Syria - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Description

Syria’s ongoing civil war discouraging telco investments

Syria has suffered from years of civil war, and this has continued to negatively impact the ability of the few telcos operating in the country to undertake the much needed upgrades to infrastructure. The operating environment for Syriatel and MTN Syria has also been made difficult by disputed demands for back taxes, as well as a range of associated measures made against the operators, including the suspension of share trading and the imposition of judicial guardianships.

Having considered its options for several years, MTN Group recently confirmed that it was no longer interested in continuing to operate in the country. This resignation also applies to the Group’s other business units in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Iran, which together contribute a negligible proportion of Group revenue.

Although the low broadband and mobile penetration rates in Syria suggests that there is considerable room for growth, such growth is predicated on a return to political and economic stability, and thus on subscribers being able to pay for services, in turn contributing to telcos’ revenue and investment potential. Without a clear path to this stability, the telecom market faces years of stagnation rather than reconstruction.

1 Key statistics

2 Country overview

3 Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

3.1 Economic considerations and responses
3.2 Subscribers
3.3 Infrastructure

4 Telecommunications market

4.1 Historical overview
4.2 Market analysis
4.3 Market challenges
4.4 Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC)

5 Regulatory environment

5.1 Historic overview
5.2 Regulatory authority
5.3 Fixed-line developments
5.4 Mobile network developments

6 Mobile market

6.1 Market analysis
6.2 Mobile statistics
6.3 Mobile infrastructure
6.4 Major mobile operators

7 Fixed-line broadband market

7.1 Market analysis
7.2 Broadband statistics

8 Fixed network operators

8.1 Syrian Telecommunication Establishment (STE)

9 Telecommunications infrastructure

9.1 National telecom network
9.2 International infrastructure

10 Digital economy

11 Appendix historic data

12 Glossary of abbreviations

13 Related reports

Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Syria 2021 (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 2021
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 2021
Table 9 Development of MTN Syria's service revenue 2017 2021
Table 10 Change in the number of MTN Syria's subscribers 2012 2021
Table 11 Change in MTN Syria's ARPU 2012 2021
Table 12 Development of MTN Syria's mobile traffic 2013 2021
Table 13 Growth in internet user penetration 2012 2021
Table 14 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 15 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology 2012 2018
Table 16 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by speed 2012 2020
Table 17 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
Table 18 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2012 2020
Table 19 Historic - Syria - mobile subscribers and penetration rate 1999 2011
Table 20 Historic - Syria - fixed broadband subscriptions 2004 2011
Table 21 Historic - Syria - international Internet bandwidth 2007 2011
Table 22 Historic - Syria - fixed lines in service and teledensity 1995 2011
Table 23 Historic - Change in Syriatel's revenue 2008 2011
Table 24 Historic - Development of MTN Syria's revenue and CAPEX (ZAR million) 2009 2011
Table 25 Historic - Development of MTN Syria's revenue 2009 2011
Table 26 Historic - Change in the number of MTN Syria's subscribers 2009 2011
Table 27 Historic - Change in MTN Syria's ARPU 2009 2011
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 2021
Chart 12 Development of MTN Syria's revenue and CAPEX 2012 2021
Chart 13 Development of MTN Syria's revenue and EBITDA 2012 2021
Chart 14 Development of MTN Syria's service revenue 2017 2021
Chart 15 Change in the number of MTN Syria's subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 16 Change in the number of MTN Syria's ARPU 2012 2021
Chart 17 Development of MTN Syria's mobile traffic 2013 2021
Chart 18 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 19 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology 2012 2018
Chart 20 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by speed 2012 2020
Chart 21 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
Chart 22 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2012 2020
Exhibit 5 Middle East 3G and 4G - mobile infrastructure and population coverage 2014 - 2020