$5 Billion Rebuild
Syria's telecommunications sector requires an estimated $5 billion in investment to modernize its infrastructure and upgrade internet, cellular, and fixed-line networks, Minister of Communications Abdul Salam Haykal said, pointing to damage and 15 years of minimal investment. He said the existing infrastructure does not meet users' needs for speed, capacity, or service quality.
Only 25% of the country's telecom towers are connected to fiber-optic networks, the minister said, which requires expanding those networks and building thousands of new towers, particularly to support fifth-generation (5G) service.
Licenses Awarded
Saudi Arabia's stc has won the Silk Link project, which carries a $1 billion investment commitment. Site studies are complete and excavation is expected to begin soon, with first-phase results anticipated about 18 months after work starts.
Zain secured a license to operate cellular services in Syria valued at roughly $750 million, excluding investment commitments, fees, and the state's share. The company committed to invest $250 million in the first three years, rising toward about $800 million in the license's early years. Total license fees exceed $1 billion, while investment commitments for major projects reach about $2 billion. Syriatel is running a broad program to upgrade its networks.
Subsea Cables
Two agreements were signed to build new undersea cables, one of them linking the port of Tartus with Portugal, with both projects targeted for completion by 2028. Syria has activated a fiber-optic link with Turkey and is completing a connection with Jordan, while studying new regional routes across its territory.
5G and Data Centers
About 100 5G towers are now operating, and Zain's plan aims to build one of the region's first standalone 5G networks by the end of 2028. The minister said the easing of sanctions has allowed talks to resume with global technology companies about returning their services, some of which have partially resumed, while others still face legal and administrative hurdles.
Talks are also under way with international firms on investing in data centers. The minister said Syria's location could let it become a regional corridor for international communications, linking neighboring markets to internet networks and computing hubs.