Mobile penetration up

Cell-phone subscriptions over three million, penetration over 75 percent

The number of mobile phone subscriptions in Lebanon exceeded three million in 2011. The mobile phone penetration rate reached around 75 percent at the end of the year.

According to a report published by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) alongside the Arab Telecommunications Summit 2012, Alfa and MTC Touch collected a combined 189,000 subscriptions during just the first six months of 2011. The mobile phone penetration rate was 68 percent at end 2010.

The report said that the average mobile penetration rate in the Arab region reached more than 90 percent in 2011. Lebanon’s rate was the 12th highest in the region. It was higher than that in Syria (54.8 percent) and Sudan (50.1 percent).

According to the report, fixed broadband subscriptions grew to 286,000 at the end-June 2011, posting a 43 percent growth from its end 2010 level. By the end of the second quarter of last year, the broadband penetration rate had reached 6.7 percent, up from 4.7 percent at end 2010.

The report said that by end-December 2010, Internet and wireless broadband services were provided by 16 licensed Internet service providers (ISPs) using the local wireless networks of four data service providers (DSPs). The report counted 11 ISPs and DSPs operating in Lebanon, in addition to the internet services provided through Ogero and the two mobile operators, Alfa and MTC. The report said that though the TRA authorized seven DSPs to offer broadband wireless access services, only four licensees have operational infrastructures: Cable One, Cedarcom, GlobalCom Data Services (GDS), and Pesco.