--- title: "Is There Phone Signal in the Moroccan Desert?" description: "Phone signal in the Moroccan desert: yes in Zagora and Errachidia (ANRT: 91 Mbps in Errachidia, May 2026), nothing published for Merzouga or the dunes." image: "https://rentaphone.ma/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/reseau-desert-maroc.jpg" dateModified: "2026-11-10" --- Source: https://rentaphone.ma/en/phone-signal-moroccan-desert/ Date: 2026-08-26 Updated: 2026-11-10 Language: en - Blog - Signal in the desert # Is there phone signal in the Moroccan desert? What works, and what stops working Updated on 10 November 2026 · 8 min read Yes, there is phone signal in the towns of southern Morocco, but nothing guarantees it out on the Sahara dunes: as of 10 November 2026, Ouarzazate, Zagora and Errachidia are on Orange’s list of towns covered by its 5G (dated 5 November 2025), while neither the operators nor the regulator ANRT publish any coverage for Merzouga and Erg Chebbi, Erg Chigaga or M’Hamid. ANRT measured an average download speed of 91 Mbps in Errachidia in May 2026. 4G reaches more than 99% of the population (ANRT), a figure that says nothing about the dunes, where nobody lives: set off expecting gaps, and sort out maps, batteries and messages before you leave town. Key points - Southern towns: Ouarzazate, Zagora, Errachidia, Midelt and Er-Rich are on Orange’s 5G list. In Errachidia, ANRT measured 91 Mbps on average in May 2026, the lowest of the 10 cities tested. - Merzouga, Erg Chebbi, Erg Chigaga, M’Hamid, Rissani, Erfoud, Tinghir: no coverage published by the operators or ANRT as of 10 November 2026. - We found no official coverage map of Morocco. A town missing from Orange’s 5G list tells you nothing about its 4G. - A local SIM, an eSIM, roaming or a router all use the same three Moroccan networks: none of them works where those networks do not reach. - Before you leave town: offline maps, charged batteries, a power bank, and your route shared with someone. Pocket WiFi in Marrakech Maroc Telecom 4G router: €4.90 a day (2-day minimum), up to 10 devices, delivered and collected free of charge at your accommodation in Marrakech, 9 am to 6 pm. Book onlineCard payment in euros. In this article - Is there phone signal in Merzouga and out on the dunes? - Zagora, Errachidia, Merzouga: what is published, place by place - Is there phone signal in the Atlas, on the way to the desert? - Local SIM, roaming or camp Wi-Fi: which works in the desert? - What a router and an eSIM can do in the desert - Getting ready for a night in the desert: the checklist - Frequently asked questions ## Is there phone signal in Merzouga and out on the dunes? No official source says whether there is signal in Merzouga or out on the dunes: as of 10 November 2026, neither Maroc Telecom, Orange, inwi nor ANRT publishes a map or a coverage rate for Merzouga, Hassilabied, Khamlia and Erg Chebbi, or for M’Hamid El Ghizlane and Erg Chigaga. Merzouga, Rissani, Erfoud and M’Hamid are not on Orange’s 5G list: that does not prove there is no 4G, it means nothing is published. National figures do not settle it either. ANRT says 4G covers more than 99% of the population; that is a population figure, and the dunes have no population. Opensignal, which measures what subscribers experience, warns that its indicators will not tell you whether you are likely to get a signal in a remote or nearly uninhabited region. Claims about signal in Merzouga or Erg Chigaga found online come from blogs and eSIM sellers, with no published measurements: we do not repeat them. ## Zagora, Errachidia, Merzouga: what is published, place by place Only two official sources name places in southern Morocco: Orange’s list of towns covered by its 5G and ANRT’s measurements, combined in the table below. We found no such list from any other operator. “Covered town” is Orange’s wording: it does not mean the whole municipality, or the tracks leading out of it, are covered. In Errachidia, ANRT also measured 25 Mbps upload and 51 ms latency, in town, with 5G-capable smartphones: these figures describe neither the countryside nor the dunes. For rural areas, the state funds coverage programmes: the PACTE programme, now completed, targeted 9,263 localities, and the National Broadband Plan had covered 10,623 of its 10,740 localities by the end of May 2024, with 1,800 more targeted by 2026. The lists of localities are not published, so there is no way to tell whether a desert village is among them. Sources: Orange Maroc, “Villes couvertes par la 5G” (PDF dated 5 November 2025, linked from orange.ma/5G, checked on 10 November 2026); ANRT, “QoS Data Aïd Al-Adha 2026” report (tests from 26 to 28 May 2026 in 10 cities); ANRT, PACTE and National Broadband Plan pages; Maroc Telecom, 2025 Universal Registration Document. ## Is there phone signal in the Atlas, on the way to the desert? In the Atlas, the rule is the same as in the desert: Marrakech, Ait Ourir and Ouarzazate are on Orange’s 5G list, but the Tizi n’Tichka pass, the Todra and Dades gorges, the Ourika valley, Imlil and Toubkal have no published coverage from any operator. Opensignal points out that in a large mountain range most users do not expect coverage in the wilderness. For a hike or a long day on the road, assume nobody may be able to reach you for several hours: tell someone your route and your expected return time, and download offline maps before you set off. The three networks, city by city, are compared on our page about mobile network coverage in Morocco. ## Local SIM, roaming or camp Wi-Fi: which works in the desert? Every way of getting online runs on the same three Moroccan networks. A local SIM card or a Moroccan eSIM puts you on that operator’s network; an international eSIM, on its local partner’s network; roaming from your home network, on a Moroccan partner network, often at a much higher price (see how to avoid high roaming charges in Morocco). None of them works where those networks do not reach. Camp Wi-Fi. We found no official information on how the bivouacs of Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga connect to the internet, nor at what times. Before booking, ask the camp whether it offers Wi-Fi, how, at what hours, and whether there is power to charge your devices. Two networks rather than one. Since nothing is published about the dunes, two lines on two different networks raise the chance that at least one gets signal: for example our router on Maroc Telecom and, in a phone, a SIM from another operator. ## What a router and an eSIM can do in the desert A router or an eSIM does not create a network: in the desert, each works where its operator’s network reaches, and nowhere else. The Rent A Phone router, for groups starting from Marrakech. It runs on 4G on the Maroc Telecom network, named Morocco’s best network by Opensignal (April 2026), with the best Coverage Experience score (9.2 out of 10, ahead of inwi on 9.1 and Orange on 7.8). It works wherever Maroc Telecom 4G reaches, in town or on a day trip, shares one connection with up to 10 devices and lasts up to 8 hours on battery; add a power bank (€1.90 a day) for a night at camp. Unlimited data, €4.90 a day, 2-day minimum. We deliver it free of charge to your accommodation in Marrakech, between 9 am and 6 pm, before you set off, and collect it when you are back in Marrakech: we do not deliver to Merzouga or Zagora. Book your router online before heading for the dunes. The eSIM. Travelling alone with a compatible, unlocked phone, an eSIM is simpler than a router: eSIM Maroc costs €24 for 7 days, with 1 GB a day at full speed then 512 kbps until the next day, data only; the plan starts on your first connection to a Moroccan network. Our guide to eSIM in Morocco covers installation. ## Getting ready for a night in the desert: the checklist - In the last town Download offline maps for the whole route, your tickets and bookings, and something to read or watch offline; send any important messages. - Batteries Charge your phone, the router and a power bank to 100%; the router lasts up to 8 hours, and the power bank takes over. - Tell someone Share your route and the name of the camp with someone at home, with a time to call back once you are in town again. - Ask the camp or hotel Wi-Fi or not, which network works, power to charge: ask before you book. - On site If the signal is weak, try outdoors rather than inside, and send text messages rather than making video calls. - On the way back Sync photos and backups once you are back in a covered town. To choose your trip, see our Marrakech day trips; if you are travelling independently over several days, travelling by camper van in Morocco covers staying connected on the road. ## Frequently asked questions Read next - Mobile network coverage in Morocco: Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi - Marrakech day trips - 5G in Morocco: the complete guide Pocket WIFI in Marrakech Unlimited 4G on the Maroc Telecom network, delivered free in Marrakech, no subscription. ## FAQ **Is there phone signal in the Moroccan desert?** In the southern towns, yes: Ouarzazate, Zagora and Errachidia are on Orange’s 5G list, and ANRT measured 91 Mbps on average in Errachidia in May 2026. For the dunes of Merzouga and Erg Chigaga, no operator publishes coverage: expect gaps. **Is there 4G in Merzouga?** No official source says so either way: Merzouga is not on Orange’s 5G list, and neither ANRT nor the operators publish 4G coverage village by village (checked on 10 November 2026). Ask your hotel which network works there, and download maps and send messages before you leave the last town. **Is there phone signal in Zagora?** For the town, yes according to Orange, which lists it among the towns covered by its 5G (list dated 5 November 2025). Beyond it, towards M’Hamid and Erg Chigaga, no coverage is published. **Which network works best in the desert?** No operator publishes its desert coverage, so nobody can say from official data. Nationally, Opensignal gives the best Coverage Experience score to Maroc Telecom (9.2 out of 10), ahead of inwi (9.1) and Orange (7.8), while noting that these scores do not measure remote regions. **Do desert camps have Wi-Fi?** No official information lets us answer in general. Ask the camp, before you book, whether it offers Wi-Fi, how and at what times, and do not build your trip around it. **How do I stay reachable during a night in the desert?** Give your route to someone at home and agree a time to call back once you are in town again. If you can, carry two lines on two different networks, and a power bank to last the night. **Will my router or eSIM work in the desert?** Yes where their network has signal, no elsewhere: no device creates a network. Our router works wherever Maroc Telecom 4G reaches and lasts up to 8 hours on battery; you receive and return it in Marrakech. **Is the network better in the Atlas than in the desert?** No published data allows a comparison: neither the operators nor ANRT publish coverage of Atlas valleys or of the dunes. 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