October 10, 2026

On Thursday, October 1, 2026, the TRA held a workshop at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Beirut, bringing together stakeholders to discuss FTTH policy, deployment guidelines and spectrum refarming under the theme “Shaping the Future of Lebanon’s Digital Infrastructure.”

Dr. Hayssam Serhan, Board Member, Head of the Information and Consumer Affairs Unit and Master of Ceremonies, opened the workshop by outlining its purpose: to build on stakeholders’ contributions to the three public consultations and to develop practical remarks through collaborative discussion. He reaffirmed the TRA’s commitment to private-sector participation and to preserving market competition, and invited participants to share their expertise and work together on solutions.

Dr. Serhan then presented the three consultations under discussion and announced that three further consultations will be released soon, along with class licenses for data centers and cybersecurity. After introducing each speaker, he invited attendees to join the roundtable on the topic of greatest interest to them and to work toward constructive outcomes.

In her opening speech, TRA Chairwoman Dr. Jenny Gemayel stressed on the importance of moving from public consultation to constructive dialogue in practical ways to advance Lebanon’s telecommunications sector. She underlined the need to consider the perspectives of the public sector, operators, investors, service providers and consumers when developing a balanced and workable regulatory framework. Dr. Gemayel encouraged participants to identify areas of agreement, discuss outstanding concerns and propose practical solutions that support investment, safeguard competition, protect consumer rights and ensure the sector’s sustainability.

Dr. Diana Bou Ghanem, Board Member and Head of Market and Competition Unit, presented the preliminary findings of 15 stakeholder submissions to the TRA’s public consultation on FTTH policy. She highlighted broad support for long-term regulatory certainty, open access and measures to extend coverage beyond urban areas, while noting differing views on licensing models, investment protection and the use of public infrastructure. Key issues included transparent wholesale pricing, rights-of-way procedures, the financial viability of fiber deployment and the transition from unregulated networks to licensed services. These findings will enable the TRA to work on a framework that balances competition, investment and wider access to reliable connectivity.

Dr. Rajaa Charif, Board Member and Head of the Legal and Licensing Unit, outlined the legal framework, the TRA’s prerogatives and the implementation mechanisms under Telecommunications Law 431/2002 and the licensing regulations, emphasizing fairness, equity, transparency, competition and stakeholder participation. She also presented a development plan to standardize data, terminology, procedures and forms; update the legal and regulatory framework; establish periodic reviews of the licensing system; and ensure sound regulation that reflects the nature and risks of each service while maintaining flexibility. Dr. Charif then led an open roundtable where she addressed the legal and licensing aspects of both FTTH and spectrum throughout the day.

Eng. Mohamad Ayoub, Board Member and Head of the Telecommunications Technologies Unit, presented the spectrum refarming and broadband context, along with the consolidated findings of the TRA’s public consultation. He outlined stakeholder positions on reorganizing the 2.3, 2.6, 3.5 and 26 GHz bands for fixed wireless access, as well as the TRA’s proposals on market structure, spectrum assignment, migration and license obligations. He emphasized the importance of operators submitting concrete proposals on spectrum, mergers and acquisitions, and incentives to inform the TRA’s approach.

Following the presentations, stakeholders joined roundtable discussions. Each roundtable presented its main findings at the end of its session, allowing participants to share conclusions and contribute to the broader discussion.

The morning session focused on the FTTH Regulatory fFamework, market structure and deployment guidelines. The FTTH Regulatory Framework roundtable proposed an immediate transition under the existing regulatory regime to allow continued fiber deployment, alongside a review of capacity reservation and allocation arrangements, wholesale access provisions, and the separation of Ogero’s retail and wholesale activities.

The FTTH Market Structure roundtable called for a review of barriers to private-sector participation, the establishment of requirements that promote competition, the encouragement of joint ventures between the incumbent and other market players, and a revisit of the revenue-sharing model.

The FTTH Deployment Guidelines roundtable suggested to facilitate building access and customer connections, ensuring fair infrastructure sharing, improving coordination and technical standards, and adopting a phased migration and coverage roadmap that preserves service continuity and encourages rural deployment.

The afternoon session addressed spectrum refarming, including spectrum allocation for fixed wireless access and the regulatory framework. Initially planned as two roundtables covering separate themes, the session became a single joint discussion after attendees agreed to bring both groups together, given the importance of the topics.

Overall, the discussions emphasized on the need for a balanced regulatory framework that promotes fair competition, financial sustainability, efficient spectrum utilization, infrastructure investment and the long-term development of Lebanon’s telecommunications sector.

To view the agenda, click here
To view the picture gallery, click here