There will be a tough competition in the local telecom sector…

Sri Lankan youths and cooperate sector will experience somewhat acceptable service from their telecom service providers in years to come. This was signaled at the very beginning of the 07.

1. Sri Lanka’s Premier Cellular Network Celltel Re-brands as tigo

2. SLT is going to make ADSL an island wide service

3. Mobitel is in a process to implement a 3 G network

4. Bharti Airtel bags the fifth mobile operator license

5. Dialog launched their WiMAX services in selected parts of the country

1. Sri Lanka’s Premier Cellular Network Celltel Re-brands as tigo

Celltel was the first cellular company to launch their services in Sri Lanka in early 90s. Still our people used to call Celltel instead of the word mobile phone. Recently they have started re-branding their services globally. Actually this concept was come from their mother company Millicom International Cellular. As a part of that they have changed their local operations Celltel as tigo.

Go to www.celltel.lk to see the change. This is a positive move towards challenging the Telekom Malaysia’s monopoly in SL. Telekom Malaysia operates under the name of Dialog Telecom in SL and their recent services were not up to the standards and the expectations of the local community. We had some horrible time with Dialog in recent past and do not want to recommend them to anyone else because of their customer care.

With this move from the Celltel (now tigo) Dialog is having two competitors in the market. It’ll be three if and only if the recently added fifth mobile operator Bharti Airtel in a position to implement what they have promised during the bidding period. (I do not have a faith on these cheap Indian companies. You can figure out that easily by looking at IOC’s local operations).

I would love to see this competition during the next couple of years. Surely Dialog will loose their dominance in the market and they will face a tough competition in years to come.

Collected from tigo:

Millicom International Cellular launched a successful new “3 A’s” business strategy with the central themes of Affordability, Accessibility and Availability, through investments in network and distribution with the objectives of bringing cool and innovative products first in the market, addressing friends and family service needs and offering reliable business solutions.

“Today, the launch of Tigo, is the culmination of this process for Sri Lanka, and coincides with the major expansion of GSM network in 2006 undertaken by Celltel, which now covers all corners of the island, the successful introduction of E PIN/RELOAD making prepay services more affordable, and the introduction of GPRS/EDGE services”, said Mr. Dumindra Ratnayaka, CEO of Celltel Lanka. Millicom’s Tigo brand, is now present in 13 countries across Asia, Africa and South America – making Tigo a truly global brand.

“After more than a year of market investigation, consumer research and most importantly - of listening to the needs of mobile customers all over Sri Lanka - the launch of Tigo today, represents another step in the process of Tigo connecting people in ways that enable them to communicate how and when they want, and ultimately; to deliver the convenience in communication that people seek”.

According to Mr. Ratnayaka, Tigo’s introduction to Sri Lanka will provide a “new mobile experience” for both current mobile users, as well as those people not yet using mobile phones, by providing improved access, greater availability and enhanced affordability of mobile services, via the aspirational brand Tigo.

The Tigo experience can be enjoyed with the “ TIGO Power Sim” , for only Rs. 450 , that allows one touch connection to the GPRS services through its menu , allowing customers to enter the exciting world of Value Added Services like “ tones , wallpapers , animations” with the latest content and service features. Two new tariff packages are available targeting both economy and high users, namely the “no validity 2 minute incoming free package “and “Rs. 600 validity, incoming totally free package”

Celltel’s existing customers can continue enjoying current services, and can use Tigo cards for reloading and/or can change to the attractive new Tigo tariff packages, by dialing a short code.

“Tigo products, services and communications are now being rolled out to all corners of Sri Lanka and will be delivered with the energy, innovation and ease of use that are defining characteristics of the Tigo brand”, said Mr. Ratnayaka.

“In doing so we are determined to be, not just a part of your communication activities, instead, Tigo’s ultimate ambition is to become as much a part of the Sri Lankan lifestyle – as we have become in many different and diverse communities around the world. So in many ways today represents the “start of a new beginning” for the Sri Lankan mobile market, and we extend an invitation to all of you here today and to the wider community of Sri Lanka to...
Step into the Blue, Enjoy the Tigo experience…and above all EXPRESS YOURSELF”

2. SLT is going to make ADSL an island wide service

My previous post present more details on this.

3. Mobitel is in a process to implement a 3 G network

Mobitel started their 3 G trials in last year is looking forward to commence their commercial 3 G services this year but yet to collect the information.

4. Bharti Airtel bags the fifth mobile operator license

January 18, 2007 (LBO) – India's Bharti Airtel Ltd has been tentatively picked to take up a slot as Sri Lanka's fifth mobile phone operator, the island's telecom watchdog said Thursday.

"We have issued an offer letter to Bharti, who have a month to make a 4 milllion dollar payment to collect the license," Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Director General, Kanchana Ratwatte told LBO.

Bharti has also promised to invest 100 million dollars within the first year of operation, Ratwatte said adding that the Indian operator plans to rollout the network by the end of this year, offering second and third generation (2G and 3G) services.

Bharti Mittal, Bharti's Chairman said the Sri Lankan operations, will be the first international foray for the company and is in line with the group's plans to expand into the South Asian region.

"The South Asian region offers tremendous growth opportunities and Sri Lanka is a very promising market for telecom services," he said adding that "Bharti Airtel with its extensive experience and unique business model will strive to offer world-class services at affordable rates to the people of Sri Lanka."

Telecom, is one of the fastest growth sectors in this South Asian island of 19.5 million people and the Central Bank estimates that 4.5 million users have mobile phones as at end 2006.

Dialog Telekoma, a unit of Telekom Malaysia, dominates the landscape with over 3-million subscribers on its network, followed by Mobitel, Celltel Lanka Ltd and Hutchinson.

5. Dialog launched their WiMAX services in selected parts of the country

Jan 23 (LBO) – Sri Lankan mobile operator Dialog said Tuesday it had rolled out broadband wireless services for a few pilot customers, with plans to extend it to other parts of the island over the next few months.

The WiMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access) services will be offered to customers in Hambantota, Matara, Galle, Kurunagala, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.

Amadeus Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, World Vision, and Hotels Corporation are among those that have tied up with Dialog for the pilot launch of WiMAX, Dialog said in a statement.

“WiMAX provides Broadband Internet access across the footprint of the wireless network, enabling anywhere-anytime access to high speed broadband,” Vajira Jayasinghe, Chief Technology Officer of Dialog Broadband Networks said.

The rollout is still at a pilot stage, Jayasinghe said, with extensive expansion of services due to take place later in the year.

WiMAX has a higher data speed of 10 Megabits per second and allows high quality delivery of multimedia services on a single connection.

“The launch of pilot WiMAX services in collaboration with several commercial entities, gives Sri Lanka a head start in the delivery of Broadband Wireless Access Services,” Upali Gajanaike, Chief Operating Officer Dialog Broadband Networks (DBN) said.

Dialog Broadband Networks is a fully owned subsidiary of Dialog Telekom Limited, offering backbone and transmission infrastructure facilities and data communication services.

Dialog Broadband is to also provide fixed wireless telephony services based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology, shortly.

Dialog Telekom Limited is a subsidiary of the Telekom Malaysia Group and commands 60 percent of the market with over three million subscribers.

The mobile operator also provides retail and wholesale international voice and data services, Internet services and also operates Dialog SAT, a mobile satellite service.