Syrnet

Syrnet is a Syrian pirate radio network launched in September 2013 to broadcast information to citizens that is suppressed or manipulated by state-run media.

[1][2] It was developed by Germany-based non-profit organization Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT), with funding provided by the German Foreign Office.

[3] Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly sabotaged or exerted control over communications infrastructure, disabling Internet, phone networks, and even electricity.

Some Syrians have had access to Western-operated external broadcasts prior to Syrnet, but those stations have typically operated outside of the country, leaving a scarcity of coverage of the most immediate and important news stories.

[8][9] The Pocket FM units, which can run on solar power or an automobile's 12-volt battery, are equipped with built-in satellite receivers to pick up the Syrnet feed and broadcast it over-the-air.