National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca

Programme Overview

National digital transformation requires resilient, high-capacity transmission networks alongside efficient domestic traffic exchange.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ This five-day executive training programme delivers rigorous technical and regulatory methodologies for planning, rolling out, and managing national optic fibre backbones and Internet Exchange Points (IXPs). Participants examine civil engineering standards, optic transmission parameters, and carrier-neutral exchange architectures essential for modern wholesale digital connectivity. The curriculum addresses the operational complexities faced by public telecom authorities, infrastructure agencies, and sector regulators seeking to eliminate international transit dependencies and lower domestic bandwidth expenses.

Delivered in Casablanca, Morocco, the course combines field-tested engineering frameworks with international wholesale telecommunications governance practices. Attendees review optic fibre duct deployment, dark fibre commercialisation models, and non-discriminatory infrastructure sharing mandates. The programme explores ITU-T recommendations for optical transport networks, alongside best practices from the Internet Society and Euro-IX regarding IXP operational governance. Through hands-on design exercises and technical policy reviews, public officials evaluate practical approaches to managing open-access broadband infrastructure, cross-border network interconnections, and national peering ecosystems.

The sessions also address governance, concession agreements, and legal structuring for state-owned digital assets. Participants establish compliance criteria, wholesale pricing benchmarks, and service level agreements (SLAs) that satisfy international standards and multilateral development bank procurement criteria. By linking physical layer deployment oversight with IXP route server management and wholesale regulatory design, the programme equips technical managers and regulatory specialists with the tools needed to supervise large-scale telecommunications capital projects and deliver competitive, high-speed national connectivity.

Public digital connectivity drives socio-economic modernization, yet fragmented fibre deployments and routing domestic traffic through overseas switches continue to drain public resources and constrain broadband uptake.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ This training aligns with the major digital infrastructure, backbone rollout, and network deployment objectives supported by sovereign borrowing, including the US$150m Senegal Digital Economy Acceleration Project funded by the World Bank. Government authorities, infrastructure operating agencies, and regulatory bodies require immediate technical capacity to oversee extensive civil duct works, enforce infrastructure sharing regulations, and govern sustainable, neutral Internet Exchange Points to retain digital traffic locally.

Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Casablanca, Morocco, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Terrestrial optical transmission fundamentals, link budget calculation, and ITU-T G.652/G.654 fibre standards
• Civil engineering works: trenching methodologies, duct installation, micro-trenching, and duct occupancy verification
• Quality assurance and route surveying: optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) testing and chromatic dispersion management
• Civil works contractor supervision, environmental and social risk mitigation, and right-of-way (RoW) acquisition
• Procurement and FIDIC contract management for national backbone rollouts under international financing rules
• Open-access principles: structural separation, accounting separation, and non-discriminatory access rules
• Commercialisation of state-owned optical fibres: dark fibre, indefeasible rights of use (IRU), and wavelength leasing
• Public-private partnership (PPP) operational models: Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) versus concession licences
• Infrastructure planning and prioritisation
• Project appraisal and business cases
• Financing options and public-private partnerships
• Procurement and contracting for works

It is designed for telecom and civil engineers overseeing national optic fibre deployments, digital infrastructure directors from public sector communication agencies, communications regulatory authority officers and wholesale market analysts and others who want practical, current skills in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships.

The Growing Importance of National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca

Infrastructure and urban services shape growth, health and opportunity. Projects are large, complex and long-lived, and weaknesses in planning, financing or delivery are costly to fix later.

Governments increasingly combine public investment, partnerships with the private sector and new technologies. Teams who can plan, appraise, procure and manage these investments deliver better assets and services.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Plan and prioritise infrastructure investments
• Appraise projects and prepare business cases
• Choose financing and delivery models
• Supervise works for time, cost and quality
• Manage assets over their life

Strong infrastructure, urban development and partnerships systems help organisations:

• Select the right investments
• Deliver projects on time and on budget
• Attract financing and partners
• Keep assets working for longer

This National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.

Who Should Attend This National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Telecom and civil engineers overseeing national optic fibre deployments
• Digital infrastructure directors from public sector communication agencies
• Communications regulatory authority officers and wholesale market analysts
• Project coordinators from donor-funded digital transformation units
• National transmission network managers and system architects
• Public-private partnership (PPP) telecom contract and concession officers
• Universal service fund managers dedicated to broadband expansion
• Internet Exchange Point technical directors and peering coordinators
• Cross-border interconnection managers within ministries of digital economy
• Infrastructure and urban planners
• Engineers and technical managers
• Project and programme managers

The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.

National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Training, participants will be able to:

• Assess civil works specifications and duct deployment oversight for national optic fibre backbone networks
• Structure carrier-neutral Internet Exchange Point (IXP) technical architectures, switching fabrics, and multi-lateral peering policies
• Evaluate international wholesale telecommunications regulations and reference interconnect offers (RIOs)
• Formulate open-access infrastructure sharing models to optimize public utility rights-of-way and dark fibre assets
• Draft comprehensive Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for wholesale transit, co-location, and high-speed terrestrial backhaul
• Apply ITU-T and Euro-IX technical standards to digital infrastructure procurement and project monitoring
• Design institutional governance frameworks that balance sovereign asset management with private-sector broadband service provision
• Explain how infrastructure is planned and prioritised
• Appraise projects and prepare a business case
• Compare financing and delivery models, including partnerships

Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.

Programme Contents and Structure

National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Training Methodology

The course utilizes adult-learning methodologies targeted at technical and regulatory professionals.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ Instruction blends technical lectures, real-world case analysis from emerging market network deployments, and group-based exercises on wholesale telecommunications policy. Participants review authentic technical specifications, inspect duct construction inspection logs, and evaluate BGP peering configurations. Moderated group discussions encourage cross-border peer exchange, culminating in a hands-on action planning workshop where delegates draft infrastructure-sharing protocols and IXP operational models applicable to their home institutions.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on current practice
• Regional and international case studies
• Group work and practical exercises
• Simulations and role plays where relevant
• Discussion of participants' own challenges
• Peer learning across institutions and countries
• Practical tools and templates to take back to work
• Daily reflection and action planning

Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group. Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Training, participants will be able to:

• Direct engineering and quality control procedures for national optic fibre civil deployments in compliance with ITU-T standards
• Formulate robust open-access regulatory instruments, reference interconnect offers, and infrastructure-sharing terms
• Deploy secure, reliable Internet Exchange Point architectures adhering to MANRS and international routing standards
• Establish transparent, sustainable multi-stakeholder governance models for domestic IXP administration
• Construct enforceable Service Level Agreements and technical compliance protocols for public dark fibre and capacity leases
• Oversee telecommunications infrastructure components of donor-funded capital programmes according to international guidelines
• Plan and prioritise infrastructure investments
• Appraise projects and prepare business cases

Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.

Institutional Application of National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Investment planning
• Project appraisal
• Partnership management
• Works supervision
• Asset management

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Business cases
• Risk allocation
• Contract management
• Maintenance planning
• Service monitoring

The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.

Regional Relevance & Application

Europe

European institutions apply infrastructure, urban development and partnerships within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.

Africa

Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.

Middle East

In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on infrastructure, urban development and partnerships. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.

Asia

Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to infrastructure, urban development and partnerships that suit smaller institutions.

Holding the programme in Casablanca, Morocco brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how infrastructure, urban development and partnerships is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.

Host Country Profile – Morocco

Training programmes and study tours in Casablanca suit government officials, project teams and professionals focusing on international trade, maritime transport, banking and regional economic development.

Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.

National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Readiness Assessment
• National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca Training Manual
• Project Appraisal Template
• PPP Risk Allocation Matrix
• Works Supervision Checklist
• Asset Management Plan Template
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Business Case Review Checklist
• Maintenance Planning Template
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.

Common Challenges in National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca, And How This Training Helps

How can institutions plan and prioritise infrastructure investments?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (National Fibre Backbone Design and Civil Engineering Supervision), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions appraise projects and prepare business cases?

The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Open-Access Infrastructure Sharing and Public-Private Concessions), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions choose financing and delivery models?

The programme addresses this directly on the third day (Internet Exchange Point Architecture and Operational Engineering), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions supervise works for time, cost and quality?

The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (IXP Governance, Multi-Stakeholder Models, and Sustainability), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions manage assets over their life?

The programme addresses this directly on the fifth day (Wholesale Telecom Regulation, Quality of Service, and SLA Design), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the National Broadband Backbone Expansion and IXP Governance in Casablanca programme take place?

It runs from 8 Nov 2027 to 12 Nov 2027, in Casablanca, Morocco. The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for telecom and civil engineers overseeing national optic fibre deployments, digital infrastructure directors from public sector communication agencies, communications regulatory authority officers and wholesale market analysts, project coordinators from donor-funded digital transformation units, and others who want practical skills in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.

Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?

Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.

Do I need prior experience in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships?

No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.

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