• Hatif Libya to decommission 70 telephone exchanges in telecom upgrade
  

• Fixed-line services to shift to LTT as part of modernization plan
  

• Libya expands fiber, 4G, and 5G to boost digital infrastructure by 2026

Hatif Libya, a subsidiary of the state-owned Libyan Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology Holding Company (LPTIC), announced on Sunday that it will begin phasing out its traditional telephone exchanges. The move is part of a wider push to modernize the country’s telecom infrastructure and improve service quality. The first phase will decommission 70 exchanges. Fixed-line services will later be transferred to Libya Telecom & Technology (LTT), which will deliver them using newer technologies. ADSL subscribers will not be immediately affected and will keep their service until fiber-optic FTTx projects are completed.

In December 2024, LPTIC signed a strategic partnership with French telecom infrastructure federation InfraNum to support efforts to rebuild and modernize Libya’s networks, including fiber, 5G and data centers. In July 2022, public operator LTT hired network optimization firm P.I. Works to digitally transform its network through automation software.

LPTIC’s strategy aims to expand fixed and mobile infrastructure to increase network coverage and user access. It plans to modernize systems through virtual environments, dismantle outdated equipment and deploy 4G and 5G nationwide. The strategy also calls for a clear approach to IT and cloud infrastructure, faster fiber-optic expansion and the long-term goal of becoming a regional telecom provider. Network automation is another priority. These projects are scheduled for completion by 2026.

Digital infrastructure is central to Libya’s broader digital transformation goals. The government sees ICT as a driver of reconstruction and socio-economic development. In 2024, Libya ranked 126th out of 193 on the United Nations E-Government Development Index with a score of 0.5466. This is above the African average but below the global one. The country scored 0.9639 on the index’s telecom infrastructure component, 0.0808 for online services and 0.5951 for human capital.

Isaac K. Kassouwi