Lebanon

ETC Activities

Lebanon is a mountainous country in the Levant with a coastline on the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It borders Israel in the south and Syria in the north and is the smallest nation on the Asian mainland. Thirteen years into the Syrian conflict, nearly 1.5 million Syrian refugees are currently living in Lebanon. With a population of 6.1 million, Lebanon is host to the largest number of refugees per capita in the world. 

Lebanon is impacted by surrounding regional conflict and an unfolding national economic crisis that began in October 2019. The crisis was further exacerbated by the dual economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the massive Port of Beirut explosion in August 2020. See the ‘Lebanon: Beirut Port Explosions’ for the ETC assessment response in 2020.

Additionally, the ETC supported shared security communications services in Lebanon from 2013 until 2021 as part of the cluster response to the Syrian crisisthe Whole of Syria (WoS) approach comprised activities in Türkiye, Lebanon, and Jordan for an effective humanitarian response inside Syria (now only Türkiye).

An ETC assessment and preparedness mission was held in Lebanon in January 2023 after humanitarian actors raised concerns on the reliability of ICT services in the country to the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT). Following the two-week assessment, the ETC proposed a series of preparedness and readiness measures to be undertaken by the humanitarian community in country.

Since 08 October 2023, tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have escalated, following rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel on 07 October 2023. Israel retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. Conflict drastically escalated on 23 September with large military activities targeting South, Bekka regions and extending to regions previously untouched by the conflict. As of October 2024, the number of civilian casualties and displaced population in Lebanon has surged amidst escalating conflict, with clashes that were previously confined to the border now spreading to greater distances in Lebanon to include Beirut and Israel. 

Led by the Lebanese Prime Minister, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers oversees national preparedness and response efforts, supported by the National Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Unit. The HCT in Lebanon, led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and supplementing national efforts, continues its response readiness and preparedness activities to meet the humanitarian needs of the people affected by the increase in hostilities.

ICT Profile

Country background
Country name
Lebanon
Capital city
Beirut
Name of national disaster management agency

National Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Unit

Name of telecommunications ministry

Ministry of Telecommunications

Name of telecommunications regulator

Telecommunications Regulatory Authority

Population

6.1 million

Country narrative

Lebanon is a mountainous country in the Levant with a coastline on the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It borders Israel in the south and Syria in the north and is the smallest nation on the Asian mainland. Thirteen years into the Syrian conflict, nearly 1.5 million Syrian refugees are currently living in Lebanon. With a population of 6.1 million, Lebanon is host to the largest number of refugees per capita in the world.

Currency

Lebanese pound

Key ICT statistics
Fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

16

Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

77

Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

7.7

Mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

77.8

GSMA mobile connectivity index score

56.9

3G coverage % of population

68%

Regulations and rules
Regolations/Rules
Type of regulation
Telecommunications
Policy name

Law 431/2002, or the Telecommunications Law as it is often referred to, was issued in 2002 to provide the framework for governing the organization of the telecommunications services sector and to set the rules for its transfer to the private sector.

Description

The present Law regulates the Telecommunications Services sector in the Lebanese Territories and includes the rules for its transfer, or the transfer of its administration, in full or in part, to the private sector, including the role of the State in the telecommunications sector.

 

Communications service providers
Mobile network operator (MNO)
Company name
Alfa
GSMA HCC signatory
No
Parent company name (majority holding)
Mobile Interim Company 1 SAL
Service description
Alfa currently serves more than 2 million mobile telecommunications subscribers (75% of them are data users), through a network (2G, 3G+, 4G and 4G+/LTE-A) that covers 99% of Lebanon.
Coverage map (provide URL)
https://www.gsma.com/coverage/#187
Mobile money service available
No
Fibre optic network
No
Voice and SMS services
Yes
3G/4G data services
Yes
Mobile network operator (MNO)
Company name
Touch
GSMA HCC signatory
No
Parent company name (majority holding)
Touch
Service description
Established in 2004, touch (formerly known as MTC Touch) is the leading mobile telecommunications and data operator in Lebanon with a market share standing at 53%. 
Coverage map (provide URL)
-https://www.gsma.com/coverage/#314
Mobile money service available
No
Fibre optic network
No
Voice and SMS services
Yes
3G/4G data services
Yes
Mobile network operator (MNO)
Company name
Ogero Telecom
GSMA HCC signatory
No
Parent company name (majority holding)
Ogero Telecom
Service description
Ogero Telecom is the engine of the Ministry of Telecommunications (MoT) and constitutes the backbone infrastructure for all telecom networks including Mobile Network Operators, Data Service Providers (DSPs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and others. O
Coverage map (provide URL)
https://www.gsma.com/coverage/#1992
Mobile money service available
No
Fibre optic network
Yes
Voice and SMS services
Yes
3G/4G data services
Yes
Internet service provider (ISP)
Company name
Ogero Telecom
Service description
Ogero Telecom is the engine of the Ministry of Telecommunications (MoT) and constitutes the backbone infrastructure for all telecom networks including Mobile Network Operators, Data Service Providers (DSPs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and others.
Fibre optic network
Yes
Internet service provider (ISP)
Company name
Mobi
Service description
Mobi is part of the Cedarcom Group, established in 1997, and is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Lebanon while Cedarcom Group is the leading Data Service Operator (DSO).
Fibre optic network
Yes
Internet service provider (ISP)
Company name
TerraNet
Service description
Founded in 1999, TerraNet launched a comprehensive range of leading Internet connectivity services and Web solutions. TerraNet designs, develops, and customizes high-performance Internet services and solutions.
Fibre optic network
Yes
Internet service provider (ISP)
Company name
IDM
Service description
Operating since 1995, IDM is widely regarded as being one of the first Service Providers in Lebanon to bring the Internet’s digital universe to the country.IDM has been continuously supporting new technologies for more than 25 years.
Fibre optic network
Yes
Broadcast radio
Country name
Lebanon
Radio station name
Sawt El Ghad - FM 96.7 - Beirut
Official public broadcaster
Yes
Service description
On September 10, 1997, the first wave of transmission was emitted from the Sawt El Ghad studios in Beirut to cover Lebanon. Growing at a rapid rate, Sawt El Ghad, in 1999, extended its broadcast to neighboring Syria.
Band
FM
Geographical reach
Whole of Lebanon
Humanitarian telecommunications systems
Network type
VHF
Network name
UN Security Communications System (SCS) radio network
Managed by
United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS)
Description
The UN SCS radio network was migrated from analogue to digital in 2018 by deploying Motorola DMR system in 13 sites. Each site contains two repeaters providing 4 time slots, router and a UPS power backup but no solar system installed.