Sri Lanka - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband & Forecasts

After Years of War, Peace Sees Sri Lanka's Big Push for a Connected, Online Society

This report (17th Edition) provides a comprehensive overview of the trends and developments in the telecommunications and digital media markets in Sri Lanka.

Subjects covered include:

•Key Statistics;
•Market and Industry Overviews;
•Regulatory Environment;
•Major Players (fixed and mobile);
•Infrastructure;
•Mobile Voice and Data Market;
•Internet, including VoIP;
•Broadband.
MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

•Sri Lanka's mobile market had reached over 18 million subscribers by mid-2011, for a mobile penetration of 87%.
•This meant that the number of mobile subscribers had increased eightfold in just six years.
•The leading mobile operators have commenced trials of Fourth Generation (4G) technologies.
•The country's fixed-line market had been undergoing a period of healthy growth, reaching a subscriber penetration of close to 18% by 2011, but growth had levelled out.
•Fixed-line expansion has been boosted by the extensive application of CDMA-based WLL technology; WLL services comprised almost three quarters of the total fixed line subscriber base by 2011.
•The country's Internet sector remained underdeveloped, with the take up rate of broadband services being especially low; there were however signs that this was starting to change.
•Fixed broadband penetration (as a percentage of population) was still only around 1% in 2011.
•The government having established the National Broadband Consultative Committee (NBCC) in 2010, there was little evidence of it having any great impact into 2011.