Syriatel outages disrupt communications in Kobani Countryside

The city of Kobani and its countryside are experiencing persistent weakness in the Syriatel network, with frequent call disruptions and difficulties using the internet. Network coverage is almost entirely absent in most rural villages and towns, forcing residents to travel long distances to the city to obtain a signal that allows them to carry out transactions through Sham Cash or contact their relatives.

The communications crisis has disrupted salary payments and bill payments, as well as hampered communication with ambulances and medical centers in emergencies, raising concerns over residents’ safety.

Residents expressed their frustration and called on the relevant authorities to find urgent solutions. Khalil Hussein, a resident of Koran village east of Kobani, said he had to travel to the city center to purchase a Syriatel SIM card and activate the Sham Cash application in order to withdraw his children’s salaries, as the network is almost unavailable in his village.

Hussein added that residents travel around 30 kilometers to reach the city and obtain network coverage, despite rising fuel costs. He said the communications outages also hinder their ability to contact relatives and ambulances in emergencies.

He called on the relevant authorities to rehabilitate the communications networks that had previously been available, stressing that residents in the area are suffering from poor services, bad roads and high fuel prices, in addition to the lack of communication services.

Omar Haro, the owner of a telecommunications shop in Kobani, said demand for Syriatel SIM cards had increased significantly as most areas of the Kobani countryside lack network coverage.

He noted that the reliance of the Sham Cash application on the Syriatel network had increased residents’ need for the service, particularly teachers and employees.

Haro called on Syriatel to install new towers in villages lacking coverage, reactivate inactive towers and increase the number of towers in the city center to ease network congestion and improve service quality.

For his part, Mohammed Habash, co-chair of the Kobani Communications Office, said years of Syriatel network outages had caused a major crisis and widespread frustration.

He explained that the company had activated three 4G towers inside the city, but they were insufficient to meet growing demand, resulting in weak and frequently interrupted service.

Habash said coverage was completely unavailable in several villages and towns, including Shuyukh, Sarrin and Jalabiyah, despite the presence of towers that remain inactive.

He confirmed that the Communications Office had asked the company to increase the number of towers and reactivate inactive ones, amid promises to improve the network that have yet to translate into tangible steps.

a.k

ANHA