Should Lebanon privatize its telecom to finally get reliable internet?

Context

Lebanon's telecommunications sector has long been dominated by state-owned Liban Telecom and Alfa, leaving the country with some of the slowest and most expensive internet in the Middle East despite decades of infrastructure investment. Privatization advocates argue that private competition and management could modernize networks and reduce costs, while skeptics worry about job losses, reduced service to rural areas, and whether a sale would actually benefit consumers or simply enrich connected elites. The debate intensifies as Lebanon's economic crisis deepens and citizens increasingly depend on reliable connectivity for work, education, and access to services.