Cellphones Arrive to Syria, Finally

Published February 9th, 2000 - 03:00 GMT

February 14th. That is the day many Syrians are marking in their calendars because it is the day that the country's trial cellular network will be inaugurated.

Al-Hayat daily reports that this network will allow for 40,000 subscribers in Damascus and 20,000 in Aleppo. The general manager of the public telecommunications establishment, Makram Ubeid, acknowledged that at this stage the network capacity is limited and that subscription costs are high. The first installment costs SP60,000 and the annual fee is SP2,400. One air minute reaches SP4. If the mobile phone subscriber calls to a number in the fixed telephone network he will be charged SP7 per minute (SP50=$1).