Syria Restriction Narrows Broadband Internet, 29 Jan 2005

“High-speed Internet connections or "broadband" was offered to Syrian consumers for the first time last year -- years behind other tech-savvy Middle East countries -- but even then, the fast Internet service was decidedly old fashioned. The state-run telecommunications banned web voice and video communication, key benefits of the broadband service…Hundreds of thousands of Syria's 17 million people live abroad for work or study. Thousands used to communicate with loved ones through the Internet.
The broadband ban was imposed after the removal of restrictions on popular e-mail services such as Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail.�

Full story at http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20050130/wr_nm/tech_internet_syria_dc