The Truth Behind Fast Lebanon

Kassem

vengeance666 wrotefor example a student of physics at lebanese university ( friend of mine ) stays up nights to download stuff he needs for his education, i think better internet will ease things up for him and for other people

That is utterly true. I always have to wait for friends to download video tutorials/conferences/screencasts for me. I've been waiting for MIX11for quiet some time. Now that they got one of the most important videos I've been anticipating, I cannot download it. Why? Because it is 1.9GB which is HALF my free quota. The internet is way more important to me than anything else. The internet is a major part in determining the path of my career and the speed at which I could learn.

Tarek

well lets see...all the big establishements (banks,etc ) don't give a crap..they pay and have the connection they need..
Also you are to tell me that all the student of the lebanese university download stuff they need ? I was in LU , never used the internet knowing I was majoring in Biomedical engineering
In the end we have more than 68% of the lebanese people near or under the line of poverty ...so screw it and screw the internet ..I don't mind waiting a bit more if our goverment are working on more crucial issues like water perhaps which is going to be more expensive than oil in 2020

on wednesday all the bakeries are going to cease the production of bread..how about we nag about this ?

rolf

Without going through a lengthy explanation, because I believe I have sacrificed enough of my time to this cause - I believe internet is important for business development and ultimately raising the standards of the country. Opening up the internet shows a willingness to encourage businesses, which across the world are moving to using the net for their transactions, etc. Expensive and slow internet... well it may work for now but I don't know how long they can get away with it when other countries are cheaper.

Yes, some type of companies may not care that much, especially if high internet price is offset by low taxes and low salary, location, etc. costs. But companies in the IT sector? Do you think Google will open an office in Lebanon anytime soon in these conditions? How about them? Why totally neglect that sector?

Kassem

rolf wroteWithout going through a lengthy explanation, because I believe I have sacrificed enough of my time to this cause - I believe internet is important for business development and ultimately raising the standards of the country. Opening up the internet shows a willingness to encourage businesses, which across the world are moving to using the net for their transactions, etc. Expensive and slow internet... well it may work for now but I don't know how long they can get away with it when other countries are cheaper.

A few days ago, I've seen a news report on NewTV about a Lebanese guy (called Hassan something from South Lebanon, Harouf) who is a web developer that developed over 2000 websites in two years, worked for FedEX and now established his own agency. He really wants to open an office for his agency in Lebanon but... the internet sucks! So he's anticipating the promised improvements in the telecom sector by the end of the coming summer and then he'll decide what to do.

This is one single example of how our lousy internet is keeping businesses away from the Lebanese market. Something has to be done, and it has to be done soon!

Kassem

Tarek wroteIn the end we have more than 68% of the lebanese people near or under the line of poverty ...so screw it and screw the internet

I do not want to sound like a jackass, but seriously I do not give a damn about poor people. Why? Because in most cases it is THEIR fault (I know there are exceptions, but they are not a majority). Everyone is responsible of his/her well-being. If they manage their time correctly, make use of whatever resources they've got, they could at least do something to improve their situation. Rather than wasting time doing none-sense (2argele for example) and being lazy bums, they could invest this time learning English for a start. Then once they're good at it, they could find a way to learn web development or graphic design or electronics or whatever on their own. And there, they've got themselves a new job.

jp-3482

Kassem wroteThis is one single example of how our lousy internet is keeping businesses away from the Lebanese market. Something has to be done, and it has to be done soon!

Well said... when will the government realize that they're losing far more than they're winning.

rolf

Kassem wrote
Tarek wroteIn the end we have more than 68% of the lebanese people near or under the line of poverty ...so screw it and screw the internet
I do not want to sound like a jackass, but seriously I do not give a damn about poor people. Why? Because in most cases it is THEIR fault

Wow. I don't think either approaches is right. On one side it's not right to worry about, and prioritize poor people, at least not for average people like you and me. On the other hand I don't think it's right either to blame them like this and on this tone! I would say just live your life and as a person it's normal to show humanity, share what you have, and occasionally help people in need.

forgotten

Sorry but if you don`t even have the money for your food ,how in the name of god are you supposed to afford electricity let alone a computer?
Learning English? How if you can`t afford a good education ?

Such things are easier said than done .Lebanon needs a lot of improvement in all sectors. In my opinion the internet could reinforce those demands and help at least a few% of the population to get a job etc. It would help a lot already.

Chup

Tarek wroteIn the end we have more than 68% of the lebanese people near or under the line of poverty ...so screw it and screw the internet

this can be reduced to a small logical mathematical equation :
slow internet = international companies don't set up firms here
international companies don't set up firms here = 68% increases due to lack of jobs
68 % increases due to lack of jobs = lebanese people immigrating
lebanese people immigrating = lebanon degrading .
regardless who's oposing the 3G technology and why, they will get F@Cked sooner or later.
cheeriyo =)

vengeance666

exactly what i meant in my last post here ! i heard somewhere that a better internet in lebanon will cause a percentage of economic growth ( it's a 1.7% or 2.7% i don't remember ) , also slow internet is driving investments away from the country , making the government lose lots lots of money each year , wich brings us to lesser job opportunities.. another thing , if banks and companies won't care about internet ? there's online banking , web developpement , online stores etc i can keep going like that until morning , or people would prefer sticking to paper and pencil and losing all this because ( main subject here ) a damn switch won't be turned on ? they're taking your money from you while your eyes are open , for you to get everything you must start demanding with something you need , awaken the people to demand their rights , internet is crucial and the easiest thing we can get right now as a start for a better respectable country ( switch again ? ) , why turn your back on it ?

Tarek

everyone can be the next president...houraaaay !!im not talking about young people..im talking about families,old people,etc

xazbrat

vengeance666 wroteexactly what i meant in my last post here ! i heard somewhere that a better internet in lebanon will cause a percentage of economic growth ( it's a 1.7% or 2.7% i don't remember ) , also slow internet is driving investments away from the country , making the government lose lots lots of money each year , wich brings us to lesser job opportunities.. another thing , if banks and companies won't care about internet ? there's online banking , web developpement , online stores etc i can keep going like that until morning , or people would prefer sticking to paper and pencil and losing all this because ( main subject here ) a damn switch won't be turned on ? they're taking your money from you while your eyes are open , for you to get everything you must start demanding with something you need , awaken the people to demand their rights , internet is crucial and the easiest thing we can get right now as a start for a better respectable country ( switch again ? ) , why turn your back on it ?

Actually, it will be larger in a country like Lebanon because that sector is so underutilized--closer to 10% for the first few years then leveling off IMO.

It not only the internet here--call centers can also be set up here with no problem. Many people here speak more than 1 language and are used to interacting with people from other countries and cultures. Lebanon is losing jobs to people from Egypt and Jordan (I don't have anything against people from those two countries) in these sectors What needs to be done is a fundamental change in how revenues are assessed and collected by the government. Basically, the government has to become pro business instead of pro-itself. Most revenues come from telecom and electricity, and both sectors are broken. There are lots of diaspora who are willing to come back and reinvest here, but the conditions are favorable for them to come back. Why is it that Lebanese are so successful when they located in another country? Someone should be asking the politicians that.

I would like to add that enforcement of copyrights and other intellectual property must also happen for it to really revolutionize the country.

vengeance666

Tarek wroteeveryone can be the next president...houraaaay !!im not talking about young people..im talking about families,old people,etc

completly irrelevant and off-topic ? we're simply doing a mature discussion here and everyone just express their opinions , i can see already who thinks he is the next president.

back to topic..

Tarek

I have 2 Mbps connection .. I do not care about Cedarcom or 3G ...20 liters of gas costs 35 000 ..trust me internet should be your least concern
Off course it is vital for improvements and such but you cant believe that international firms decisions are just based on connection speed .also i believe that a 512 /4GB connection is well suited for students ..maybe we should demand free quota for student plan ..at least it can happen somehow

No offense for anyone is intended

dp0001

inspired by Anonymous
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YiYvFDLw3ck/TWPpiE2DwBI/AAAAAAAAAY0/ZMNM6U5GlWk/s1600/anonymous.gif

hussam

I'm ok with my 256k from VISP. What I would like however is stable pings, better quotas and no electricity problems.

kareem_nasser

@Tarek: You are not making any sense because it is completely irrational. Quotas hasn't changed since 2007, think about this way: People in other countries with almost unlimited quotas and higher bandwidth will easily upload more useful videos on YouTube that have longer durations than we can here. Let us say someone wants to view one of the videos but he reached his quota limit and he pays for the ADSL fees every month. Paying $1 per 100MB is a total over-kill to him and dont worry there are a lot like this, thats why illegal internet cables are so abundant (at least this is one of the reasons).

@Hussam: No we are not satisfied by our current situation even if they do what you said because what you said applied 4 years ago. Now we shouldn't be ok with something that is 5 years old because others are advancing a lot in the same field that we are currently sharing due to social media and the like.

rolf

Tarek wroteOff course it is vital for improvements and such but you cant believe that international firms decisions are just based on connection speed .also i believe that a 512 /4GB connection is well suited for students ..maybe we should demand free quota for student plan ..at least it can happen somehow

True, but since this is a "geek" forum we (at least I) are mostly interested in IT firms, and for these internet speed, and what it tells about the country, is a big factor. Just repeating myself...

monkey-d-luffy

I once posted on this forum about what is really Cedarcom's problem so search for it
And also: Having fast internet -> Companies wants to open in Lebanon -> More jobs -> less immigration ->Happy Lebanese people

I'm no IT expert since I'm in medical school but I think that internet is crucial for a country's development. And also in medical fields it will help us to communicate with other doctors from other country's for research!!!

monkey-d-luffy

Here's a little analysis that I found... Enjoy ;)

1)The first is "Fast Lebanon" :

Please administrators let me say once that you are cedarcom or any other private company.

-This side is not discussing clearly in this page about the purposes of the campaign. (Suspicious)
No personal comments, maybe in the meetings everything is clear, ask the ones who volunteered.

-This side is promising of asking and delivering 20Mbps unlimited for 20$ or less. (Bad)
This can't happen, please keep it real.

-This side has deleted and baned all users from posting. (Neutral) Since i was seeing a lot of post to support other pages and off subject posts.

-This side is looking to make fast internet a human right. (Good)
A good move for Lebanese.

-This side is related to cedarcom. (Great)
Look people, if the persons behind this page don't have any relation to internet companies, how they will make this happen. Let us say that this page is for cedarcom, and they are promising of delivering 20Mbps unlimited for 20$ or less. The videos on You tube attack the page for posting prices and they are calling this advertising. Well Great, this is the best advertise you can see in Lebanon. And let us assume that the company didn't deliver this prices, well then what, the situation can't get any worse.

-This side is looking to help you lifting taxes that reach 1350% on each line. (Excellent)
We pay TVA, 10% more on everything we buy, so if you live on 1500$ salary, 150$ you pay as taxes (and only TVA). Add to that the 3592 other taxes types in Lebanon and you end up living like the people of Africa on 1$ per day.So you will not be hurt if 1350% are lifted up from the internet lines.

2)The second, let's call them the "Anti-Fast Lebanon" :

-The Channel of this side on "You Tube" called "RuthlessRemorseless" have Philippines as a country. (Suspicious)

-The videos are just attacking the page without promising or showing another road to fast internet (F@#king Bad)
The 2 videos and other news papers and web pages attack this page just because they think that it's for cedarcom, and it's looking to make profits. I have one thing to say to those people:" Show us that you can give us 10Mbps Unlimited for "70$" and we'll shut our mouths".

-The video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id7K7_Ur9lU ( What?)
The video uses computer talking program for the sound. It either that the one who made the video is from Philippines and can't talk English (he translate a text to English and put it in the program) then he can't tell Lebanese what to do. Or it's another company ( let's not call names but here's a hint it starts with Og and ends with ero ) that can't benefit from competition, and don't want to give cheaper internet and lower it profits, uses stupid ways to kill this page.

-This side know how to search for people profiles over the internet ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GTq2V31kE8o )
(Most F@#king SUSPICIOUS)
This confirm that the 2nd side, is also very familiar in computer and internet work, where they give you specific information two of the administrators, this cancels the chance that the ones behind this video are from Philippines, so i can assure that the people behind this side and those videos are from an internet company (let's not call names, see the previous hint).

Conclusion: One side is calling for fast internet, and the other side is screaming we will not stand for this.

It's up to you blessed Lebanese.

Mister X, a lebanese citizen with 256Kbps internet who wake up every day dreaming all the night about internet of 8Mbps maximum and playing online for once, and watching you tube videos without having to go get a snack while the video loads, nor exceeding the 3GB download limit.

Have a good night everyone.

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