Interview with Kamal Ammor, Commercial Director of Nortis Telecom.

1- Before we begin, could you briefly introduce Nortis Telecom?

Nortis Telecom is a leading VSAT telecommunications operator in Morocco, founded by the Norwegian incumbent operator Telenor (Norway Telecom) more than 22 years ago, then integrated into the international Eurona group.
Present on several continents and countries, with a very prestigious client portfolio in different line of businesses (National Defense Administration or ADN, Security departments, health, education, public administrations, telecom operators, banks, insurance, multinationals, SMEs/SMIs and also in the B2C segment with offers adapted to their needs).

2- With a presence in several countries and with more than 22 years of activity, Nortis Telecom is the leading VSAT operator in Morocco. Can you tell us more?

Nortis Telecom was born to cover one of the basic needs of populations, that of having a quality Internet connection EVERYWHERE, hence our slogan “Internet Everywhere and For All”. It is therefore in our DNA to first of all democratize access to the Internet and to offer companies and individuals high-speed satellite solutions regardless of their geographical location thanks to a universal connectivity.
Faithful to this desire, Nortis Telecom offers a range of services ranging from simple Internet access to the most complex solutions. Nortis Telecom develops and provides global telecom solutions based on advanced technologies and supports the design, deployment, parts and labor maintenance, control and supervision of its customers’ infrastructure to provide them with personalized solutions, characterized by high added value with a focus on improving their telecom networks.
Nortis Telecom currently has several thousand of customers and more than 12,000 active VSAT stations installed on Moroccan territory, on behalf of its prestigious customers operating in around twenty different business lines.

3- As you mentioned Nortis Telecom is present in the public sector as well as in small and medium enterprises, but also provide services to residential customers and to multinationals. So what is the real target of the company and for which business line are your solutions best suited?

We have solutions adapted to all clients segments, ranging from simple Internet access for individuals and professionals to the most complex solutions for interconnecting remote sites, audiovisual content distribution solutions, mobility solutions, Machine to Machine solutions and several customized solutions adapted to specific client needs.
Nortis Telecom already has large customers in more than twenty business lines, in particular in sectors of security, health, education to support respectively the State projects of telemedicine and digital education, the public administration, the telecommunications sector, the oil sector with almost all oil companies as clients, construction with a multitude of infrastructure companies, agriculture with several hundred farms, agricultural estates, hydraulic basins and dams, the hotel sector by connecting tourist facilities in every corner of Morocco, the banking sector, the energy sector, the transport sector, the media sector and much more… This list is therefore not exhaustive since our solutions can adapt to the needs of all sectors of activity and all companies regardless of their size and geographic location.

4- In specific terms, what are the advantages and technological performance of your Broadband offers?

Today, we are talking about very high-speed networks, which reach 100 Mbps and more and thus provide more efficency. Our solutions are therefore efficent, they are flexible by allowing, depending on the need of the customer, to provide either dedicated band or shared band with guaranteed bandwith. They are reliable by offering a very high quality of service with a link availability that exceeds 99.7% and a short Garanteed restoration time (GTR less than 4 hours). Furtheremore, our solutions are also economical and affordable with very competitive prices on the Moroccan market. Moreover, our services are independent from terrestrial infrastructures and are deployed very quickly since it simply requires to install a small antenna not exceeding 74 cm and a small modem. Finally, our solutions are available on 100% of Moroccan territory and with the same quality of service EVERYWHERE.

5- What are Nortis Telecom’s medium and long term objectives?

As I mentioned earlier, one of our core values at Nortis Telecom is to end the digital divide. Our current, medium and long-term objectives are therefore the same: to participate in the digitalization and development of the economic, social and educational system.
• The economic one by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises throughout Morocco and offering them solutions adapted to their needs and their budgets.
• Social one by offering the entire population the same quality of service without any geographical discrimination.
• And Educational one by participating in large-scale projects, including the GENIE project with the Ministry of National Education. This latter allowed Nortis Telecom to connect several thousand public schools and to provide connectivity to millions of children in rural areas .
One of our mid-term goals that has already started to materialize is to expand across the entire African continent. Nortis Telecom is already establishing itself as a pan-African telecommunications operator present in Morocco, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea and Benin.

6- 2020 was marked by the Coronavirus. Lockdown and the rise of teleworking have triggered over-consumption of the Internet among citizens, how has this health crisis affected you?

At Nortis Telecom, we have seen a surge in demand for satellite technology during this period. We have offered special discounts and significant promotions on subscription rates throughout the lockdown period.
The health crisis has allowed us to find factors for improvement and opportunities for the future. We were also confronted with the reality of the persistent digital divide in our country. Unfortunately, Rural populations did not have the same opportunities to access essential services such as telework, online education or telemedicine. But at the same time, we were able to get closer to our impact and the impact of our technology on bridging this divide and how satellite may be the only technology able of ending it.

7- Looking to the future, what new opportunities is Nortis Telecom working on?

Nortis Telecom’s commitment for the future is to continue to focus on achieving our ultimate goals: to democratize Internet access, reduce the digital divide and actively participate in the digitalization of Moroccan administration and business through the installation of infrastructures and broadband acessiblility.

To this end, we will continue to position ourselves at the cutting-edge technology to offer the best service to our customers and develop customized solutions in order to improve the value proposition of our various business lines.
At the international level, we will continue to bet on the socio-economic progress of the African continent, bringing universal connectivity to more African countries.