❊ Finally, We’re Having A Conversation About The Internet In Lebanon

The government’s announcement that it will be starting 3G services has set up a media and legal firestorm between the government and a big private internet operator (read more about this here, here, here and here).

This post is not about arguing who’s more evil, the private company that wants to sue the government to prevent it from starting 3G services then masquerades behind a Facebook group which asks misleading questions, or the government itself for taxing the living hell out of the private sector ISPs, preventing them from upgrading their infrastructure and then suddenly dropping on them the bomb of a government competitor with much better services and no tax burdens.

In truth both parties have some valid points, and there is a nuanced middle way that we should all strive to reach. We all want faster, cheaper internet but the conversation at this point is still crude (you’re either a socialist or a corrupt and greedy corporation). There is no right or wrong way of doing this, and different countries have different approaches to how things are done. (Did you know for instance that a majority of Americans do not favor making affordable high-speed Internet access a government priority?)

In my opinion, the government should provide infrastructure not services. In other words, the government should build the pipes, but private companies should sell the water. Government is prone to corruption, bad service and unaccountability, but it has the scale to provide cheap infrastructure for everyone to use. Private companies are greedy, but if properly checked and with proper competition they provide much better door-to-door service, customer care and variety.

The good thing is that the conversation about the internet has started in Lebanon. We will finally be having fast internet, but it is the job of our media, politicians, businesses and experts to debate the finer points.