After 20 years, telecom companies in Lebanon have long awaited Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), and it have finally been launched after more than two decades of political stagnancy.
Coming at a time when Israeli cyber breaches have exposed Lebanon’s communications infrastructure fragility, accompanied by the announcement to deploy 5G through its main telcos, Alfa and Touch.
The reform of telecom governance is framed as both a modernization milestone and a national security imperative.
TRA’s creation, led by Charles Hage, the new Minister of telecommunications Lebanon, will confront a deep-rooted corruption crisis, political interference, and severe infrastructure damage left by the Israeli aggression on the country from the past two years – and ongoing.
The Authority is established to break decades of state neglect and modernize some of the country’s most costly and unreliable networks.
It also comes in the midst of threatening reports of a highly sophisticated Israeli incursion campaign into Lebanese telecommunications systems.
According to specialists, “Israel has been sending text messages, recordings, and hacking radio networks to warn Lebanese citizens to leave some areas.”
To top it all off, Lebanese intelligence agencies fear Israel “may have obtained access to the private communication information of individuals across Lebanon.”
The violation by the Israeli government on Lebanon’s telecommunications sovereignty was yet another incentive for the Lebanese authorities to establish the protection groundwork to stop the network infrastructure from becoming another weapon in the hand of Israeli regime – and prevent telecom companies in Lebanon from becoming an intelligence target in future conflicts.
Operators’ Home Telecom Plans
Parallel to TRA’s establishment, main telecom companies in Lebanon, Alfa and Touch, are accelerating infrastructure modernization and nationwide 5G rollout.
On October 14, Telecommunication Minister Hage announced a three-year national project between the Ministry and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to upgrade networks and introduce 5G.
Lebanon’s excess telecom plans, initiated this year, are expected to “open the door to better connectivity, create new job opportunities, and stimulate GDP growth.”
In detail, the Alfa mobile network restoration means the modernization of its roadmap to upgrade 80% of its network and ensure full readiness for 5G.
“Network modernization investments in 2025 will represent around 17% of revenues, up from 7% in 2024,” the telco said, highlighting its commitment to advancing Lebanon’s digital infrastructure.
In 2019, at the time Touch CEO – under Zain management – said, “a crucial step that will soon allow us to offer the most innovative products and services to our customers in consumer, business, IoT, and smart cities sectors.”
He added that the “benefits greatly from the expertise of its parent company Zain Group, one of the most innovative telecom companies in the region.”
The company’s integral telecoms recovery 5G site achieved speeds exceeding 1,400 Mbps with latency under 6 milliseconds, to pave the way for full commercial rollout.
Both operators are seen to have excess telecom plans and also as essential partners in the TRA’s mission to “restore balance, fairness, and competition in a sector dominated by the proliferation of unauthorized networks,” as Minister Hage noted during the launch ceremony.
Plan for Telecoms Reform
The telecom digital transformation initiatives planning includes the implementation of the main components of the 2002 telecommunications law, designed to restructure the sector and prepare for eventual transfer.
Its formation was repeatedly stopped by Lebanon’s sectarian divisions and political interference. Now, its leadership – serving non-renewable five-year terms – has pledged independence and accountability.
The authority “is committed to working independently, in accordance with the highest standards of transparency, professionalism and respect for the law, in order to protect consumer rights, promote fair competition, encourage innovation, attract investments and ensure fair and balanced access to digital services throughout the country, without exception,” said TRA President Jenny Gemayel.
Pressure for the Lebanon telecom reform stems from economic needs but national security.
Lebanon’s telecom infrastructure vulnerability was exposed by years of cyberattacks and infiltrations, dominantly from Israel. Analysts say Israel’s access to Lebanese communications allowed it to send localized warnings and monitor citizens in real time, as well as commit targeted assassinations throughout the past two years, and ongoing.
“What we don’t know is how Israel got these details of people — cellphone numbers, locations. … Is it because of data leaks or because Israel has hacked into Lebanon’s telecoms infrastructure?” media expert Ibrahim told Al Jazeera.
The Lebanese government preserved monopoly control over telecom companies in Lebanon under Law No. 431 of 2002, and has been criticized for failing to strengthen cybersecurity and oversight during years of neglect.
With both Alfa and Touch back under state control from 2020, the government’s responsibility to protect citizen data and communications has become clearer.
As the TRA begins its work, internet services in Lebanon face a challenge of modernizing and securing networks from further exploitation.
The convergence of 5G deployment, regulatory transformation, and continued foreign interference has turned the telecom sector into a central front in Lebanon’s struggle for digital sovereignty.
Telecom companies in Lebanon can either protect from foreign infringement or expand its weaknesses if reform fails. The success of the TRA and 5G rollout will indicate the strength of Lebanon’s innovative economy and its capacity to restore tech sovereignty amid Middle East competition.
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