There are about 250 exchanges and the MPT claims that the network is now fully digital. The domestic transmission network currently relies on a combination of terrestrial microwave, and copper, coaxial, and fiber optic cable. Since 1993, MPT has been concentrating on reconstruction of the telecommunications sector, which had been severely damaged by Lebanon's fifteen-year civil war. Prior to the start of the civil war in 1975, Lebanon had approximately 450,000 main lines, which dropped to about 330,000 by the end of the war in 1990. There are plans for the installation of five new fiber optic rings, two of which went into service in 1995.
International traffic is carried by satellite, terrestrial microwave, and submarine cable links.
Two brand new earth stations are also scheduled to begin operation in April 1997. Lebanon is connected to Syria and Egypt via the Alitar submarine fiber optic cable. The 61,440 channel cable has landing sites in Beirut, Seida, and Tripoli, Lebanon. In addition, a submarine fiber optic cable that will link Lebanon to Cyprus is currently under construction. The inadequate wireline infrastructure has led to tremendous demand for cellular services in Lebanon, which had a total of 230,000 cellular subscribers on three different networks at the end of 1996.