Service providers reduce
Internet charges 50 percent

Higher speeds, larger capacity

Internet Service Providers (ISP), including IDM, Cyberia, and Sodetel, have reduced ADSL Internet prices, following the government’s decision two months ago to reduce Internet tariffs.

Ogero was the first to reduce tariffs after publishing the decision in the Official Gazette.

Internet Service Providers reduced tariffs between 20 and 50 percent. Those packages whose charges remained the same chose instead to increase capacity and internet speed. For instance, the $12 package provided by IDM and Cyberia was 2Mbps with a capacity of 10GB. Now it is 4Mbps with a capacity of 15 GB. Other packages providing 2Mbps with unlimited capacity has been reduced from $50 to $40.

Gabriel Deek, Chairman of the Internet Society, Lebanon Chapter, said the decision to reduce tariffs is only related to ADSL and not to wireless or mobile broadband.

However, IDM has increased its wireless broadband capacity. Mobi, which used to be 30 GB at 1 Mbps for $40, is now at a capacity of 60 GB at the same price.

Deek said mobile operators will not be able to increase the Internet speeds and capacity unless the ministry finalizes the infrastructure for 5G.

The price reductions have been made possible due to the decrease in the monthly fee of the international E1 line from $240 to $110. The E1 Line is a high-speed digital link that connects the private automatic branch exchange (PABX) (the telephone switch of the client) to the Ministry of Telecom and OGERO switch in the Central Office.

The government also announced the new fiber optic connection prices for offices and homes. These range between LL75,000 ($50) for 300 GB and LL240,000 ($160) for 1000 GB, all at 50 Mbps.

Deek said ISP has not yet started provided fiber optic connections.

The Ministry of Telecommunication also issued a decree reducing the prices of cell phone numbers. Regular prepaid numbers are now $3.3 instead of $25, the bronze numbers $110 instead of $165, the silver numbers $220 instead of $440, the diamond numbers (B) $2,500 instead of $5,000, and the diamond numbers (A) $5,000. The latter were classified as platinum and their prices exceeded $20,000 sometime.

Cyberia
Down Speed	Monthly usage	Old price (USD)	New price (USD)
2 Mbps	Unlimited	50	40
2Mbps (old)	10GB (old)	12	12
4Mbps (new)	15GB (new)	12	12
IDM
Down Speed	Monthly usage	Old price (USD)	New price (USD)
2Mbps	Unlimited	50	40
2Mbps (old)	10GB (old)	12	12
4Mbps (new)	15GB (new)	12	12
Ogero
Down Speed	Monthly usage	Old price (USD)	New price (USD)
Up to 2Mbps (old)	40GB	16	16
Up to 4Mbps (new)	40GB	16	16
Up to 2Mbps	Unlimited	50	40
Open Speed	50GB	33	20
Sodetel
Down Speed	Monthly usage	Old price (USD)	New price (USD)
2Mbps (old)	12 (old)	11	9.90
4Mbps (new)	20 (new)	11	9.90
1.5 Mbps (old)	Unlimited	29	25
Up to 2Mbps (new)	Unlimited	29	25

Prices are subject to 10% VAT