Lebanon has one of the highest GDP per capita (8,175 USD for 2009) in the Levant area. Although its population is approximately four million, more than 10 million Lebanese live abroad. This Diaspora creates high visitor numbers, in addition to the one million tourists that visit Lebanon every year.
The telecommunications sector in Lebanon is well poised for growth. Although investments and development in this sector have been limited to date, the TRA is committed to exploring all possibilities for expansion. Liberalization and fair competition in the telecommunications market are expected to bring substantial benefits for the economy and will pave the way for the development of state of the art networks and services in Lebanon. For the economy, benefits include increased investments in the sector and the creation of high value-added jobs. Consumers will also reap the rewards with increased choice and improved quality of service.
Macro-economic indicators:
|
Area (sq Km) |
10,452 |
|
Population (2009) |
4.22 million |
|
Currency exchange rate USD / LBP (2010 average) |
1,507 |
|
GDP (2009) |
34.5 USD billions |
|
GDP per capita (2009) |
8,175 USD |
Source: World Bank
Market indicators as of December 2010:
|
|
Penetration |
Number of Service Providers |
Private / State-Owned |
Level of competition |
|
Mobile Market |
68% |
2 |
State-Owned |
Monopoly |
|
Fixed Market (*) |
62% |
1 |
State-Owned |
Monopoly |
|
Internet Market (incl. unlicensed providers) (**) |
31% |
~16 |
Private |
Competition |
|
Broadband Market (Wireless and ADSL) (***) |
24% |
~7 for ADSL services
~16 for wireless services
|
Private through MoT Local Loop / Ogero |
Limited competition |
(*) Household penetration for residential subscribers as of Sept 2010.
(**) The Internet Users penetration per population is calculated using a Users' Account Usage Multiplier of 3.
(***) Household penetration