Post‐war telecommunications reform in Lebanon: Trends and challenges

Traditionally, telecommunications was one of the economic sectors with the highest level of state ownership and activity. However, overwhelming pressures for change in this field have rendered old institutional arrangements and practices increasingly obsolete. As such, various countries have opted for a mix of policies including institutional restructuring, liberalization, and privatization. In Lebanon, since the end of the civil war in 1990, the government has been trying to restructure and modernize its telecommunications sector. The goal of the government was not simply to fix what was damaged by the war but rather to restructure and reform the telecommunications landscape, allowing the country to leapfrog into the twenty‐first century and the information age. This paper assesses the Lebanese post‐war experience with telecom reform. An overview of global trends in telecom reform is first presented. The performance of the Lebanese telecom sector is then examined and the main reform constraints identified. A comparative assessment against international benchmarks is also conducted. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for improving this sector’s performance are outlined.