New Import Rule
Syria's telecommunications and post regulator announced that, starting 1 October 2026, it will no longer grant approval to bring in mobile devices that operate only on second-generation (2G) or third-generation (3G) networks, or on both. To be cleared for import, handsets and other mobile equipment must support fourth-generation (4G/LTE) networks or newer.
The authority made the announcement on 2 September 2026 and directed importers to stop ordering any mobile equipment that fails to meet the new requirement.
Phasing Out Older Devices
The regulator said the change goes beyond imports. Devices that run solely on 2G or 3G networks are to be withdrawn from service gradually, and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology will announce the timeframe for that transition at a later date.
The measure applies across the country and covers all mobile telecommunications equipment entering Syria, rather than a single brand or category of phone.
Reasons Behind the Move
Officials framed the step as part of a broader effort to modernize the technical backbone of the country's mobile networks and to shift away from older standards toward newer ones. The stated goal is to improve the efficiency of services for the public and to make fuller use of what 4G and later technologies can offer.
The decision is also intended to regulate the market for communications devices so that it keeps pace with the successive stages of the cellular network upgrade.
What Importers Must Do
Traders who bring phones and mobile equipment into the country were instructed to take note of the rule and to refrain from importing any hardware that lacks 4G/LTE support. From October onward, that requirement reshapes what stock can legally enter the market.
The restriction works through the approval process for imports rather than through tariffs or quotas, and no numerical cap was set.
Effect on Users
For people who still rely on basic 2G or 3G handsets, the announced phase-out signals that such devices will eventually lose network access once the ministry fixes its timetable. Until that date arrives, existing phones continue to work, but the market is being steered toward newer models that meet the 4G standard.