3G Service in Lebanon

Alfa, one of the two mobile operators in Lebanon, and Ericsson, the world’s leading telecom services supplier, announced February that they have signed a business agreement for the deployment of the third-generation mobile communication technology (3G) in Lebanon.  Under this agreement, Ericsson will be responsible for the improve and transformation of the current Alfa mobile network to 3G/ HSPA+ technology, across the country.


The whole world is touching rapidly from 2G to 3G platforms, in both urbanized and developing countries. Alfa Chairman & CEO, Mr. Marwan Hayek commented in relation to this contract with Ericsson: “With trends in the dynamic telecommunications world progressing and evolving day after day, mobile users are not anymore voice centric."

"Indeed, mobile handsets have develop into an all-in-one platform enabling users to stay connected with their humanity either by voice, data, media or social networking. Alfa’s 3G deployments will be made to order to meet specific Lebanese consumers’ needs with improved voice quality and a bouquet of tailor made applications and services," he added.

With more than 1.2 million subscribers in Lebanon, Alfa is managed by "Orascom Telecom Holding" (OTH) since February 2009. The mobile operator capitalizes on OTH know-how in the telecom field in order to bring a global and professional solution for the GSM sector in Lebanon.

This new Alfa-Ericsson partnership comes to cement further an ongoing and long standing relationship between both parties.

"These are exciting times when the Internet has gone mobile and broadband access through HSPA+ (very fast interconnection) allows the bulk of customers, fast, and reliable connection to numerous applications counting popular social-networking sites," he added.

Orascom Telecom is a leading international telecommunications company operating GSM networks in elevated growth markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, having a total population under license of approximately 506 million with an average mobile telephony penetration of approximately 48%.