News

Starlink In Lebanon: An End To Lebanon’s Internet Nightmare?

The Ministry of Telecommunications has looked into the SpaceX satellite system to improve connectivity.

Published

3 years ago

November 2, 2023

Nour Nasir

Starlink

While the rest of the world enjoys speedy web browsing and downloads, Lebanon’s internet infrastructure remains a nightmare. The country’s aging or non-existent telecom infrastructure means poor connectivity in remote locations and frequent disconnects and technical issues even in urban areas.

Now, with the Israel-Hamas conflict threatening to spill over into neighboring regions, Lebanon’s already patchy internet connectivity could become even worse, with telecommunications usually one of the first pieces of infrastructure to be targeted during an attack.

To address these problems and provide enhanced connectivity, Lebanon’s Ministry of Telecommunications has explored Elon Musk’s Starlink system, which relies on 3,200 satellites, negating the need for fixed wires and other paraphernalia.

Caretaker Minister of Telecommunications Johnny Corm thinks that Starlink could be the key to solving Lebanon’s internet woes, explaining that “The ministry will grant licenses to companies that will sell this system to individuals through the Ministry of Telecom. We will not have to pay anything,” in response to questions about how such a partnership would work.

Although expensive for individuals, Starlink would allow businesses to expand their operations with faster and more reliable internet connections. In addition, the SpaceX service would enable Lebanon to better connect to the global digital economy.

Also Read: The Largest Data Breaches In The Middle East

However, there are downsides to the satellite-based system. One of the major obstacles is cost, as the technology is much more expensive than traditional cables or fiber optics solutions. Additionally, the satellite signal could be disrupted by bad weather or other natural causes. Finally, the government would need to establish regulations to ensure the service complies with global standards.

Nevertheless, where the Lebanese government has historically been unable to meet citizens’ needs for reliable internet, Starlink has the potential to make a difference and provide a welcome boost to the Lebanese economy in the process.

Related Topics:Internet Lebanon SpaceX Starlink

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News

Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon

Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.

Published

7 days ago

August 27, 2026

Dana Saadeh

visa's return to syria starts with a test and a bank in lebanon

Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.

The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc

— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026

“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.

Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.

Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget

The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.

Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.