The Syrian Future Movement strongly condemns the decision by Syriatel and MTN to raise the prices of their voice and internet packages by more than 100%, while simultaneously canceling popular “hourly packages.” This move, announced on Friday, November 14, 2025, represents an unjustified economic burden on Syrian citizens amidst the country’s already difficult living conditions.
The Syrian Future Movement believes this increase—which raised the cost of a high-consumption package from 150,000 Syrian pounds to over 300,000—is completely disproportionate to the average Syrian citizen’s monthly income and to the quality of service provided, which continues to suffer from frequent outages, slow speeds, and limited coverage, particularly in rural areas.
The Syrian Future Movement bases its position on an international technical and economic perspective. The price of 1 GB of mobile data in Syria, after the increase, is approximately $0.67 USD, higher than in Egypt ($0.65), Turkey ($0.40–$0.70), and Jordan ($0.50–$0.80). However, this represents 20–30% of the average Syrian’s monthly income (around $80), compared to only 3–8% in those other countries.
This relative burden makes mobile data the most expensive service for citizens in the region, despite speeds not exceeding 10–15 Mbps and 4G coverage not exceeding 60% of the population – in contrast to the extensive 5G coverage in Jordan and speeds reaching 40 Mbps in Egypt.
The Syrian Future Movement, as an independent civil movement that prioritizes the interests of the nation and its citizens above all else, views this move as a continuation of the monopolistic policies that have plagued Syria for decades. It contradicts the aspirations of Syrians for a free, competitive, and fair economy that serves development and preserves the dignity of the citizen.
Therefore, we demand the following:
- An immediate suspension of the new prices until a transparent and independent review is conducted, including representatives from civil society, technical experts, and consumer representatives.
- The two companies must improve service quality before any price increase, including expanding 4G and 5G coverage, addressing outages, and ensuring stable speeds.
- The monopoly must be broken by opening the market to international operators through transparent regulatory mechanisms that guarantee fair competition and lower prices.
- A price ceiling linked to the average national income must be established, with affordable packages for students, the unemployed, and those with limited incomes.
- Those responsible for this decision must be held accountable, including a review of the Ministry of Communications and Technology’s role in allowing this increase without corresponding guarantees.
We in the Syrian Future Movement affirm that communications are not a luxury, but a fundamental right and an indispensable national infrastructure for education, work, communication, and civic participation. The new Syria we envision cannot exist without equitable and affordable digital access for all.
We call upon the Syrian people to demonstrate conscious solidarity and support calls for peaceful boycotts as a legitimate means of exerting pressure, while emphasizing that the fundamental solution lies in reforming the sector, not in punishing the citizens.
