Broadband internet comes to Syria
An affordable broadband (ADSL) internet service seems to be around the corner.
There are rumours in Damascus that a new service is about to be launched. It's likely to be around SP1000 (US$20) for a 256kbps line. That's not an amazing speed but it is a good start, for a good price.
Until now, broadband has been too expensive for most people to afford.
Similar rumours swept Syria in the days before pre-pay mobile phone lines were launched in June 2003. Over the next few months, the phone companies kept reducing the prices, until it reached the $10 fee it is at now (that's cheaper than most European countries!).
So, expect to see prices for broadband falling - or, more likely - speeds increasing over the coming months.
Thanks Hasan
Hi,
sorry for commenting such an old post.. but i am interested in how is the internet-connection situation at the moment in damascus or latakia? is there dsl / broadband now? and how much does it cost and which company offers it? a lot of questions.. sorry ;)
Chris
Posted by Anonymous | 12:44 pm
Hi Chris,
Nor problem. Yes, there is up to 2MB broadband in Damascus (not sure about Latakia).
There are a couple of state and private companies. The private ones have fewer restrictions on what sites you can access, but it's harder to get a line.
Alternatively you can buy pre-paid dial-up internet cards in many shops, and then simply plug your computer into the phone line and you're connected (no registration needed).
Almost all internet cafes have private broadband lines.
And - there is also wireless 3G mobile broadband, which is very fast, and offered by SyriaTel and MTN.
I hope that helps. Feel free to ask more.
Posted by sasa | 12:09 am