Syria Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 20 Mar 2025 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 100

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Syria’s economic woes leading to internet price rises

The rapid advance of a coalition of rebel groups which ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 was widely welcomed both nationally and internationally. It resulted in the removal of the malign influence of the regime’s backers Iran and Russia, and, more positively still, the partial lifting of some sanctions which had been imposed against the regime by the US and European Union. A new transitional government was installed in January 2025, though while it has stated its intention to improve telecom services, there remain significant challenges. Not least is the considerable destruction to infrastructure accumulated since the civil war erupted in 2011, compounded by an electricity supply which, when functioning, is intermittent. Infrastructure destruction and low investment has meant that Syria can unenviably boast of having very low mobile broadband penetration and the third lowest mobile data rate globally.

The cost of internet services is very high in proportion to the average income, a situation exacerbated by several price rises imposed by the former government in 2023 and 2024. Although over the years the major mobile service providers Syriatel and MTN Syria have endeavoured to restore and rebuild damaged networks, the operating environment has been difficult. Government-owned Syriatel was almost exclusively concerned with operating in government-controlled areas of the country, while MTN Syria found the environment and government demands for back taxes too exhausting, and so MTN Group exited the country in August 2021 after its majority stake in the local unit had been transferred to judicial guardianship. While MTN Syria continues to operate, this effectively meant that the mobile market became a monopoly in many areas, with Syriatel as the only functioning operator. Nevertheless, in February 2022 the regulator awarded a third mobile licence, to Wafa Telecom, following a process which had been ongoing for many years. This licencing procedure, too, has been contentious since Wafa Telecom was granted the exclusive right to provide services based on 5G (with no commercial service yet having been launched) and the company itself has ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and was seen as a vehicle by which Iran could expand its footprint, and influence, in the country.

Telecommunication services in Syria remain highly regulated, with stringent government censorship restricting access to social media platforms and communication tools. The poor economy and political fragility do not yet provide a climate conducive to much needed foreign investment, though since the beginning of 2025 the prospects for such investment have improved considerably.

Key developments:

Regulator licences Wafa Telecom as the third mobile operator.
Newly installed provisional government confirms intention to provide mechanisms to improve telecom services.
US and EU ministers lift some sanctions on Syria.
Report update includes telcos' operating and financial data to Q3 2024, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report include:

Syrian Telecommunication Establishment (Syriatel, STE), MTN Syria, Wafa Telecom

Key statistics

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI versus GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed and mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Historical overview
Market analysis
Market challenges
Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC)

Regulatory environment

Historic overview
Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Telecom sector liberalisation in Syria
Interconnect

Mobile network developments

Third mobile licence
BOT contracts

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G
GSM
Satellite mobile
Mobile broadband

Major mobile operators

Syriatel
MTN Syria

Fixed-line broadband market

Market analysis
Broadband statistics

Other fixed broadband services

Fixed network operators

Syrian Telecommunication Establishment (STE)

Telecommunications infrastructure

National telecom network
International infrastructure

Digital economy
Appendix – historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Syria – 2025 (e)
Table 2 – Growth in telecom revenue (SYP billion) – 2012 – 2019
Table 3 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 4 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 5 – Change in the market share based of mobile subscribers by operator – 2018 – 2020
Table 6 – Change in Syriatel’s revenue – 2012 – 2024
Table 7 – Development of MTN Syria’s revenue and capex (ZAR million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 8 – Development of MTN Syria’s revenue and EBITDA (SYP billion) – 2012 – 2024
Table 9 – Change in the number of MTN Syria’s subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 10 – Change in MTN Syria’s ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Table 11 – Development of MTN Syria’s mobile traffic – 2013 – 2021
Table 12 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 13 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2018
Table 14 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by speed – 2012 – 2020
Table 15 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 16 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2023
Table 17 – Historic - Syria - mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1999 – 2011
Table 18 – Historic - Syria - fixed broadband subscriptions – 2004 – 2011
Table 19 – Historic - Syria - international Internet bandwidth – 2007 – 2011
Table 20 – Historic - Syria - fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995 – 2011
Table 21 – Historic - Change in Syriatel’s revenue – 2008 – 2011
Table 22 – Historic - Development of MTN Syria’s revenue and CAPEX (ZAR million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 23 – Historic - Development of MTN Syria’s revenue – 2009 – 2011
Table 24 – Historic - Change in the number of MTN Syria’s subscribers – 2009 – 2011
Table 25 – Historic - Change in MTN Syria’s ARPU – 2009 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 7 – Growth in telecom revenue – 2012 – 2019
Chart 8 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 9 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 10 – Change in the market share based of mobile subscribers by operator – 2018 – 2020
Chart 11 – Change in Syriatel’s revenue – 2012 – 2024
Chart 12 – Development of MTN Syria’s revenue and capex (ZAR)– 2012 – 2021
Chart 13 – Development of MTN Syria’s revenue and EBITDA (SYP) – 2012 – 2024
Chart 14 – Change in the number of MTN Syria’s subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 15 – Change in the number of MTN Syria’s ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Chart 16 – Development of MTN Syria’s mobile traffic – 2013 – 2021
Chart 17 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 18 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2018
Chart 19 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by speed – 2012 – 2020
Chart 20 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 21 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2023

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Syria Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Syria’s economic woes leading to internet price rises

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report include:

Key statistics

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Digital economy

Appendix – historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views