DSL in Lebanon
BM
http://www.ameinfo.com/66244.html
Would legal ADSL service in Lebanon finally stamp out the ISP black market?
The long awaited ADSL service in Lebanon is to be launched in 2006.
The Arab Advisors Group expects an immediate healthy uptake of the ADSL
service, which will contribute towards enhancing the position of the
regulated legal ISPs.
As expected from a country with a high educational level and a
relatively open society, Lebanon has one of the highest Internet
penetration rates in the Arab World. The operations of the 6 main ISPs,
in addition to the black market Internet providers contributed to the
growth in Internet subscribers at a CAGR of 18.2% over the period
2000-2004. By end of 2004 the total Internet subscribers stood at around
195,000 (a penetration rate of 5.3%), of which some 70,000 were
subscribers of black market ISPs.
A new report, 'Lebanon Internet and Datacomm Landscape Report' was
released to the Arab Advisors Group's Telecoms Strategic Research
Service subscribers on August 21, 2005. This report can be purchased
from the Arab Advisors Group for only US$ 850. The 43-pages report,
which has 30 detailed exhibits, provides a detailed analysis of the
Lebanese Internet, Data and content markets and profiles all the major
data operators and ISPs in the country. Please contact the Arab Advisors
Group to get a copy of the reports Table of Contents.
Any investment in this report will count towards an annual Strategic
Research Service subscription should the service be acquired within
three months from purchasing the report.
'Between 2005 and 2009, we project Lebanon's Internet market to grow by
a CAGR of 14.8% to reach 400,000 accounts in 2009 (a penetration rate of
10.1%). The number of Internet users is expected to reach the 1 million
users milestone in 2009 (a user penetration rate of 25.2%) compared to
around 656,000 in 2004 (a user penetration rate of 17.5%).' Mr. Andrawes
Snobar, Arab Advisors Senior Research Analyst wrote in the report.
'The ADSL saga is still ongoing in Lebanon. Ogero had planned to
introduce the ADSL service as early as end of 2002. This was highly
expected specially with the completion of the advanced Ethernet network,
which allows Ogero to introduce more advanced communication services
such as xDSL and VLANs at much more scalable levels. Still, by mid 2005,
Lebanon is yet to have an operational ADSL service. If the service was
introduced as expected within the year 2006, the Arab Advisors Group
expects it to make up an initial 2.5% of the total Internet accounts in
2006. This percentage will increase fast due to the late introduction of
the ADSL service as pent-up demand is met.' Mr. Snobar added.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=3&article_id=17908
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
DSL can increase Lebanon's Internet usage
By Bechir Saade
Daily Star staff
BEIRUT: A leading telecom expert urged the government to choose an
appropriate infrastructure service in order to modernize the Internet
sector. Riyad Bahsoun, chairman of the Middle East International
Telecommunication Union, was commenting on a recently released report by
the Arab Adviser Group that said the introduction of the Digital
Subscriber Line (DSL) service in 2006, would possibly contribute to a
significant rise in Internet usage and decrease in black market Internet
Service Providers (ISP).
According to Bahsoun, the "Telecommunication Ministry should concentrate
on more up-to-date technology such as fiber to the home (FTTH) to
quickly fill the important gap from which Lebanon is suffering."
DSL is high-speed Internet system using a sophisticated modulation
scheme to pack data onto copper wires such as telephone line, whereas
FTTH uses fiber-optic cables that have enormous bandwidth and use light
pulses to carry information and can be placed underground.
"Between 2005 and 2009, we project Lebanon's Internet market to grow by
14.8 percent to reach 400,000 accounts in 2009," reaching the
one-million-user milestone in 2009, and around 656,000 in 2004,
according to the Arab Adviser Group Report.
Although the introduction of DSL services can be a factor for decrease
in pirating activities, as it would make Internet a less-costly service,
it is far from being the only one said Cyberia's CEO Bassam Jaber.
"The government will find it in its interest to step in to make sure
people supplying illegally are sanctioned as they are not paying taxes"
added Jaber.
According to Bahsoun "The Arab Advisers Group saw an opportunity to sell
a report based on a conversation with the former telecommunications
minister that mentioned the possibility of installing DSL equipment."
"In order to increase the speed carried by the existing public
infrastructure, public switch telephony network and allow the
provisioning of data services, you need to improve the existing copper
wires by adding DSL equipment (modem switches)" said Bahsoun.
The resulting increase in speed is tremendous: four times higher than
the current connection Lebanese experience.
In Lebanon there is a project considered at the Telecommunication
Ministry known as the Public Data Network that aims to achieve this
objective.
"But this project has been under consideration for six years now and was
never implemented and will likely not be in the near future" said Bahsoun.
Lebanon has the weakest Internet infrastructure in the Arab world. "Even
the West Bank and Sudan has DSL despite all the unrest these two regions
witness," said Bahsoun, adding that the successive lobbying could not
get the government to expand Internet capacity. As a result, Lebanon has
the lowest level in terms of Internet technology today compared to 1996
when it was leading the region said Bahsoun.
"The current minister is really interested in finding the best solution
for the sector," said Jaber, assuring that the government has never been
as serious about the issue as it is today. Jaber estimated that DSL
technology would be installed in approximately three months.
Joseph Mouhanna
inherited an organization where nothing has happened in years. Worse, what
had happened under his predecessor has made it more difficult to make any
progress.
In any case, DSL is yesterday's technology and Lebanon is better off going
with FTTH.
"BM" <m-e-d-...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:deginp$ft8$1...@reader2.panix.com...
BM
> In any case, DSL is yesterday's technology and Lebanon is better off going
> with FTTH.
How about cost? With DSL you can use existing telephone wiring. With
fiber you need to lay new wiring. Can the fiber option pay for itself?
In any case Lebanon needs flat rate pricing. A user should not have to
pay Internet charges and telecom charges. Any broadband solution should
package the total cost.
bassem
Joseph Mouhanna
same time. You need two things: at the subscriber home, you need a DSL modem
that will strip data, and turn it into an Ethernet signal, a filter will
block the DSL signal from going to phones. At the central office, an
equivalent modem is placing data on the individual phone line (2-way). In
the central office, the phone line goes from the telephony switch to the DSL
modem (where data is injected), and back out to the subscriber. To make
things easier and more efficient, DSLAMs (digital subscriber line access
modules) are installed in the central office. They're essentially
concentrated DSL modems designed to reduce space, and in the form of line
cards. The DSLAM ties into data switches, etc.
Providing DSL to people involves the following:
1. Rehabilitating the phone wires in Lebanon to remove repeaters, coils,
non-direct runs, etc. I used to be under the impression that this was done
in 1995. Alas, this is not the case and there are areas in Lebanon where you
can't even get 5Kbps from your home due to noise, length of wires, even
things as incredible as routing the calls through *multiple* incompatible
central offices within the same town.
2. Installing DLSAMs *and* data equipment (switches, etc.).
3. Tying up central offices with fiber for backhaul to central and backup
locations. The backhaul and associated data equipment must be capable of
carrying the aggregate data communications volume in Lebanon.
4. Installing a DSL modem at the home, and tie that to an Ethernet switch
(sometime they're combined in the same box). USB models are also available
in case there's only one computer in the house.
To do eFTTH (Ethernet over fiber to the home), you'll need the following:
1. Repeat step number 3 from above.
2. Repeat step 2 from above (minus the DSLAMs, as you don't need modems in
this case).
3. Run fiber from the fiber backbone to every home.
4. Install an Ethernet switch at the subscriber home with can terminate
fiber.
DSL as planned by the *former* ministry is designed to provide the *sweet
spot* with up to 256Kbps. eFTTH will provide up to 100Mbps (the sweet spot,
i.e. without going to state of the art, and using pure commodity
components).
DSL will provide data only (they will not package voice with it. Even in the
US, voice is not packaged with it, it's billed separately and considered a
totally separate entity, although this may change due to recent FTC
rulings), it's also not really capable of doing triple play (to do that, you
need to make sure that copper wire runs are shorter than 300 meters). Fiber
is more than capable of triple play.
Cost, given the situation in Lebanon, and taking into consideration the low
labor cost, is about the same. In the US, when faced with a green-field
situation (where it's possible to do either), fiber was always less
expensive and far more capable (and future proof). It's no contest. BTW, I
visited the former telecom minister last year to explain the situation, but
it feel on deaf ears (I prefaced my conversation by telling him that I was
*not* interested in starting a for-profit business in Lebanon). He insisted
that he had been given advice from the best foreign companies on the topic.
The above is an abbreviated version of technical requirements and some steps
are missing.
"BM" <m-e-d-...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:dei0gr$6l0$1...@reader2.panix.com...
Cheers
BM <m-e-d-...@panix.com> wrote in
news:dei0gr$6l0$1...@reader2.panix.com:
> How about cost? With DSL you can use existing telephone wiring. With
> fiber you need to lay new wiring.
I totally agree with you on this one,DSL/ADSL can also benefit non
Internet users.
the last think Lebanon need ATM is to have more expenditures.
The Lebanese Minister in charge of Lebanese telco should not be listening
to advices from companies who has special interest in taking on telco
projects in Lebanon, should be listening to independent experts
assessment.
>Can the fiber option pay for
> itself?
I doubt it, as the costs will be passed on to the end users, the Internet
Access wont be affordable to the average Lebanese.
while in the west and in some countries the Internet access is considered
a necessity, in Lebanon it is still considered a nonessential service.
>
> In any case Lebanon needs flat rate pricing.
> A user should not have
> to pay Internet charges and telecom charges.
> any broadband solution
> should package the total cost.
it is unlikely to happen , as both treated as separate services even here
in OZ.
>
> bassem
>
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