Lebanon's Internet Connectivity: Cables, Entry Points, and Vulnerabilities
Highlighted routes, latency, landing points and nearby vessels→
Internet Connectivity in Lebanon: Cables and Entry Points
Lebanon is connected to the global internet through four submarine cables: IMEWE (12,091 km, RFS 2010), CADMOS (230 km, RFS 1995), BERYTAR (134 km, RFS 1997), and the upcoming CADMOS-2 (250 km, planned for launch in 2026). The landing points for these cables are located in four coastal cities: Beirut, Jdeideh, Sidon, and Tripoli. The country’s isolation index is 60/100, indicating a moderate level of vulnerability: damage to one or more cables could significantly disrupt connectivity.
Two of the active cables (CADMOS and BERYTAR) have limited lengths and are primarily used for local connections with neighboring countries, making them less reliable for global transit. Most international traffic flows through IMEWE, which connects Lebanon to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. However, reliance on a small number of routes creates risks in the event of accidents or external disruptions.
Traffic Control and Censorship
It is known that Lebanon has mechanisms for controlling internet traffic, including potential DNS censorship and blocking of certain resources. However, GeoCables does not conduct direct measurements of such processes in the country due to the absence of observation points (probe vantage). This makes it impossible to confirm or deny the level of censorship based on our data. Nevertheless, the submarine cable infrastructure connecting Lebanon to the outside world remains a critical link through which all of the country’s international traffic passes.
Impact of Conflicts on Connectivity
Lebanon is located in a region of heightened conflict activity, particularly in the south of the country. GeoCables monitors five regions with potential risks to infrastructure: Nabatieh, Bekaa, Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and South Lebanon. In the past 60 days, incidents related to escalations along the border with Israel have been recorded, including airstrikes and firefights. However, the current maximum alert level according to GeoCables data is 0.033, indicating no immediate threat to submarine cables or terrestrial nodes at this time.
Historically, conflicts in the region have led to damage to telecommunications infrastructure, underscoring the importance of backup routes and diversification of entry points to ensure network resilience.
Chokepoints and Vulnerabilities
The main risks to Lebanon’s internet connectivity are associated with the limited number of submarine cables and their high concentration at a few landing points. For example, damage to IMEWE, which carries a significant portion of international traffic, could result in widespread disruptions. Local cables CADMOS and BERYTAR are also vulnerable due to their limited lengths and dependence on the stability of neighboring countries.
Lebanon’s transit neighbors are Cyprus and Egypt, through which the primary international traffic routes pass. In the event of a cable break or blockage along one of these routes, Lebanon could face isolation from the global network.
What GeoCables Monitors
GeoCables monitors the status of all four submarine cables connecting Lebanon, including their capacity, landing points, and potential risks. Special attention is given to IMEWE as the primary international route and the future CADMOS-2, which is expected to enhance network resilience after its deployment in 2026. Monitoring also extends to conflict zones to promptly identify potential threats to telecommunications infrastructure.
