Update:
January 2001
Syria
|
Syria |
These pages present basic facts and technology indicators about the Information Society developments in Syria.
All data have been collected at the end of 2000 from readily publicly available sources of information. Since they depend on definitions which are not standardised in all countries, or, in some cases on estimates, and also due to the difficulty to obtain statistical data and series in several countries covered, these indicators should be considered only as indicative of trends and general tendencies.
This report has been prepared under the sole responsibility of the ESIS II contractors. We welcome any additional information or corrections. Please contact the ESIS contractor in charge of the country concerned.
1. Economic data
1.1 General socio-economic data
|
Reference year |
||
|
Total area (km2) |
185 180 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|
Population* (million) Living in Syria
|
14.670 |
1996 |
|
Gross national Product* (GNP) (EURO billion) |
14.428 |
1999 |
|
Real Growth Domestic Product* (GDP) Growth Rate (%) / previous year |
98,2% to 107.6% |
1999E |
|
Growth National Product (GNP) per capita (EURO) |
908 |
1999 |
|
Economic structure * |
Agriculture: 23% |
1999 |
Source: Quests United States Energy Information Administration, Country Analysis Briefs 1999, Economic Database 1998, World Bank 1997.* Source : Statistical Abstract 2000 (published by the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics)
1.2 Telecom market size
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
|
Total Telecom market (EURO million) |
294 |
363 |
332 |
355 |
Source: Syrian Telecommunication Establishment, Annual Report, 1999
1.3 Computer market size
No data available
2. Actors and competition
2.1 Fixed Operators
|
Number of operators having a license Month 12 of 2000 |
1 |
Source: Syrian Telecommunication Establishment.
|
Fixed operators Month 12 of 2000 |
|
Syrian Telecommunications Establishment |
Source: Syrian Telecommunication Establishment.
2.2 Mobile Operators
|
Name of Operator |
Type of network |
Number of subscribers |
% of the market Month 12 of 2000 |
|||
|
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|||
|
InvestCom |
GSM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
16500 |
60% |
|
Syriatel |
GSM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
11000 |
40% |
Source: Estimate obtained from the two licenced operators.
2.3 Internet Service Providers
|
Estimation of the Number of Internet Service Providers |
Last reference date |
|
2 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
Source: STE
|
Main Internet Services Providers Date Month 12 of 2000 |
||
|
Company |
Web sites |
Number of subscribers |
|
Syrian Telecommunications Esrablishment (STE) |
5000 |
|
|
Syrian Computer Society (SCS) |
2500 |
|
Source: STE and SCS
2.4 Portals
No portals exist in Syria.
3. Basic Indicators
3.1 Telephones lines
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|
|
Total number of conventional lines - subscribers (thousand) |
1175 1218 175 |
1312 1257 329 |
1476 1300 504 |
1600 1320 505 |
NA |
|
Total number of 64k ISDN lines - subscribers |
0 |
0 |
150 |
199 |
NA |
|
Total number of mobile phone lines |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
27500* |
|
Total number of lines |
1175 |
1312 |
1626 |
1799 |
Source: Syrian Telecommunication Establishment; Annual Report 1999
* GSM operators data
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|
|
Total number of conventional lines per 100 inh. |
8.3 |
8.69 |
9.5 |
9.93 |
NA |
|
Total number of 64k ISDN lines (subscriptions) per 100 inh. |
0 |
0 |
#0 |
#0 |
#0 |
|
Total number of mobile phone lines per 100 inh. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
#0 |
|
Total number of lines per 100 inh. |
8.3 |
8.69 |
9.5 |
9.93 |
Source: Syrian Telecommunication Establishment; Annual Report 1999
|
|
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|
% of 64k ISDN lines (subscriptions) / Total number of lines |
#0% |
%0% |
#0% |
|
% of mobiles phone lines / Total number of lines |
#0% |
3.2 Telecom equipment
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
||
|
Telephones sets |
Installed base |
1 763 290 |
1 988 878 |
2 214 000 |
2 400 000 |
NA |
|
Penetration rate (units per 100 inh.) |
12.5 |
13 |
14.3 |
15.1 |
NA |
|
|
Public pay phones |
Installed base |
13 690 |
15 190 |
16 690 |
17 990 |
18 815 |
|
Fax machines |
Installed base |
18 750 |
21 000 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
Penetration rate (units per 1000 inh.) |
1.3 |
1.4 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
Modems |
Installed base |
100 |
200 |
350 |
4000* |
10 000* |
|
Videotex terminals |
Installed base |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Videoconference stations |
Installed base |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Pagers |
Installed base |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5000 |
105000 |
|
Penetration rate (units per 1000 inh.) |
0 |
0 | 0 |
0.3 |
6.6 |
Syrian Telecommunication establishment :Annual Report 1999.Sources:
3.3 Personal computers
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|
|
Total number of Home PCs |
20 000 |
30 000 |
45 000 |
65 000 |
105 000 |
|
Total number of Business PCs |
90 000 |
120 000 |
155 000 |
175 000 |
225 000 |
|
Total number of PCs |
110 000 |
150 000 |
200 000 |
240 000 |
330 000 |
*Source: ITU Yearbook of Statistics and PCs vendors
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|
|
Total number of Home PCs per 100 inh. |
0.1 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.66 |
|
Total number of Business PCs per 100 inh. |
0.6 |
0.8 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
1.4 |
|
Total number of PCs per 100 inh. |
0.7 |
1.0 |
1.3 |
1.5 |
2.16 |
*Source: ITU Yearbook of Statistics and PCs vendors
3.4 Internet
3.4.1 General data
|
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month x of 2000 |
|
|
Number of internet users* |
150 |
4000 |
60000 |
|
Number of Internet domestic users* |
0 |
0 |
30000 |
|
Number of Internet users per 100 inh |
#0 |
#0 |
#0 |
|
Estimation of Internet penetration rate in companies |
0 |
NA |
NA |
Source: Syrian Telecommunication establishment :Annual Report 1999
3.4.2 E-Commerce
|
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|
|
E-commerce market (EURO Million) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
E-commerce spending per 100 inh (Euros) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3.4.3 Web sites
|
Number of adresses under country domain (eg: .fr for France) |
Last reference date |
|
2 |
2000 |
3.5 Miscellaneous
|
Television |
Total number |
Number per 100 inh. |
Last reference date |
|
Number of TV sets |
1 721 000 |
12 |
1997 |
|
Number of Home Cable TV Subscribers |
0 |
0 |
2000 |
|
Number of Home equipped with Satellite |
525 000 |
4 |
1994 |
Sources: Article XIX Report, 1998
|
Waiting Time |
Average waiting time |
Last reference date |
|
Average waiting time for fixed telephone subscription - In crowded cities - In small towns and villages |
few months |
1999 |
Syrian Telecommunication establishment; Annual Report 1999Source:
|
Network digitisation |
Rate |
Last reference date |
|
Network digitisation rate |
98% |
2000 |
Source: STE
4. The use of public network
4.1 Voice
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month x of 2000 |
|
|
Number of calls per inh. |
167 |
206 |
255 |
302 |
NA |
|
Number of minutes called per inh. |
46 |
50 |
56 |
61 |
NA |
|
Total number of minutes of national communications (million) |
566 |
661 |
760 |
850 |
NA |
|
Total number of minutes of international communications (million) |
83 |
91 |
103 |
122 |
NA |
|
Total number of minutes (million) |
671 |
752 |
863 |
972 |
NA |
Syrian Telecommunication establishment; Annual Report 1999Source:
4.2 Data
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
|
Switched (tera octets) |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
IP (tera octets) |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
X25 (tera octets) |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
Frame Relay (tera octets) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
ATM (tera octets) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total Traffic (tera octets) |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
5. The telephone tariffs of historical operator
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|
|
Fixed costs (EURO) |
|||||
|
Installation for main line |
1200 |
1200 |
1100 |
1100 |
1100 |
|
Rental per month for main line |
10-20 |
10-20 |
10-20 |
10-20 |
10-20 |
|
Variable costs (EURO) |
|||||
|
Local call per minute |
0.01 |
0.01 |
0.01 |
0.01 |
0.01 |
|
Long Distance call per minute |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
|
Average of International call per minute |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
Syrian Telecommunication establishment; Annual Report 1999Sources:
