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Syria vs. Lebanon

Telecommunications

SyriaLebanon
Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 2,843,103

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15.3 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 882,175

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15.1 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 21.115 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113.58 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 4,237,962

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 72.55 (2019 est.)
Internet country code.sy.lb
Internet userstotal: 6,077,510

percent of population: 34.25% (July 2018 est.)
total: 4,769,039

percent of population: 78.18% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment:

Syria's telecom sector has paid a heavy toll from years of civil war and destruction leading to major disruptions to the network; operators focusing on rebuilding damaged networks, though lack of basic infrastructure, including power and security, hamper efforts; fairly high mobile penetration for region; remote areas rely on expensive satellite communications; mobile broadband infrastructure is predominantly 3G for about 85% of the population with some LTE ; international aid network provides emergency Internet and telecom services when necessary;  government restrictions of Internet freedom; major importer of broadcasting equipment from UAE (2021)

(2020)

domestic: the number of fixed-line connections increased markedly prior to the civil war in 2011 and now stands at 17 per 100; mobile-cellular service stands at about 114 per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 963; landing points for the Aletar, BERYTAR and UGART submarine cable connections to Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment:

struggling with effects of economic malaise during pandemic and following explosion in Beirut port; Lebanon's telecom infrastructure is relatively weak, and services are expensive; rural areas are less connected and have power cuts; state retains a monopoly over the Internet backbone and dominant ownership of the telecom industry; government backed improvements to fixed infrastructure; new landlines and fiber-optic networks provide faster DSL; limited 5G services; three international gateways through submarine cables; importer of broadcasting equipment from UAE; UAE investment in tech solutions (2021)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line 13 per 100 and 62 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2019)

international: country code - 961; landing points for the IMEWE, BERYTAR AND CADMOS submarine cable links to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 1,490,344

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8.02 (2019 est.)
total: 420,000

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7.19 (2019 est.)
Broadcast mediastate-run TV and radio broadcast networks; state operates 2 TV networks and 5 satellite channels; roughly two-thirds of Syrian homes have a satellite dish providing access to foreign TV broadcasts; 3 state-run radio channels; first private radio station launched in 2005; private radio broadcasters prohibited from transmitting news or political content (2018)7 TV stations, 1 of which is state owned; more than 30 radio stations, 1 of which is state owned; satellite and cable TV services available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible through partner stations (2019)

Source: CIA Factbook