The Media Line: Syrians Rage Over 200% Mobile Internet Hike After al-Sharaa’s Washington Trip 

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Syrians Rage Over 200% Mobile Internet Hike After al-Sharaa’s Washington Trip 

Telecom giants Syriatel and MTN slash short-term data bundles and sharply raise prices, sparking boycotts and fresh doubts about Syria’s promised economic overhaul 

By Ahmad Qwaider / The Media Line 

[Damascus] Days after President Ahmed al-Sharaa returned from Washington promising accountability and economic revival, Syriatel and MTN, Syria’s two mobile network providers, raised mobile internet prices by up to 200%. They also scrapped the short-term data bundles millions of Syrians depended on. There was no warning, and service quality stayed the same. 

That announcement triggered one of the broadest waves of public anger since former President Bashar Assad fell. 

Officials at the Communications Ministry tried to contain the backlash. On November 15, the ministry ordered the companies to explain the new packages, improve service within 60 days, and publish user guides. It threatened penalties but did not reverse the hikes, restore the hourly bundles, or answer the question Syrians kept asking online: Why pay far more for service that is still unreliable? 

The price shock hit just as al-Sharaa finished his Washington trip, where he met International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and pledged sweeping reforms. Syrians heard his promises abroad and then got hit with new costs at home. 

Within hours, social media filled with people calculating how much of their monthly income—often $80 to $120—would now go to mobile data. Independent outlets posted screenshots of the new pricing, and boycott calls spread quickly. 

Anger runs deeper than this government. Syrians never trusted the telecom companies that control their internet access. 

Much of that distrust goes back to the early 2000s, when Syriatel became the flagship of Rami Makhlouf’s business empire. Makhlouf was Assad’s cousin. He built his fortune through privilege, not competition. Regulations bent for him, and rivals hit structural barriers. By 2011, Makhlouf controlled huge chunks of Syria’s formal economy. Syriatel was one of the regime’s best cash sources. 

When the conflict started, Western sanctions identified Makhlouf as a financier of pro-government militias. Syriatel’s revenues helped keep the regime going even as the currency collapsed. But in 2020, Makhlouf posted Facebook videos accusing the regime of seizing his assets. Within weeks, Syriatel went under judicial administration. Makhlouf lost control, no transparent ownership structure replaced him, and decision-making shifted to committees tied to the Presidential Palace. 

MTN followed a similar path, though more quietly. The South African multinational’s Syrian branch faced state pressure and sanctions scrutiny. In 2022, a Syrian court put MTN under a government-appointed custodian, citing regulatory violations. The custodian’s identity was never made public, and rights groups called the move political. 

By the time al-Sharaa took office, both companies operated under opaque arrangements. That made the sudden price hikes even more explosive. 

Julian Badour, an economic researcher speaking from France, said the lack of transparency feeds suspicion. “When ownership is hidden, people conclude the hikes benefit someone they cannot hold accountable,” he told The Media Line. He said the government wants foreign investment in telecoms, but investors want transparency. “Right now, those two goals collide.” 

For millions of households, the price increases hit hard. 

Khayriya Khalil, a schoolteacher and private tutor in rural Damascus, said the new tariffs threaten her work. Her home subscription offers 2 megabits per second (Mbps)—barely enough for two devices. When the digital subscriber line drops out, which she says happens constantly, she switches to mobile data. But she cannot afford the bundles she once rely on for remote lessons. “For 12 years, the service has been terrible,” she told The Media Line. “Now the price makes it impossible. The ministry promises 60 days. We have heard similar promises for years.” 

Another front-line user is Khalil Layla, an emergency coordinator with the White Helmets in Quneitra, near the Golan Heights. He depends on mobile data for GPS coordinates, voice notes and urgent reports, and he said the new prices create serious risk. An average family in his area earns around 1 million Syrian pounds a month—about $100. If mobile data becomes unaffordable, emergency alerts will not get through. “Our teams rely on digital communication in real time,” he told The Media Line. “If people cannot reach us, lives are at stake.” 

On Syria’s northern edge, the picture looks different. In Jisr al-Shughur, near Turkey, Alaa al-Razzaq uses fixed-line internet resold from Turkish bandwidth. He pays about $10 a month for 4 Mbps. The price and speed reflect Turkey’s market more than Syria’s, and his setup shows the digital divide—not just between Syrian regions but between Syria and its neighbors. 

The cost gap is stark. In Hatay and Gaziantep, just across from Idlib, Turkish operators sell 20-gigabyte (GB) monthly bundles for about $11–$12. Tourist SIM cards—which cost more than what Turkish residents pay—offer around 20 GB for $40–$50, with speeds that beat Syria’s. 

A similar contrast appears at Syria’s southwestern frontier. In Israeli communities on the Golan Heights, major carriers advertise 70-GB prepaid packages for about $17–$18. High-capacity fifth-generation (5G) mobile plans run $15–$20. Israeli consumers earn far higher wages but pay less per gigabyte and get better speeds. For Quneitra households earning around $100 a month, the comparison is brutal: Syrians now face some of the region’s highest relative telecom costs for some of its weakest performance. 

After the backlash started, independent Syrian outlets published technical comparisons. Zaman al-Wasl, which built its reputation exposing corruption under Assad, reported that a basic 1.5-GB bundle now costs about 24,000 Syrian pounds—slightly more than $2. A 35-GB bundle costs around 190,000 pounds, or $4–$5. By regional standards, Syria is at a disadvantage. A gigabyte costs more than in Egypt, Jordan or Iraq, despite Syria’s far lower incomes. One university student’s comment was shared widely: “In Egypt, 1.4 GB is $1.40. In Jordan, 250 GB is $16. In Iraq, unlimited internet is $30. In Syria, 35 GB is half a week’s salary.” 

Beyond telecom bills, the same shock reflects a broader affordability crisis. Inflation has gutted salaries. The World Bank estimates Syrians now spend nearly half their income on food. The World Food Program warns that 12.9 million people face food insecurity. As winter approaches, households face rising costs for electricity, cooking gas, transportation, and medicine. 

Internet access—essential for education, commerce, and emergency communication—has become an impossible calculation for many families. 

In Mezzeh, an internet-café owner said students crowd his shop every afternoon because home data is not affordable anymore. “They used to buy hourly packages on their phones,” he told The Media Line. “Now they stay here until dark. I haven’t raised my prices because they will stop coming. But next month, I don’t know how I will pay the bill.” 

Officials in Damascus point to the $300-million “SilkLink” fiber-optic project as proof that the digital future will improve. The plan aims to rebuild Syria’s national fiber backbone, connect it to regional networks, and attract Gulf investment. Zain, Etisalat, Ooredoo and STC expressed interest earlier this year. None submitted binding proposals. Analysts cite Syria’s broken telecom landscape—damaged infrastructure, Turkish-dependent northern networks, state-controlled operators—as a barrier. Investors also worry about unclear ownership at Syriatel and MTN. 

“If shareholders remain invisible and revenues remain opaque, no foreign company will take the risk,” Badour said. 

President al-Sharaa has pledged to rebuild institutions hollowed out by centralized control. But the telecom anger shows how fragile public trust is—and how fast it can collapse. A young software engineer in Damascus put it bluntly: “People waited 14 years for accountability. Instead, they got a higher internet bill.” 

Syrians are watching the ministry’s 60-day deadline with low expectations. Syriatel and MTN have not issued detailed clarifications. Speeds remain inconsistent. Outages continue. Families across the country are deciding whether they can stay connected at all. 

In Quneitra, preparing for another overnight shift, Layla stressed what is at risk. “This is not about convenience,” he told The Media Line. “It’s about connection. When people lose that, everything else begins to break.” 

Jacob Wirtschafter contributed reporting from Istanbul.