Writing by Omar Sheikh Mohamed; Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Eqtsad)- Since the beginning of Syrian revolution in March 2011, the Damascus regime has adopted a policy to punish liberated areas by all economic and social means. The regime prevented essential goods from entering besieged and liberated areas as well as disconnecting all means of communication in order to prevent reporting and showing the outside world what was happening.
The Syrian regime considered reporting and broadcasting events over the internet as serious as breaching the national security and the punishment could reach to execution. Moreover, the regime deactivated landlines’ switchboards intentionally to prevent communication among people in different areas over the country, according to Diaa, an engineer of Electronics.
“the situation in border towns was different in regard to communication, as they were able to connect to internet and mobile phones' networks from neighboring country, like people in southern Syria who were able to connect to Jordanian mobile phone network, which enabled them to show the world what was happening”, Diaa mentioned, adding that for a long period since the beginning of the revolution, people in Daraa and southern Syria relied on Jordanian network.
Ali, a mobile-phones store owner explained to Eqtsad that most people in the town use the Jordanian mobile network, because they are the only available networks, beside signal augmentation systems, which was profitable job. He detailed that they obtain the mobile SIM cards from returned visitors from Jordan, and they used to used to get the top-up cards by distributors, but when the security procedure at the Jordanian- Syrian borders were tightened, they started relaying on sending the top-up card number via text message or via other messaging applications.
When the Jordanian networks started to become weaker and slower, people started to think of joining the space internet project which spread in many liberated areas.
Mohsen, an investor in the field of space internet mentioned that such a project have very good profits despite competition, and it needs a capital of almost $7500 to buy and towers and equipments of broadcasting and reception.
Mohsen mentioned that signals of space internet are designed to cover a village of a town or even more, depends on the number of towers. He detailed that for example the smallest town of village might need between 10 and 15 towers.
Moaz, an owner of a space internet project added that establishing more than one project of space internet is better for people as it helps in reducing prices and improve service. He mentioned that prices for a Giga bite (GB) of internet data cost SYP1250, and 3 Giga bites SYP 2500 and the 4 GB it costs SYP 3500.
Moaz mentioned that prices for a SIM card are SYP 200 cheaper than regime’s ones, and even cheaper than Jordanian SIMs, and moreover, the service is faster. He mentioned that equipment are bought from specialised traders who bring them from Jordan, Turkey Syria, as they are manufactured in those countries as well as Chinese equipments, and prices differ accordingly.
Mohamed, one of the user of the Space Internet in the town on Nawa in Horan, explained that the town before revolution relied on the regime’s internet network, but then the regime destroyed all the broadcasting towers, which caused isolation of people from the outer world, but when many investors initiated the space internet, people started to use it and connected much easier with their relatives and others, even they were able to show what was happening.
Mohammed added that with the space internet, internet cafes spread at relatively low cost.
Adnan confirmed that the cost of using the space internet is much cheaper as well as better quality and it is easier to obtain.
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