Syria - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Executive Summary

Maintaining basic telecommunications services has become a priority for war-torn Syria

The civil war which has been underway in Syria for many years has left a trail of destruction and despair. The serious humanitarian issues have gained the international attention of the global community and efforts are underway to alleviate some of the more urgent needs, such as food shortages and medical attention.

While some parts of Syria have been more seriously affected than others, there are reportedly around 13.5 million of Syria’s population who are in need and considered to be displaced - and 4.6 million of these are in besieged or difficult to areas.

The volatile environment in Syria has led some of the telecom operators, such as MTN Syria, to restrict operations to the safer coastal areas and capital city, Damascus.

Telecommunications in Syria have become decentralized and there is reportedly damage to infrastructure and equipment. The international aid network known as the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster has been operating in Syria since 2013 and currently has 13 sites in and around Syria which provide emergency Internet connectivity and telecommunications services.

It is hoped that once the civil unrest is resolved or subsides in Syria; opportunities for telecoms growth will again arise. Syria has a reasonably high mobile penetration and many Syrians own cheap or second hand smart phones. Opportunities may exist for mobile broadband growth in the medium-term and development of Syria’s fixed broadband may gather pace once the country stabilises.

Please note: due to the civil unrest in Syria current information and statistics on this market may not be available and the level of destruction to telecoms infrastructure is largely unknown.

Key developments:

• The years of civil unrest in Syria have taken their toll on Syria’s telecommunications infrastructure and while the capital Damascus has survived reasonably well, it is the outskirts, rural and remote areas which have felt the brunt of the destruction.
• With 3G/HSDPA networks in place, the focus for mobile data has shifted to mobile broadband offerings.
• In early 2017 reports were surfacing that a third mobile operator would enter the Syrian market.
• MTN Syria has experienced recent plateau in subscriber growth due to the challenging environment.
• Syriatel reported net revenue growth for FY 2016, despite the challenging market.

Companies covered in this report include:

Syrian Telecommunication Establishment (STE), MTN Syria, Syriatel.

Table of Contents

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