the request and authorized the President of ICANN to move forward with the delegation of the .ma ccTLD to ANRT.[2][3]
As of April 2021, there were approximately 99,000 registered .ma domains.[4]
Recent News
ANRT has recently conducted arbitrations in several areas of interest to Maroc Telecom.
It ruled against Maroc Telecom in the case of telecom operator Wana's alleged abuse of fair play laws by Maroc Telecom.
It also enforced Maroc's granting of access to Medi Telecom to the submarine cable SEA-ME-WE 3. [5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 ANRT.net.ma
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 MEAC DNS Study, ICANN.org. Published 2015 October 13. Retrieved 2015 November 6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 IANA Report on the Redelegation of the .MA Top-Level Domain, IANA.org. Retrieved 2015 November 12.
- ↑ WHOIS.ma - Statistics
- ↑ MOROCCO: ANRT GIVES MEDI TELECOM PROPER ACCESS TO SEA-ME-WE 3, BalancingAct-Africa.com.