Syria's Internet networks experienced an outage starting November 29. Ninety-two percent of the routed networks in the country have gone offline, according to Renesys. Syrian officials point to some "technical problems", while some experts think Bashar Assad's government order is far more likely, although a rebel attack that had severed crucial cables is also possible.
Syria' s communications were cut as troops mounted an assault on rebels near Damascus, closing off the road to the country's international airport. Analysts say that the case is similar to Internet service blackouts during Arab Spring riots in Egypt and Libya.
"As with previous actions to block Internet traffic in Egypt and Libya, the effect of cutting off Internet traffic – ceasing the flow of information in and out of the country – is a serious action. It harms not only the citizens of Syria, but also Syria's economy and society at large, says Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO, on behalf of the Internet Society Board of Trustees. "Previous cases where such actions were deliberately taken have proven not only to be harmful, but to be ineffective".
