Moroccan operator inwi has announced the deployment of Morocco’s first private 5G network for industrial use, serving a 52-hectare factory in the country’s Oriental region described as one of Africa’s largest industrial sites. The announcement was made on the sidelines of GITEX Africa 2026 in Marrakech, Africa’s largest technology and startup gathering.
The deployment is the result of a partnership between inwi and China Mobile International, one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies. Under the arrangement, inwi will design, deploy, and operate the private 5G network for one of China Mobile International’s major clients in the region. inwi will provide fully dedicated and privatised connectivity resources, covering the entire industrial site with operator-grade infrastructure and expertise.
The factory is designed as a highly automated and digitalised industrial platform integrating advanced Industry 4.0 technologies to optimise operational performance, with ambitions to become a continental reference in industrial automation. inwi described the deployment as one of the most ambitious Industry 4.0 initiatives in Africa and said it intends to replicate the private 5G model with chambers of commerce in other Moroccan regions, framing the initiative as part of its broader commitment to territorial economic development.
The deployment builds on Morocco’s commercial 5G launch of November 2025, when Maroc Telecom, Orange Maroc, and inwi simultaneously activated services nationwide. Under their licence terms, operators are required to cover 45% of the population by the end of 2026, expanding to 85% by 2030. The rollout sits within Morocco’s Digital 2030 strategy, backed by MAD 80 billion ($8 billion) in planned investment through 2035. inwi holds 70MHz of 5G spectrum, acquired for MAD 600 million ($60 million).
Editor’s Note: Morocco’s first private industrial 5G deployment arriving less than five months after the commercial network launch signals an accelerated enterprise 5G track — and the China Mobile International partnership is a notable indication of Chinese industrial investment in Morocco’s manufacturing corridor. Watch whether this deployment anchors further private 5G announcements in the lead-up to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, for which Morocco is a co-host.
