“Are you interested in connecting to the internet without a physical SIM card?” A video circulating in Lebanon discusses how the country’s two state-affiliated telecommunications companies, Alfa and Touch, have launched their electronic SIM (eSIM) services.
This service isn’t new, neither globally nor in Lebanon. Alfa introduced eSIMs as early as 2019, and about four years later, Touch did the same, both companies told SMEX.
Demand for eSIMs surged after the Israeli occupation destroyed Gaza’s communications infrastructure during the early months of the genocide. Some have found they could still connect to the internet by linking their phone to neighboring networks, such as the Egyptian or Israeli.
Using eSIMs has allowed many people within Gaza to communicate with each other and has kept many connected to the outside world.
Following the Israeli bombardment in the South, SMEX received several inquiries about the availability of these services in Lebanon. We looked into the eSIM options offered by Alfa and Touch, as well as those provided by some global providers, to determine whether they function on the local Alfa and Touch networks.
eSIMs by Alfa and Touch: Better Late than Never
Alfa and Touch’s eSIM cards are identical to regular SIM cards but offer added flexibility, convenience, and enhanced security for the user, according to the companies. Users do not need to insert a physical SIM card into their phone. Instead, they can activate the eSIM by contacting their telecommunications provider, provided their phone supports this technology.
Alfa and Touch confirmed to SMEX that all services available on regular SIM cards, such as roaming for calls and data, also work on eSIMs. Additionally, users with SIM cards from abroad can use their phones in Lebanon if their operator has agreements with the local networks. The same applies to traditional SIM cards.
Touch noted that eSIMs also offer additional features, such as operating multiple SIM cards simultaneously on the same device, with the option to switch between phone numbers or deactivate any of them.
eSIM Applications in Lebanon: Outrageous Rates
After an exhaustive search for eSIM applications that work in Lebanon, we found only two. The first is the Airalo app, which offers a package for Lebanon called “Salbeh,” a local term meaning “cute.”
What’s “cute” about the service in Lebanon is that it offers 1 GB of data for seven days for $9.50, making it one of the most expensive deals in the region. By comparison, the same offer costs $8 in Morocco, $7 in Algeria, $4.50 in the UAE and Tunisia, and $5 in Jordan, Libya, Qatar, and Iraq.
Although this package is available on the Airalo application and reportedly works in Lebanon, as confirmed by a user traveling to Beirut, a source at Touch denied that eSIM applications operate in Lebanon.
In its official response to SMEX’s questions, Touch stated, “Touch does not have any agreement with any eSIM service provider for international roaming.”
Truphone is another application providing eSIM services in Lebanon, this time via Alfa. Lebanon appears on the coverage map published by the Truphone website. To confirm this, we contacted Truphone, who assured us their services are available in Lebanon.
Despite stating it covers Lebanon in cooperation with the MIC1 company (Alfa), Truphone also denied “the existence of any direct deal with any eSIM service provider at the present time.”
SMEX’s IT Consultant, Ragheb Ghandour, explains that eSIM applications can operate through agreements with foreign telecommunications companies that offer international roaming services in various countries, including Lebanon.
These applications do not necessarily have direct agreements with the local companies Alfa and Touch. This explains why their eSIM service exclusively provides internet access on the phone, not voice communications.
As for the eSIM applications frequently advertised in Lebanon, such as Usims, MontySIM, Simly.io, and Google Fi, our team found that most of them do not work in Lebanon.
The world is moving towards abandoning plastic SIM cards in favor of electronic ones. In Lebanon, Alfa has been offering the eSIM service for years, and Touch followed suit months ago. While these two local telecommunications companies now provide this service, only a few eSIM applications work in Lebanon.
Amid the crises and wars in our region, reliable communication and various solutions for people to stay connected have become necessary.
