Category: Technology

December 12, 2006 (LBO) – Lanka Bell, one of Sri Lanka’s privately held wireless telecom operators, has tied up with India’s FLAG Telecom to lay an undersea cable linking both countries. FLAG owns and manages an extensive optical fibre network spanning four continents and connecting key business markets in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and […]

Dec 12, 2006 (LBO) – A new fibre optic undersea cable that connects Maldives to Sri Lanka will bring down international call charges from the Indian Ocean coral atoll, officials said Tuesday. The telco, which carries an AAA (lka) rating from Fitch Ratings Lanka, also has a share in Sri Lanka’s cellular market through its […]

December 11, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Telecom, is spinning off its directory publication division as a wholly owned subsidiary, the island’s biggest fixed line operator said Monday. Japans Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. or NTT controls 35.2 percent of SLT, the Sri Lankan government owns 49.5 percent and the public 15.3 percent. SLT Publications […]

Dec 08, 2006 (LBO) – A top mobile phone maker expects the Sri Lankan handset market to grow by 25 to 30 percent next year as the country, as the country’s cellular operators reach out to rural customers. Nokia, the world’s largest mobile phone maker, has already experienced a surge in handset sales here since […]

December 5, 2006 (LBO) – Dialog Telekom, the island’s biggest mobile phone operator, retained its AAA (lka) rating, but subscriber growth has lagged against industry peers, Fitch Ratings Lanka said. œThe rating reflects Dialog’s leading position in Sri Lanka’s cellular-mobile space with around 60 percent subscriber-share, its robust growth and strong operating cash flow, the […]

December 2, 2006 (LBO) – Dialog Telekom said Saturday that it has taken full control of cable television operator CBN SAT, that was previously shut down by the government for not having necessary paperwork. Sri Lanka, which became the first South Asian nation to start mobile services, when Celltel Lanka began operations in 1989, now […]

November 30, 2006 (LBO) – Tough regulations are stifling growth of Sri Lanka’s cable and satellite television industry, a local research firm says, but is poised to take off as new and larger players’ lower costs and improve choice. Sri Lanka’s current penetration of satellite and cable channels is less than one percent of the […]

November 27 2006 (LBO) – Dialog Telekom, the island’s biggest mobile phone operator, Monday announced plans to acquire satellite pay television operator Communiqu Broadband Networks (Pvt) Ltd and CBN Sat (Pvt) Ltd for 523.8 million rupees. Dialog Telekom, dominates the industry with over 3 million subscribers, followed by Mobitel Lanka, Celltel Lanka Ltd, Hutchinson. The […]

Nov 15, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Government and the ICT Agency will launch an emergency response unit next month to counter threats and vulnerabilities affecting computer systems and networks, officials said Wednesday. The response unit CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) will be a source of expertise to assist member organizations in responding to and […]

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 13, 2006 (AFP) – Google added historic map overlays to its free interactive online globe of the world on Monday to provide views of how places have changed with time.Google Earth engineers digitized one of the largest US map collections and integrated the information into its program, which lets users virtually navigate […]

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 9, 2006 (AFP) – A Helio mobile telephone service launched in the United States on Thursday lets users track friends and plot routes using satellite-mapping technology. Helio’s Drift model telephone, custom-built by South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, has a “Buddy Beacon” feature that maps the whereabouts of as many as 25 selected people […]

November 10, 2006 (LBO) – Telecom operator Suntel, a unit of Sweden’s Overseas Telecom AB, plans to spend 3.5 billion rupees next year to expand its network, officials said Friday. Suntel’s other key shareholders includes: Metrocorp (Pvt) Ltd., Townsend Limited of Hong Kong, the NDB Bank, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a member […]