| News & Press Releases SLT and Mobitel open ‘Experience’ Centre at Liberty Plaza Thursday, 16 May 2013, Colombo: The National Telecommunications Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom and the National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel have once again collaborated to open a state of the art teleshop at the Liberty Plaza shopping mall in the heart of Colombo. Opened today, this modern store has been designed with a different, device-oriented, experience-based approach in mind. The newly opened teleshop is an experience centre where customers will be able to get first-hand experience of the latest smartphones, tabs and data devices released to the market. The shop will also be furnished with a comfortable seating area dedicated to gaming, where customers can try their hand at the latest games released. Mobitel’s device-centric customer experience will equip this teleshop with top-of-the-line amenities to cater to their loyal customer base. To create an even better experience for their customers within the teleshop, SLT will be providing an experience hub with Wi-Fi. The shop will also feature a service centre which will cater to both Mobitel customers like a regular Mobitel branch and SLT customers with a SLT teleshop within its premises. This partnership between the two telecommunication giants is another step into enhancing synergy, improving collaboration and increasing productivity within Mobitel and SLT respectively. Commenting on the latest project conducted in association with Mobitel, Lalith De Silva, Group Chief Executive Officer of SLT said, “As the national telecommunications provider, we at SLT are constantly striving to provide new and innovative services which are easily accessible, and this teleshop of a different variety is one such initiative. We want to present our customers, and the nation, with every opportunity to experience the many benefits provided by SLT, as well as Mobitel, and the value additions offered through the amalgamation of the two service providers. In addition to conveniently being located at Liberty Plaza, this experience centre gives visitors the chance to interact with SLT’s high speed broadband service and wireless capabilities on their smart phones and tablets. I believe that collaborations of this sort are the future of the industry and the key to continued success for both companies.” “We at Mobitel are proud to be partnering with our parent company Sri Lanka Telecom in this endeavour. Our hope is to create a greater synergy between the two companies and to use our joint efforts to creating a space that gives our customers a new experience. In the run up to the opening of the teleshop at Liberty Plaza both Mobitel and SLT will be running joint promotions, discounts and special offers for all our customers. The experience centre will have something for everyone, from games to the latest business tools in terms of phones and tabs. We at Mobitel are committed towards continuous improvement and development, always providing the very best solutions for our customers,” stated Kapila Chandrasena, Acting CEO, Mobitel. Mobitel hosts Google I/O Extended Colombo Conference for the first time in Sri Lanka Wednesday, May 15, 2013, Colombo: The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel hosted the live-streaming of the Google I/O Extended Conference in Colombo at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute today. The event, streamed live from San Francisco which commenced at 7pm on the 15th ran throughout the night with an overwhelming participation by Sri Lankan developers. ‘Google I/O Extended Colombo Conference’ is the event organized for people who are unable to attend the live conference in San Francisco. ‘Google I/O Extended’ enables developers all over the world to attend local viewing parties hosted by Google offices, Google Developer Groups (GDGs), and student ambassadors. Google I/O is an annual developer-focused conference held by IT heavyweight Google, featuring highly technical, in-depth sessions focused on building web, mobile, and enterprise applications with Google and open web technologies such as Android, Chrome, Chrome OS, Google APIs, Google Web Toolkit, App Engine and more. This event has been held annually since 2008 and the hosts saw a participation of over 5500 web, mobile, and enterprise developers this year. They contributed in building applications in the cloud with Google and open web technologies, during the interactive sessions in San Francisco. This event was planned by Google Sri Lanka and Mobitel, allowing members of the IT fraternity in Sri Lanka to not only experience and interact with developers around the world but also to connect with other talented developers in Sri Lanka and play a pivotal part in the local interactive sessions like ‘Business Opportunities in Android developments in Sri Lanka’ and ‘Trends in the mobile telecommunication industry’ and Hackathon Sessions (an event in which computer programmers and others involved in software development, including graphic designers, interface designers and project managers, collaborate intensively on software projects) with demonstrations. The live sessions from San Francisco included: New in Android developer tools, new developments in Mobile Gaming, making location meaningful with Google Maps API and Instant Mobile Websites. With free WIFI that was available throughout the event participants were able to stay connected right throughout the 12-hour long event. Mobitel as the National Mobile Service Provider, that stands in the forefront of introducing the latest innovations to the masses lives up to its credo of ‘We Care. Always.’ by being the hosting partner for such an extensive event for the first time in Sri Lanka. Mobitel partners SriLankan Airlines Offers airline ticket reservations via mTicketing platform Monday, May 06, 2013, Colombo: For the first time in Sri Lanka, the National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel along with the country’s national carrier – SriLankan Airlines offers customers the opportunity to reserve airline tickets via mobile phone. Expanding on Mobitel’s mTicketing platform, this collaboration breaks new ground, and makes it the only entity to offer this facility in the country. Reserving an air ticket via Mobitel’s mTicketing platform is as easy as dialing 365. This will then connect you to a specialized Mobitel Travel Expert who will assist you with the booking of your airline ticket, providing all possible flights and rates as per your requirements. Once the airline ticket has been reserved, payment will have to be made at any Mobitel outlet before the expiration of the reservation. Following payment, a printed e-ticket will be handed over to the customer. Nalin Perera, Senior General Manager – Marketing, Mobitel said, "The mobile platform is quickly becoming an important part of modern-day consumers and how they make transactions, purchase products and services and even connect with brands. The mTicketing platform has been designed especially for the Sri Lankan consumer. We already offer the reservation of train tickets, movie tickets and cricket match tickets. The addition of airline tickets to this reservation system along with the national carrier is of great honour to us. We are proud and privileged to be partnering SriLankan Airlines on this initiative and look forward to working closely with them on many more projects.” SriLankan Airlines Chief Marketing Officer, G.T. Jeyaseelan said, “SriLankan Airlines with its latest partnership with Mobitel will be providing a more convenient ticketing option for our customers - thereby offering them a smooth start for a hassle-free journey. By implementing seamless and highly user-friendly mobile solutions we will continue to expand our reach with an added tweak to our customer relations.” Mobitel’s mTicketing platform was first launched in 2009 and it went on to receive the mBillionth Award South Asia in 2011, under the category of mTravel and Tourism; in 2010 it also won an e-Swabhimani award under the category of e- Business and Commerce. About Mobitel Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, the country’s National Mobile Service Provider is a fully-owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom. The company offers mobile telephony services, high-speed broadband, Enterprise Solutions, IDD services and a host of Value Added Services. Mobitel was the pioneer in South Asia to launch a Super 3.5G network, to successfully demonstrate HSPA + MIMO technology and successfully trial 4G/LTE technology. The recent introduction of Dual Carrier HSPA+ technology makes Mobitel’s broadband speeds the fastest in the country. Mobitel’s coverage spans the entire island, with international roaming available in over 400 networks worldwide. Fuelling over Rs.500mn worth of investments to-date, Mobitel has shaped the ICT landscape, experiencing exciting growth – poised to lead the industry into its next phase of development. A customer base of well-over 4 million, stands testament to Mobitel’s strong focus laid on customer centricity, emulating its credo of "We Care. Always.". About SriLankan Airlines SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier for Sri Lanka, is an award-winning airline with a firm reputation as a global leader in service, comfort, safety, reliability, and punctuality. Awards include World’s Friendliest Cabin Staff by Skytrax, Best Airline in South Asia from Travel Trade Gazette, World’s Most Reliable Operator of Airbus A330s and A340s by Airbus Industrie, and the Etihad Global Excellence Award for Best Regional Caterer. Launched in 1979, the airline's hub is located at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, providing convenient connections to its global network of 64 destinations in 34 countries around the world. SriLankan has mutual code share services with Etihad Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Air Canada, Royal Jordanian, Alitalia and Mihin Lanka. Air India and Saudi Arabian Airlines also code share on some of SriLankan Airlines’ routes. For more information, visit www.srilankan.com. SriLankan’s entry to oneworld SriLankan Airlines has been invited to join oneworld and is on track to join the world’s leading airline alliance in early 2014. SriLankan will then be flying alongside some of the biggest and premier brands in the airline business – airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and S7 airlines. SriLankan Airlines, renowned for its award winning inflight service and hospitality will be the first airline in the sub-continent to join any of the global airline alliances, thus enabling the flagship carrier of Sri Lanka to offer its customers more services and benefits: such as a wider route network, opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles on any one of the oneworld carriers. Similarly, the 130 million frequent flyer cardholders of oneworld’s member airlines will be able to earn and redeem rewards on SriLankan. Members of SriLankan Airlines’ FlySmiLes frequent flyer programme will enjoy privileges and benefits throughout the oneworld network, including, for top tier members, access to 550 plus airport lounges worldwide. SriLankan will also be part of oneworld’s most extensive ranges of alliance fares. JETWING HOLIDAYS SIGNS UP WITH MOBITEL’S CLUB MAGNATE LOYALTY PROGRAMME Thursday, 18 April 2013, Colombo: Jetwing Holidays, one of Sri Lanka’s largest players in the leisure industry signed up with Mobitel’s Club Magnate loyalty programme recently. This new partnership will provide for special discounts on Jetwing Holiday’s tour packages for all Club Magnate members. With over three decades of experience in the travel trade, Jetwing Holidays offers tailormade tours to some of the most opulent and breath-taking destinations in the world. Mobitel’s Club Magnate loyalty programme utilizes ground-breaking NFC technology, making it the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. The programme offers an array of benefits and discounts to its post-paid and pre-paid customers through an ever-growing partner merchant network.  Special Avurudu offers from Mobitel Tuesday, 02 April 2013, Colombo: Mobitel announces a host of offers in celebration of the Sinhala & Tamil New Year, keeping to its promise of consistently adding value to its customers. On offer right throughout April, is a gamut of special deals, offers and chances to win attractive prizes. Rejuvenated for the Avurudu season, Mobitel brings back the popular Upahara Internet offer, which gives existing Upahara customers in the state sector the opportunity to obtain an internet dongle absolutely free, along with 5GB worth of data free as well. For its pre-paid customers, Mobitel has an exciting IDD offer for the season. This offer gives customers five [5] minutes of IDD talk time for only Rs.10 [excluding taxes] for every reload of Rs.100 made. This offer is valid for IDD calls to fifty [50] countries, including the Middle East. Also launched specially for the Avurudu season is the Mobitel Junior Avurudu promotion which offers participants the chance to win attractive prizes from Bank of Ceylon. A competition consisting of a number of games based on traditional Avurudu games which can be played on your mobile phone, can be accessed by dialling 333. The promotion will reward winners weekly based on their scores, while the top three [3] scorers of the entire promotion will also be rewarded at the culmination of the promotion. For more information regarding Mobitel’s special Avurudu offers, please call the customer care hotline on 1717 or log onto www.mobitel.lk. Mobitel offers customized Internet data plans Friday, March 22, 2013, Colombo: With Internet usage moving on an upward trajectory, Mobitel recently introduced three new customized data plans. Catered towards high internet usage customers, these new data plans are categorized based on frequently used applications such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin, etc. The National Mobile Service Provider’s new data plans are attractively priced and are designed to support a range of Mobitel’s pre-paid and post-paid Internet customers. The data plans are categorized as such: Social Networking at Rs.99 + taxes per month (990MB), Mail at Rs.49 + taxes per month (490MB) and YouTube at Rs.249 + taxes per month (2490MB). The introduction of these new Internet data plans provides greater flexibility to Mobitel’s customers, giving them the opportunity to pick a suitable plan based on their internet usage patterns. The latest International Telecommunication Union report published end June 2012 states the number of Internet users in Sri Lanka at 3,222,200, recording a 28% increase in users within 6 months. Facebook users in Sri Lanka crossed the 1 million mark last year, and at present, 61% of the country’s total internet users are on Facebook, a total of 1,529,700 Facebook users. With Internet usage consistently growing, Mobitel’s range of flexible data plans aim to keep up with the latest trends, catering to their customers’ most innate needs. Mobitel ties up with National Crafts Council to promote Sri Lankan artisans Club Magnate members to be offered exclusive deals Friday, 15 March 2013, Colombo: The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel signed an agreement with the National Crafts Council (NCC) to promote the country’s artisans and their work – pledging to add value and to promote their work. Through this agreement, all Mobitel Club Magnate members will receive exclusive deals at NCC exhibitions. The first exhibition that will offer such deals will be ‘Visithma’ – an exhibition featuring work by Sri Lankan students and artisans. The exhibition will be held at the Lionel Wendt Gallery from the 19th-21st March 2013. Mobitel’s Club Magnate loyalty programme, is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, utilizing ground-brekaing NFC technology. It offers an array of benefits and discounts to its post-paid and prepaid customers through a comprehensive partner merchant network. Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Mobitel and the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) promote Mobile Learning among Rural Women in Farming Communities in Sri Lanka Tuesday, 05 March 2013, Colombo: The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel initiated a programme with the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) to promote mobile learning among rural women in farming communities at an event held at the Open University of Sri Lanka today. The project is sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). This programme focuses on mobile learning methods aimed at facilitating women in farming communities uplift the quality of life of themselves and their families. The event was graced by Hon. Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Minister (Senior) for Scientific Affairs, as Chief Guest and guests of honour Dr. Vijitha Nanayakkara, Vice Chancellor, OUSL; Emeritus Prof. Uma Coomaraswamy, Consultant, COL; Prof. G. Mikunthan, Dean - Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jaffna, Ms. Jean Fernandez, Senior General Manager - Customer Care, Mobitel. The first phase of this project will involve 550 women from two rural farming communities. Three-hundred women have been selected from Jaffna, while 250 have been selected from Hambantota. This project will focus on: ‘financial services and management’ aimed at improving financial literacy among these rural women. Lessons will be disseminated through an Interactive Voice Response System and mobile technology. Each weekly module will include five lessons and an assessment. Speaking at the launch of the programme, Mobitel’s Senior General Manager - Customer Care, Ms. Jean Fernandez said “Mobitel, as the National Mobile Service Provider and a substantial contributor to the GSMA women programme, has embarked on yet another initiative to further enhance mobile phone ownership amongst women in Sri Lanka. Through this programme, not only will we educate women in rural farming communities on crucial subjects necessary to uplift the Quality of Life but will also help empower them and add value to their daily work.Through this project, we will bring learning to them via a brand new concept, which is via their mobile phone – a method which they would otherwise not have available to them. Projects such as this emulate our brand promise of ‘We Care. Always.’ quite strongly and we are extremely committed towards educating these women and making such resources more widely available and accessible to them.” This newly launched project is a follow-on programme from the Liyasara project which was launched by Mobitel last year. Liyasara focuses on various projects to keep women informed, motivated and inspired via the use of mobile phones and is aimed at helping to empower their lives and add value to their daily engagements. Mobitel, has continuously been committed to honouring and paying tribute to women of Sri Lanka, whose contributions towards their families and society have not gone unobserved. As the National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel hopes that with this newly launched project, women would have wider access to a range of knowledge bases, thus assisting towards educating and uplifting their lives. Addressing the gathering at the launch event, Senior Minister for Scientific Affairs - Hon. Prof. Tissa Vitarana said, “It is a great honour and pleasure to be a part of this programme, I feel so strongly about making it a success. With this programme, not only women in particular will be empowered, but villages throughout our country as well. The government policy for development has changed from what it was many years ago. Today the Government’s policy is to develop both the rural and the urban sectors simultaneously to create a harmonious development which will sustain our national culture, family values and the morals of our society. Following this premise the Government introduced the Divi Naguma programme to increase the livelihood and earning capacity of the people of rural communities. I believe, the rural population must be imparted with pertinent knowledge that can be harnessed to achieve meaningful economic development in the villages. The initiative taken by the Open University along with the Commonwealth of Learning and Mobitel will enhance all communities by the transference of knowledge that will in turn solve problems faced by women and farmers in rural Sri Lanka.” Uma Coomaraswamy, Emeritus Professor of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) and Consultant, Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Vancouver, Canada, in her address stated that "This project which is being launched today is sponsored by COL as a part of strengthening their global Project "Lifelong learning for Farmers (L3F)" initiated in several commonwealth countries. The L3F Project in Sri Lanka is University-based and is implemented in three universities: Colombo, Ruhuna and the Open University of Sri Lanka. It is a partnership project with COL, information and knowledge providers, ICT providers, the farming community and banks. Its vision is to improve the prosperity of farming communities through technology mediated, farmer-centric and self-directed learning with the aim of making the farming communities' quality of life better, economically viable and help them to become professionals in their line of work." She further stated that COL is pleased to sponsor this project in partnership with Mobitel and OUSL. Addressing the gathering at the event, Dr.Vijitha Nanayakkara, Vice-Chancellor of the Open University of Sri Lanka commented, “Working with Mobitel and the Commonwealth of Learning has been such a pleasure for us all. It is already evident how mobile communication has revolutionized the way humans learn and interact. Being able to partner this initiative with the National Mobile Service Provider is only going to open new vistas of opportunities to the women and people of the rural communities who contribute towards taking Sri Lanka to its next growth level. The implementation of this project will help us to strengthen our offering to the women that need it most, giving them more opportunities for their personal betterment.” OUSL is the implementing body of the project. Mr.Malinda Kumarasinha, the coordinator of the project in his concluding speech, briefed the steady progress made on the project in the two districts, Jaffna and Hambanthota. He also gave special appreciation to Mobitel and the Commonwealth of Learning for their commitment towards the project.  L-R: Ms. Jean Fernandez, SGM - Customer Care, Mobitel exchanges the agreement with Dr. Vijitha Nanayakkara, Vice Chancellor, OUSL. Hon. Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Minister (Senior) for Scientific Affairs, Emeritus Prof. Uma Coomaraswamy, Consultant, COL and Prof. G. Mikunthan, Dean - Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jaffna look on. Mobitel posts impressive profit growth Tuesday, 26 February 2013, Colombo: Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, the National Mobile Service Provider announcing its financial results for FY2012 stated that it recorded an impressive revenue growth of 13% in 2012 despite intensified competition in the mobile telephony sector. In absolute terms, Mobitel recorded revenue of Rs. 24.93 bn in 2012 compared to Rs.22.08 bn in 2011, an increase of Rs.2.85 bn. This growth was realized mainly due to the increase in Mobitel’s subscriber base by 14% which is a remarkable achievement, considering the fact that the voice market has reached 100% penetration by 4Q 2012 according to the Telecom Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL). The growth in Mobitel’s subscriber base can be attributed to various factors including Mobitel’s continuous commitment and investments made towards scaling and upgrading its network infrastructure. Completion of the stage VI project in mid-2012 led to significant enhancements in network coverage and capacity that has translated into better customer experience. An innovative product suite, a comprehensive service offering and an extensive reach to the furthest corners of the island also contributed towards significant growth in subscribers and revenue. Prudent cost management initiatives coupled with measures to enhance productivity contributed to help negate the adverse impact of increased operational expenditure. The company recorded a growth in key profitability indicators EBITDA and EBIT which increased by 21% and 20% respectively compared to 2011. In absolute terms EBITDA reached Rs. 8.28 bn while EBIT was recorded at Rs 3.24 bn. The company EBITDA margin improved from 31% to 33% which further endorses the operational efficiency of the organisation. Thus, during 2012, Mobitel delivered a commendable performance successfully overcoming the challenges encountered, recording PBT (normalised to exclude exchange loss) of Rs. 2.98 bn and PAT of 2.43 bn, recording growth of 34% and 38% YoY respectively, the highest ever normalised profits recorded. Mobitel’s Cash Bonanza Rewards over 70 Customers in Second Week’s Draw The National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel awarded over seventy [70] customers in the second week’s draw of the Cash Bonanza sweepstake. The top prize for the 2nd week, of Rs.350,000 was bagged by Mrs. N. Pemawathi from Ratnapura. With the culmination of the second week’s draw, Cash Bonanza has rewarded almost 200 pre-paid subscribers, with a total of approximately Rs. 2mn in cash prizes. Launched specifically for their pre-paid customer base on the 1st of January 2013, the competition will run until the 05th of May 2013. Weekly draws will be held right throughout the promotional period. Mobitel pre-paid users stand a chance to win up to Rs.20 mn worth of cash. Every reload of Rs.50 gives participants a chance to enter the draw. The higher the reload, the more chances participants have of winning. Mobitel customers can dial #151# to find out the amount on offer for each respective week as well as the eligibility criteria.   MOBITEL REACHES OUT TO OVER 200 CHILDREN THROUGH ITS ANNUAL BOOK DONATION PROJECT The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel for the 5th consecutive year reached out to two communities of youngsters with its annual ‘Book Donation Project’. With contributions made collectively by the staff of Mobitel, 152 needy children of the Gampanguwa Kanishta Vidyalaya in Wellawaya and 90 children of "Fallen and Differently-abled Soldiers of Military Intelligence Corps" recently received educational books and materials along with children’s story books in order to cultivate healthy reading habits. Along with this project, Mobitel also tied up with the Lions Club of Kandana, Ja-Ela to donate over 300 spectacles at an eye camp held on the same day at the Gampanguwa Kanishta Vidyalaya premises.  Mrs. Rukshani De Silva, wife of Mobitel's former CEO handing out a gift of books to a student  Mr. Saman Perera, SGM - Information Systems, Mobitel handing out a gift of books to a student MOBITEL EMPLOYS 68 ARMY PERSONNEL TO ASSIST IN LATEST NETWORK EXPANSION PROJECT The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel recently joined hands with the Sri Lanka Army to employ 68 personnel in the areas of BTS (Base Transceiver Station), Transmission and Power & Civil to assist them with the next stage on the network development project. The Army personnel were given comprehensive training in BTS & Transmission equipment installation in mobile networks, theoretical sessions and practical training at sites, and were also given the opportunity to carry out on-the-job training (carrying out implementations in real sites under the supervision of Mobitel engineers). These personnel will be given the positions of Technical Officer & Rigger/Technician in the areas of BTS, Transmission, Power & Civil. Speaking at the event held to commemorate the signing of 68 army personnel into Mobitel’s latest network expansion project, Major General Rohan Kaduwela, the Chief Signal Officer of the Sri Lanka Army said, “All of us are aware that the Sri Lanka Army along with its sister services fought a bitter war for almost 30 years to preserve the territorial integrity of the country. Collectively, we managed to put a stop to this brutal war which came to an end with the support and the blessings of his Excellency the President, the Secretary of Defense, the entire government machinery and the people of the country. The Army is stepping away from its traditional role, by being a part of an initiative of this nature. When Mobitel extended this invitation to the Army and requested our assistance, it paved the way for us, to be involved in a massive national project which is aimed at ultimately helping the country develop. I appreciate the initiative and the support of the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army in facilitating this worthwhile project. I would like to thank the former CEO of Mobitel, Lalith De Silva and the team at Mobitel for their cooperation. When I see the commitment shown by my senior staff and all ranks involved in this endeavour I know that this project will be a success.” Mobitel looks forward to sharing knowledge with the armed forces, gained by being one of the foremost operators in the telecom industry. This is just the first step towards creating a fruitful partnership between Mobitel and the armed forces.  SRI LANKA TELECOM MOBITEL RINGS IN 20 SUCCESSFUL YEARS. Well on its way to lead Sri Lanka towards an info-com and knowledge-rich society Sri Lanka’s National Mobile Service Provider - Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel celebrates twenty illustrious years today. Commencing operations in 1993, Mobitel was one of the foremost mobile service providers in Sri Lanka, beginning operations using first generation cellular technology - Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS)/ Time division multiple access (TDMA). From these beginnings Mobitel has steadily grown into a leader in the field of ICT, taking the industry towards transforming Sri Lanka into the ‘Wonder of Asia’. In October 2002, Mobitel became a fully-owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom. In the following years Mobitel grew from strength to strength, launching its fully-fledged EDGE/GPRS enabled 2.5G GSM network, which is designed to operate on dual band in 2004. Mobitel again established its dominance of the mobile communication industry by being one of the first ten mobile service providers in the world to launch a 3.5G HSPA network in 2007. Mobitel was also the first service provider with a super 3.5G network in South Asia. Furthermore, Mobitel successfully demonstrated HSPA + MIMO technology with downlink speeds of up to 28.8 Mbps and carried out a successful trial of 4G/LTE technology with downlink speeds exceeding 96 Mbps, for the first time in the South Asian region. Mobitel recently launched Dual Carrier HSPA+ technology and it is now equipped with the country’s first mobile 4G/LTE equipment. The company has continued with its strategy positioned around value innovation and customer centricity, making the best out of the technology being used, distribution systems, product portfolio and value added services with heightened acumen focussed on customer needs and interests. Whilst focusing on a strong customer-centric strategy, through optimum levels of service quality, service delivery and customer care, the company has expanded its distribution channels and introduced a divisional structure to optimize channel management. The company is in the process of upgrading its network. The current stage of expansion is slated to add 1,800 new base stations islandwide, increasing the current number from 3,500 – aiming for 100% population coverage. With the development and transformation that Mobitel is undergoing, it is well poised to assume a lead role in bringing cutting edge mobile technology that would inevitably help shape the next phase of ICT technological development in Sri Lanka. Mobitel has now become a leading operator servicing the North and East following three decades of strife; areas which are a priority component of the Government’s development strategy. The Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, Mr. Nimal Welgama commenting on Mobitel’s 20th anniversary said, “The philosophy of Mobitel is "We Care. Always." as such the company has continued to deliver upon this promise by being customer centric for the past twenty years. Our subscriber base spans from businessmen to farmers in the furthest corners of the island. The service Mobitel offers is unparalleled, catering to all segments of the Sri Lankan public. This stands testament to the numerous awards we have won over the years – for the strength of our brand, for our engineering excellence and the list goes on. The company has gone from strength to strength and it is my belief that it will only develop further. The ICT transformation that has taken place in the island ever since Mobitel became the National Mobile Service Provider, is beyond comparison.. I would like to congratulate the entire team at Mobitel who has made the company what it is today and hope that this growth trend continues.” This year, Mobitel expanded its customer care infrastructure to both the Northern and Southern regions of the country by opening contact centres in Sooriyaweva and Mullaitivu. This resulted in creating new ICT based employment opportunities for youth in these areas. The company also established an IT Development Centre in Kegalle. Furthermore, Mobitel took it upon themselves to further empower employees of the state sector along with the Ministry of Telecommunication & Information Technology, and offered Upahara value added internet service: The new “Upahara Internet” offered free-of-charge HSPA mobile broadband dongles to all existing Upahara voice customers who are prestigious state sector employees. The company also made significant headway in terms of its financial achievements – with its Q3 2012 financials recording an impressive net profit surpassing the Rs.1 billion milestone. Commenting on the Company’s 20th anniversary, Mobitel’s CEO, Mr. Lalith De Silva said, “Twenty years ago, Sri Lanka witnessed the formation of a world-class corporate personality. Today, built upon a brand promise of ‘We Care, Always’ – Mobitel strives to uplift lives, create new opportunities and develop Sri Lanka’s ICT landscape. Our work over the last two decades has consolidated our repute of being the National Mobile Service Provider. With investments counting over USD 500 million, Mobitel continues to stay deeply committed towards creating memorable customer experiences through a range of innovative products and services. Our current development plans are aimed at 100% population coverage; to bridge the digital divide, with special focus laid on education, improving efficiencies in the business sector and encouraging fruitful public-private partnerships. Embarking on a new journey this year, Mobitel focuses on offering a wide range of Enterprise solutions aimed at making our public and private sector enterprises more efficient and globally competitive. While celebrating our 20th anniversary, we at Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel look towards the future with optimism and courage, to be the driving force of the ICT industry contributing, towards Sri Lanka becoming the ‘Wonder of Asia’.”  L-R: Mr. Wijesiri Ambawatta, Director, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel; Mr. Nimal Welgama, Chairman, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel; Mr. Lalith De Silva, CEO, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel at the unveiling of the 20th anniversary logo. JOHN KEELLS PLC INNOVATES ELECTRONIC TEA AUCTION SYSTEM WITH MOBITEL John Keells PLC, the tea and rubber broking arm of John Keells Holdings, recently conceptualized, initiated and deployed e-Gavel, a tablet based application developed and serviced by the National Mobile Service Provider – Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, for the purpose of capturing tea auction information in real-time. The eGavel design and domain knowledge - to capture both buyer as well as the price information, at the speed of the tea auction – was provided by John Keells PLC who has extensive knowledge of and experience in the tea industry. Over the past 140 years, the tea industry in Sri Lanka has functioned with the current manual data capture, processing, and dissemination of information and tea auctioning process, where details such as the hammer price and buyers are all recorded manually at the speed of each auction. This data is then keyed into a software system which then verifies the deals with the buyers to ensure no errors are made. The eGavel application, conceptualized and initiated by John Keells PLC, is just one of many innovative business solutions developed together with Mobitel, who has designed a number of such solutions for corporates across the island, in a bid to enhance their product and service offering, thus providing their customers with solutions to increase productivity and efficiency via the latest ICT tools. Speaking at this ground breaking launch, John Keells PLC CEO Mr. Sudath Munasinghe, observed, “I believe this is yet another instance where John Keells PLC has played the role of a trendsetter in the hallowed tea industry of Sri Lanka. The process of recording each and every transaction at the tea auction is a daunting task, especially since it is done manually. It takes only a few seconds for a lot of tea to be sold – and all price recordings need to be carried out in such a short timeframe and thereafter keyed in manually, whilst verifying all the data for accuracy at the close of each auction. The new application, developed by us together with Mobitel, helps not only to address the task of direct sale information capturing, but also uploading of data to our back-end systems simultaneously, error-free.” Mobitel’s CEO, Mr. Lalith De Silva said, “As Sri Lanka’s National Mobile Service Provider, we are committed to offer the ‘best-of-breed’ solutions and services to our valued business partners. The eGavel application will serve one of the most prestigious industries in the country, and it is certainly an honour for Mobitel to launch this initiative together with John Keells PLC. As the next phase of this initiative, we are also working on extending this system to share data between tea buyers and sellers. I strongly believe that tailor-made solutions such as this would help and enhance the productivity of our business partners to create a competitive advantage and to be in the forefront of the industry.”  L-R: Dilshan Algama, Key Account Manager - Enterprise, Mobitel; Chamith Hettiarachchi, Senior Manager - Business Solutions, Mobitel; Sanjeeva Fernando, President - IT Group & Plantation Services , JKH PLC; Lalith De Silva, Chief Executive Officer, Mobitel; Sudath Munasinghe, Chief Executive Officer, JKH PLC; Manju Fernando, Consultant - Sales and Distribution, Mobitel MOBITEL’S LIYASARA NOMINATED FOR A GLOBAL MOBILE AWARD Mobitel’s Liyasara – a mobile telephony tariff plan designed especially for women was nominated for a Global Mobile Award today. Tailor-made to bridge the gender gap in mobile phone penetration, this special tariff plan was a first in the industry. Liyasara was launched on International Women’s day last year, as a tribute to Sri Lankan women. Making it even more invaluable, this package included a Voice, SMS, Data, VAS (Value Added Services) bundle accompanied by an insurance cover, otherwise unaffordable at this price. Announcing the nominees today for the 18thannual Global Mobile Awards, the GSMA stated that they will present the awards on Tuesday, 26thFebruary at the GSMA Mobile World Congress. A total of 158 nominees have been shortlisted for this year’s Global Mobile Awards. Over 600 entries and nominations for the 37 awards have been assessed, making it the largest ever number of honours to be presented at the Global Mobile Awards this year. To select the nominees for the 2013 awards, more than 160 independent analysts, journalists, academics and subject matter experts throughout the world participated in the judging process. The Mobile World Congress 2013 will be held 25th- 28thFebruary at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona. MOBITEL LAUNCHES REGION-SPECIFIC NEWS ALERTS Partners with ‘The Kandy News’ The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel together with Media Vision (Pvt) Ltd. has launched a unique News Alert system to Mobitel’s customers in the Kandy district. Living up to its credo of ‘We Care. Always.’, Mobitel continues to function as a customer-centric mobile service provider, taking heed of its customers most innate needs. Region-specific news alerts has been a long-felt need in the country, and launching this service first in Kandy seemed most appropriate considering its large and diverse population and wide variety of interests ranging from tourism to sporting events. Mobitel launches this news alert service in partnership with Media Vision which pioneered a bilingual (English and Sinhala) monthly journal newspaper titled ‘The Kandy News’, eighteen years ago. The Kandy News carries region-specific news and news analysis which is of interest to local residents, but does not get adequate coverage by the national media. This collaboration now enables Mobitel customers to subscribe and receive this information in the form of an SMS news alert in either English or in Singlish (Sinhala text written in English script). Both Pre-paid and Post-paid Mobitel customers can subscribe to this service by simply sending an SMS to 2299; type REG <space> KNE for English alerts or REG <space> KNS for Sinhala alerts. The service will be offered free until the 28th of February 2013. Following the promotional period, pre-paid customers will be charged Rs.1.25 + taxes per day while post-paid customers will be charged Rs.30.00 + taxes per month. Mr. Pubudu Indatissa, General Manager - Sales & Distribution, Mobitel addressing the gathering at the launch stated, “Specialised region-specific news alerts are a brand new concept. This kind of service addresses the need of customers to be better informed in a timely manner about local events that are of considerable importance to improve the quality of life of the people living in that area. The new Mobitel service will also ensure that this news will reach our subscribers faster and more conveniently than other traditional news media is able to do. We are proud to have pioneered this service, and look forward to expanding this to other key regions in Sri Lanka.” Speaking at the launch event, Ms. Shirley Jayawardane, Managing Director/Managing Editor, Media Vision said, “Media Vision take great pleasure in working with Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel. Their technology is the most advanced in the industry and it is truly heartening to see a corporate giant such as Mobitel, take the initiative to reach out to the community and provide vital information to those who need it most. Mobitel’s association with us, the tools they have provided us with, have helped us to increase the efficiency and quality of our work. We hope that with the help of Mobitel, we can continue to grow and in time deliver news for different regions in the country.”  MOBITEL’S CASH BONANZA REWARDS OVER RS.1MN IN FIRST WEEK’S DRAW The National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel held the inaugural draw for its Cash Bonanza sweepstake recently. Launched specifically for their pre-paid customer base on the 1st of January 2013, the competition will run until the 05th of May 2013. The first week’s draw saw one-hundred and twenty-two people awarded cash prizes which totaled at over a staggering Rs.1 mn. Mr. Thangaraja Gihan Suresh bagged the top prize of Rs. 350,000. Weekly draws will be held right throughout the promotional period. Mobitel pre-paid users stand a chance to win up to Rs.20 mn worth of cash. Every reload of Rs.50 gives participants a chance to enter the draw. The higher the reload, the more chances participants have of winning. Mobitel customers can dial #151# to find out the amount on offer for each respective week as well as the eligibility criteria.  Photo Caption: Pictured here are the top winners of the inaugural weekly draw of Mobitel’s Cash Bonanza MOBITEL POWERS MYDEAL.LK The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has partnered exclusively with MyDeal.lk; a leading local daily deals website. Mobitel will also provide the latest technological and marketing expertise to them by fusing their clientele with MyDeal.lk. With the recent increase of internet-enabled smart phones, tablet computers and now phablets, coupled with easy access to the internet, e-commerce websites have become exceedingly popular. MyDeal.lk is one of the forerunners in the sector, with an active and prominent presence on various social media platforms such as Facebook where they have accumulated a substantial fan base. Commenting on the latest addition to the Mobitel portfolio, Mr. Nalin Perera, Senior General Manager – Marketing, Mobitel said, “We are proud to partner with a company in the caliber of MyDeal.lk. By working together, supporting them with our ICT expertise, complemented by our telecom and internet infrastructure, I am confident that we can further strengthen this daily deals website, while also boosting the heavily competitive and booming online deals industry in the country as the National Mobile Service Provider. Our main responsibility is to lead the growth of the ICT industry in the country and as such, working with MyDeal.lk, we will be utilizing the very latest technology to meet the daily needs of our customers, while lending a hand towards developing the country’s e-commerce infrastructure.” CEO of MyDeal.lk - Kumar Melvani added, “Until now the amazing deals offered by MyDeal.lk were only limited to internet users. Now, our partnership with Mobitel enables us to go that much further with these deals, enhancing and improving upon their customer experience through the learnings and technology we will gain from this partnership.” Elaborating further he said, “Online shopping used to be a relatively new concept in Sri Lanka. Now, with a positive trend building up towards this idea, a lucrative market is being created. There is so much scope for growth in this market and within a short time of setting up MyDeal.lk, we have amassed over 90,000 Facebook fans and millions of impressions on social media sites. This business is certainly exhibiting a remarkable upward trend.” In the past decade Mobitel has invested over USD 400 million to create the best internet network coverage to ensure superior service quality to their customers and 1000 of its base-stations are LTE-ready, which is far ahead of many developed countries. As technology evolves, new and exciting possibilities are created. The development of ICT is both the inspiration and the catalyst for the country’s advancement.  RS.20MN UP FOR GRABS FROM MOBITEL’S CASH BONANZA Mobitel introduces yet another exciting sweepstake: Cash Bonanza. Following a similar mechanism to previously-held competitions, this one too rewards hundreds of subscribers for simply recharging or reloading their Mobitel pre-paid account. Launched on the 1st of January 2013 and running till the 05th of May 2013, participants stand a chance to win up to a staggering Rs. 20 million worth of cash. Every reload of Rs.50 gives participants a chance to enter the draw. The higher the reload, the more chances participants have of winning. Prizes will be awarded weekly. Mobitel customers can dial #151# to find out the amount on offer for each respective week as well as the eligibility criteria. Winners will be notified by Mobitel via Mobitel’s customer care hotline 071 27 55 777 and in writing via post. Mobitel will not charge any additional fees for prizes presented to the winners. MOBITEL BRANCHES NOW ACCESSIBLE TO ALL; INTRODUCES PERSONALIZED SERVICES FOR THE DIFFERENTLY-ABLED The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel is committed and dedicated towards uplifting the service standards in the industry, and recently introduced yet another first – bylaunching a dedicated service for its differently-abled customers. A brand that has lived upto its promise: “We Care. Always.” caters to all segments of the market and has left no stone unturned when delivering and meeting customer expectations. The launch of the service took place on the 1stof January 2013. Mr. Lalith De Silva, Chief Executive Officer, Mobitel said,“We are a brand that truly lives and breathes its credo. Meeting our customer expectations will always take pride of place when strategic decisions are made. Today, we cater to customers from different walks of life and with varied abilities. As a socially responsible corporate entity – it is imperative that our services are available to our customers at their own convenience and comfort. Mobitel’s work is based on a very strong customer-centric foundation which revolves around our credo of ‘We Care. Always.’ which stands for respect, appreciation, trust, efficiency and an innate sense of our customers’ needs.” Mobitel has renovated all its branch offices making them accessible to all. Mobitel has also trained its frontline staff and has a dedicated team that will visit differently-abled customers on request to meet their communication needs. In order to make a difference in their lifestyles, Mobitel has a range of unique service offerings which further endorse their commitment to take the country towards a knowledge-rich society. For those who are unable to visit the branches a special, personalized service is on offer. This entails the doorstep services of a Mobitel customer care executive. Offered via registration, these services range from sim card replacements to new connections, service activations and many more.   Mobitel to initiate First Mobile 4G/LTE Network launch in Sri Lanka For the first time in Sri Lanka, The National Mobile Service Provider Mobitel, initiates a Mobile 4G/LTE Network launch to provide enhanced services to the public. Mobitel’s latest addition to the technology portfolio is the natural successor of the telecommunication evolution of the world. With the latest addition, Mobitel will be one of the most decorated and equipped operators in the world in the technology front which includes FD LTE, HSPA+ DC, HSPA, UMTS and 2G services. This will enable the operator to provide an enhanced and a diversified services to its customer base. Mobitel carried out a successful trial of 4G/LTE with a downlink speed exceeding 96Mbps for the first time in the South Asian Region in May 2011. Mobitel established its dominance of the mobile technology industry by being one of the first ten mobile service providers in the world to launch a 3.5G HSPA network in 2007. Mobitel was also the first company with a Super 3.5G network in South Asia. Mobitel will be able to yield the best out of the mobile 4G/LTE services with the power of its parent company SLT’s extensive fibre network which will be beneficial to the country’s future. All these investments are part of the operator’s efforts towards leading the development of the country’s ICT infrastructure in keeping with its image of being the National Mobile Service Provider. THE MOBITEL TALENT EXTRAVAGANZA
MOBITEL OFFERS FASTEST BROADBAND SPEEDS WITH DUAL CARRIER HSPA+ TECHNOLOGY The National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd, recently introduced Dual Carrier HSPA+ (DC-HSPA+) technology, which coupled with the power of its parent company SLT’s extensive fibre network, is now offering the fastest broadband speeds in the country. The enabling of Mobitel’s network with HSPA+ technology now means an enhanced service and extremely high speeds of up to a theoretical maximum of 42Mbps with regards to internet connectivity is offered to its broadband customers. This also means that DC-HSPA+ will be available across Mobitel’s footprint island-wide, with Mobitel leading the broadband service industry. Recently, Mobitel embarked on an aggressive network expansion drive, signing landmark deals with industry giants ZTE Corporation and Huawei Technologies. These network enhancements will include over one thousand seven hundred 2G/3G(HSPA+) and 4G LTE base stations scattered across the country. This current expansion of Mobitel’s network and technological footprint brings a near 100% population coverage island-wide, and also introduces 4G LTE mobile technologies in Sri Lanka. In December 2007, Mobitel was the first in South Asia to launch the Super 3.5G HSPA network – all part of the operator’s efforts towards leading the development of the country’s ICT infrastructure in keeping with its image of being the National Mobile Service Provider. DC-HSPA+ can be accessed only via the use of a Dual Carrier HSPA+ compatible dongle, which are now available at selected Mobitel outlets. MOBITEL INTRODUCES SERIES OF INNOVATIVE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Caters to country’s SME sector As the National Mobile Service Provider, and in line with its strong vision ‘to lead Sri Lanka towards an info-com and knowledge-rich society through its service offerings’, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has launched a series of innovative and dynamic Business Solutions for Small & Medium scale businesses in order to create higher levels of efficiency and improve livelihoods – thereby facilitating growth in the country. With the strong belief that it is these valued businesses that play a vital role in the economic development of the country, making a substantial contribution to our economy, Mobitel continues to stay committed towards nurturing and promoting the SME sector which continuously contributes to the nation’s development. Equipped with the latest technology, Mobitel’s goal is to enable the target population to access mobile enterprise solutions that would help them increase their efficiency, productivity and re-engineer processes. Understanding that when in business, and in the modern society, there will always be a new breed of challenges that comes their way – and increasing challenges means more uncertainties, issues and risks to businesses – Mobitel has used ICT to enable these businessmen with tools to effectively and efficiently manage their businesses while minimizing waste. Solutions such as: mEvents Mobitel’s mEvents will dramatically increase the attendance of active participants to your public or private event by instantly turning your locally-held event into an international one. People are able to participate at your event in real-time from anywhere in the world. With Mobitel’s mEvent, you have a team that has extensive experience in online live-video streaming in the most demanding environments, dedicated to service your requirement. mTrack – GPS based fleet tracking system The Mobitel mTrack solution provides an up-to-the-minute picture of vehicle fleets, whether you’re at your desk, on your tablet computer, or using your smartphone. The solution has the capability to provide the location of your fleet of vehicles in real time, 24 hours a day from anywhere, provide the historical status of each vehicle, location, speed, and more all via a user-friendly interface which assists companies in the effective management of their fleet of vehicles. mLearning mLearning allows for students and lecturers to connect to live real-time virtual classrooms from anywhere in the world, where they can participate in lectures as they would in normal classrooms. All aspects of the learning classrooms are 100% interactive and all the sessions can also be recorded for students to review later on while studying for examinations. NFC-based fuel card solution Mobitel now offers NFC enabled fuel cards for corporates. Using this card an eligible employee can drive into a designated fuel station, pump fuel and use the card for payments. The card would be preloaded with the allowance amount and a secure web interface will provide the utilization information to the company. The solution would benefit the relevant corporate and individuals alike due to its hassle-free nature and the efficiency it brings to a cumbersome routine. Conference Bridge This solution is designed to facilitate corporate clients with audio conferencing infrastructure plus value-added features. Registered customers will be given a dedicated dial-in number and access code which they can share with participants along with the date and time. m-Locator This product is a tracking solution which is SIM based and can be used in attaining the current position of anyone via their mobile phone, stationary or moving. The product facilitates location-based services through the geographical location calculated by GSM cell triangulation. The solution consists of a comprehensive user site which will be accessible through the internet. Bulk SMS/ESMS Mobitel SMS solutions are integrated with the Mobitel SMS gateway. These services provide secure remote access to registered clients for sending bulk messages to their group of customers (Mobitel users). It also provides solutions to send and receive SMS messages. Call Centre Solutions Our call centre solution which functions as a first-level helpdesk is a voice solution targeting the enterprise segment of the market. It is the mission of Mobitel to provide clients with top quality call centre services right around the clock. All these solutions do a great job supporting large numbers of transactions or increasing efficiencies in specific functions. For Mobitel, they are about improving productivity, helping to minimize cost structures, improving employee satisfaction as well as customer satisfaction – solutions that enhance productivity and minimize business risks. With a highly competent and strong team consisting of Engineers, Business Analysts and Support Staff who understand this dynamic need, Mobitel is dedicated to offer and customize the solutions to meet these businessmen’s individual needs. New devices, platforms, and trends come on the scene quickly and continuously, and with 20 plus years of experience in the ICT industry, Mobitel, as the National Mobile Service Provider, and as a brand that’s positioned as one that ‘cares always’, is 100% aligned and committed to support your businesses by extending state-of-the-art ICT solutions and infrastructure. We are available to serve you anytime on 071 2755777 or dial 1717 from any network in Sri Lanka. MOBITEL CRICKET TEAM ON WINNING STREAK ENTERS FINALS OF LEMONADE TROPHY MERCANTILE 'D' DIVISION Mobitel’s cricket team made its way into the finals of the ‘Elephant Lemonade Cup’, MCA ‘D’ Division League Tournament 2013. Beating MAS Silueta at the Quarter Finals and Pan Asia Bank at the Semi Finals – Mobitel now goes onto battle it out with Commercial Credit at the Finals to be held at the MCA grounds this Saturday (8th). Mobitel's team lead by Ruwan Wickramanayake and coached by Duminda Perera showcased a stellar performance this season. Nalin Vimukthi 262, Nadeeka Gamage 195 and Sadun Ranatunga 176 stood out as the highest scorers for the Mobitel team. The top wicket takers were Pahan Serasinghe, Sadun Ranatunga and Ashen Sirimanne with 11, 9 and 6 respectively.  Seated L-R: Ujitha Sepala (Wicket Keeper), Ranjana Manoj, Nalin Vimukthi, Mohamed Hakeem, Sandun Ranatunga, Prasad Kularathne, Saman Liyanage Standing L-R: Kanchana Samarasinghe(Sports Co-ordinator MClub),Rehan Silva, Tharindu Lakmal, Ashen Sirimanne (Vice Captain), Ruwan Wickramanayaka (Captain), Nadeeka Gamage, Tharidu Heshan, Pahan Serasinghe, Tariq Naaziar, Duminda Perera (Coach), Absent: Keith Peiris, Kokila Gomes, Frank Roy MOBITEL LAUNCHES FIRST EVER NFC-ENABLED LOYALTY PROGRAMME IN SRI LANKA For the first time in Sri Lanka, the National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel launched a NFC (Near Field Communication) based loyalty programme – the Club Magnate loyalty programme. This ground-breaking product is yet another innovative addition to the Telco’s growing portfolio. With NFC technology soon becoming ubiquitous in the global ICT industry – Mobitel takes pride in being the first Mobile Service Provider to launch a unique loyalty programme like this. Club Magnate offers an array of benefits and discounts to its post-paid and prepaid customers through a comprehensive partner merchant network. Mobitel’s Club Magnate members simply have to produce their loyalty card to the respective merchant’s cashier which will be tapped on the NFC enabled payment Point of Sales (POS) machine to redeem the entitled offer. Speaking at the launch, Mrs Jean Fernandez, Senior General Manager – Customer Care, Mobitel commented, “The Club Magnate loyalty programme is synonymous with prestige. It is designed with a host of privileges and benefits centred on ‘red carpet’ service, connectivity rewards and lifestyle privileges which epitomise the ‘Care’ of Mobitel. This programme also reaches out to offer value added benefits in an array of discount offers across all merchant partners across the country.” “As the country’s National Mobile Service Provider – we are proud to launch this loyalty programme, using the latest NFC technology. This kind of progress we are witnessing in the local ICT industry is certainly encouraging. The industry we function in is fiercely competitive – with each operator vying to launch the latest and most innovative technology first. This kind of healthy competition is what drives the industry forward – and will be the catalyst for the country’s advancement. We are proud to be at the forefront of the country’s ICT industry, leading its growth – paving the way for Sri Lanka to be the ‘Wonder of Asia’,” commented Mr. Nalin Perera, Senior General Manager – Marketing, Mobitel. The first rewards discounts via the Club Magnate loyalty programme was availed by a Mobitel customer at the Sarasavi Bookshop in Nugegoda. Speaking at the event, Mr. H.D. Premasiri, Managing Director, Sarasavi Booshop stated, “We are extremely proud to partner with Mobitel on this new endeavor – especially since we are able to offer our customers new value additions and reward benefits.”  L-R: Jean Fernandez, Senior General Manager - Customer Care, Mobitel; Nalin Perera, Senior General Manager – Marketing, Mobitel; Mr. Premasiri Haputhanthri, MD , Sarasavi Bookshop (Pvt) Ltd.; Mr. Ranjan Perera, Senior Manager, Sarasavi Bookshop (Pvt) Ltd.  The first rewards discounts via the Club Magnate loyalty programme being availed by a Mobitel customer at the Sarasavi Bookshop in Nugegoda. MOBITEL REPORTS STRONG PROFITABILITY IN Q3 2012 Mobitel, the country’s National Mobile Service Provider continued to grow its revenue despite heavy competition in the industry. Revenue for the first nine months of 2012 grew by 14% from Rs.15.9bn to Rs.18.2bn compared to the same period in the previous year. Revenue growth was mainly driven by the increase in Mobitel’s subscriber base due to an enhanced customer experience. Despite numerous challenges, Mobitel recorded growth in key profitability indicators with EBITDA and EBIT growing by 20% and 30% respectively during the period under review. Growth in these profitability indicators was achieved from growth in revenue coupled with initiatives implemented for cost optimisation and productivity improvements. These initiatives have strongly contributed towards the growth in EBITDA as well as EBITDA margins. The company reported a healthy EBITDA margin of 33% which is a notable improvement over the previous year. Despite the exchange loss, PBT recorded an impressive growth of 45% for the period under review. Mobitel also made an impressive net profit of over Rs.1bn during the third quarter, as a result of increasing revenues complemented by a marginal appreciation of the rupee. Consequently, the Company was able to wipe off losses incurred during the 1H 2012 brought about by the devaluation of the rupee. Commenting on the Company’s performance, it’s CEO, Mr. Lalith De Silva said, “The performance in Q3 2012 has certainly been impressive. At Mobitel, this year, we have focused mainly on transforming ourselves and the way we work - setting the stage for unparalleled growth and leadership in the ICT industry. Looking at our industry, we have focused on new strategies, policies, processes, technologies and ideas and have put in place a blueprint to catalyse and drive Mobitel to greater heights. As the country’s National Mobile Service Provider, we have a great responsibility: to lead the ICT transformation of Sri Lanka, enabling us to keep up with the rapid development targets of the Government, thus, transforming the country towards becoming the Wonder of Asia.” CA SRI LANKA’S NATIONAL CONFERENCE GOES GLOBAL DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND – LIVE WEBCAST POWERED BY MOBITEL Taking yet another giant technological leap, the 33rdNational Conference of Chartered Accountants organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), for the first time in its conference history, transmitted the conference sessions utilizing the National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel’s mobile event webcasting platform, ‘mEvent’to reach a larger audience following an overwhelming demand both in Sri Lanka and overseas. Recognized as one of the largest corporate level conferences held in the country annually, the conference which has built a reputation as a business summit over the years, saw a massive participation of over 1,150 chartered accountants and business leaders taking part in the technical sessions held on October 19 and 20, which navigated on the inspiring theme ‘Winning: Country, Corporate, Citizen.’ CA Sri Lanka President, Sujeewa Rajapakse said, “Every year our conference sees a massive participation, and there is no venue in Colombo which is capable of accommodating the large numbers who are interested in taking part in this, hence our decision to use the live webcast facility and transmit it across the world for the benefit of our CA Sri Lanka members and other professionals who are interested in following the sessions.” Chairman of the National Conference Committee, Mr. Lasantha Wickramasinghe said, “For the first time in the history of CA Sri Lanka, we webcast the conference sessions live. This is indeed a landmark moment in the history of our conference.” Mobitel’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Lalith De Silva stated, “We have a strong partnership with CA Sri Lanka – and this year, we went over and above our Gold sponsorship of the conference by facilitating a live webcast of the national conference. This is just one facility that our Business Enterprise solutions offer. We intend to use this facility to make academic content more accessible locally as well as internationally, paving the way towards making Sri Lanka a knowledge hub within the South Asian region. We are proud to have had a hand in creating history at the CA Sri Lanka national conference.” Mobitel and Ministry of Telecommunication & Information Technology launch revolutionary Upahara Internet Package for state sector employees In its continuous efforts in revolutionizing the ICT sector, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel – the country’s National Mobile Service provider launched ‘Mobitel Upahara’ for state sector employees back in 2008. Today, in a move to further empower employees of the state sector, Mobitel along with the Ministry of Telecommunication & Information, now offers a value added internet service. In line with the Government’s vision as per the Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dakma programme to make Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia, Mobitel has already initiated many a project to uplift the ICT sector of Sri Lanka. It is in line with these efforts that Mobitel has now introduced ‘Upahara Internet’ along with the Ministry of Telecommunication & Information Technology – thereby envisioning to improve not only the interaction and knowledge of those employed in the state sector but also that of their children and their families. Upahara Internet now offers dongles free-of-charge to all existing Upahara customers who are state sector employees. The monthly rental on this package, offered with an attractive data bundle is only Rs 299/=.” Speaking at the launch of the product, Mobitel’s CEO, Mr. Lalith De Silva emphasized that, “Mobitel has always dedicated itself towards supporting the Government in its efforts to develop ICT in Sri Lanka. We have already established several IT centres at grass-root levels, emphasizing our efforts in taking ICT to even the most remote areas. We have been successful at providing network coverage to many areas which are not yet under the purview of any other mobile service company in the country. While we work steadily towards building a knowledge-based economy, we strongly believe that access to technology is a necessity that should be experienced by each and every citizen of this nation.” “We have always appreciated the state sector employees’ contribution for their efforts in uplifting this country. We must value this service they provide and we are willing to always support them towards their further development,” he said, “Just as the Mobitel Upahara service became an economic relief for these employees, this internet package will definitely help them to further enhance their knowledge and also encourage them to be more digitally savvy, which will undoubtedly help them to be successful in their future efforts.” Sharing his views on Mobitel’s revolutionary approach towards state sector employees, the Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology, Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya added; “At present, ICT has become a necessary pre-requisite for the growth of industrial, services and agricultural sectors. In accordance with His Excellency, President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s vision to make this country the communication hub of Asia, one of the government’s objectives is to empower the state service by means of ICT. In making this vision a reality we have worked closely with Mobitel - the National Mobile Service Provider. Thanks to this initiative, with internet services being provided at such a reasonable price, I believe state sector employees now have the opportunity to further improve their knowledge and be empowered to face the digital world.”  BUY TICKETS FOR CRICKET MATCHES ON YOUR MOBITEL PHONE – FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SRI LANKA For the first time in Sri Lanka, Mobitel gives you the opportunity to purchase tickets for cricket matches via your Mobitel phone. This special service, offered via the National Mobile Service Provider’s mTicketing platform, is available by simply dialing 365 from any Mobitel connection. ‘Cricket Ticket’ comes at a most apt time, where tickets for cricket matches are some of the most difficult tickets to purchase, leading to long queues and wasted time. This exclusive partnership between Mobitel and Sri Lanka Cricket breaks new boundaries in the industry. Isuru Disssanayake, General Manager - Product Marketing, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel said, "Mobitel is rooted in the pursuit of national interest and towards this end has partnered many national bodies for a good cause. This partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket will hopefully help many more people to attend cricket matches with ease. Our mTicketing platform which already serves easy access to train tickets and cinema tickets will now make the purchase of tickets for cricket matches as convenient as making a simple phone call. This unique mTicketing service is available right throughout the year - whenever there are cricket matches hosted by SLC. Bookings will be updated on a real time basis. Upon dialling 365 and reserving one's match ticket, the total ticketing charge will be added to the customer's Mobitel bill or deducted from their account in case of a prepaid user.” Mobitel is committed to encouraging and developing sports in Sri Lanka at the national level. As the most popular sport in the country, Cricket transcends the whole society and the nation, which reflects the Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel way of connecting Sri Lanka. Mobitel’s mTicketing System is just one of many avenues with which Sri Lanka Cricket has partnered with the National Mobile Service provider. In 2009, Mobitel signed on as Exclusive Sponsor of the National Cricket team, and has gone from strength to strength from that point on. From up-to-the-minute SMS cricket updates to live streaming of cricket matches on Mobitel TV - Mobitel has been an integral part of the Sri Lanka Cricket journey. MOBITEL BAGS GOLD AND SILVER AT NATIONAL ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY AWARDS 2012 Mobitel clinched a gold and silver award at the National Engineering and Technology Awards 2012 organized by the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) yesterday. Mobitel clinched the two awards for its official stall at the exhibition, Techno 2012; winning gold for 'Best Demonstration' and silver for 'Best Display of Engineering Services'.  Eng. Tilak De Silva, President 2012/2013, IESL handing over the gold award for ‘Best Demonstration’ to Mr. Prabath Gamage, General Manager - Product Development and Customer Solutions, Mobitel  Eng. (Dr.) Ananda Ranasinghe, President 2011/2012, IESL handing over the Silver award for 'Best Display of Engineering Services' to Mr. Viresh Dassanayake, General Manager - GM Network Planning & Projects, Mobitel. Mobitel opens second Contact Centre in Mullativu
In its continuous mission to lead Sri Lanka’s ICT transformation across the island, the National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel opened its second regional contact centre in Mullaitivu recently. This is the second regional contact centre opened by Mobitel, with the first being opened early this year at Sooriyawewa in Hambantota. As the National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel remains consistent in its commitment towards the development of ICT in rural areas of Sri Lanka. The opening of a contact centre in Mullaitivu will not only give the area a well-deserved boost in the ICT sector, but will also be the best location for a technologically advanced customer care contact centre that will cater exclusively to the Tamil-speaking segment of the population. The centre will also boast a fully-fledged Mobitel Services Centre which will offer all Mobitel services that are available at all its other branches across the island. The opening of the Mobitel Contact Centre in Mullaitivu will benefit residents of the area vastly due to a number of factors, such as creating a number of job opportunities whilst also introducing Mobitel technology to the region. All employees of the Mullaitivu Contact Centre have been selected from the area and its adjacent towns and as a result, Mobitel now boasts of a strong team of qualified and dynamic individuals who will undoubtedly prove to be of great value to the company’s performance. The Mobitel Mullaitivu Contact Centre will act as a support system to the Colombo-based principal contact centre. Mobitel’s capacity and capability of its infrastructure and technology in establishing a similarly able support system in Mullaitivu is clearly demonstrated, ensuring it will now be utilized to support the Colombo Contact Centre. Commenting on the expansion, Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, Mr. Lalith De Silva said, “This is truly a great moment for all of us at Mobitel as we open a regional contact centre in this part of the island. As the National Mobile Service Provider, we wish to contribute towards the nation’s development by developing the ICT landscape through our service offerings and technology. We believe our expansion into the Mullaitivu area takes place in an ideal setting as we prepare the community to embrace the upcoming opportunities. As a customer-centric mobile service provider, we strive to ensure that our services and customer care is provided unimpeded. We engaged in this strategic expansion to Mullaitivu, to enhance our capacity to serve our customers better. The opening of our first call centre in Hambantota was hugely successful, and has recorded an increase in productivity, whilst also helping us to reduce our costs. I strongly believe that such initiatives further reinforce the fact that many who live out of the urban areas also possess the right skills in terms of knowledge, talent and efficiency to serve our valuable customers.” Namal Rajapaksa, MP, Chairman, Tharunyata Hetak Organization said, “I congratulate Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel on the opening of its 2nd call centre in Mullaitivu today. It is certainly encouraging to see a top corporate such as Mobitel taking the prerogative to develop even the most rural of areas in the country. Mobitel’s work is highly commendable and it is this strength in vision that is beginning to shape our ICT landscape, taking us towards becoming the Wonder of Asia.”  Caption: Mullaitivu Security Forces Commander Major General Leonard Mark; Mr. Wijesiri Ambawatta, Director, Mobitel and Mr. Lalith De Silva, CEO, Mobitel look on while Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, MP, Chairman, Tharunyata Hetak Organization unveils the ceremonial plaque at Mobitel’s new contact centre in Mullaitivu. MOBITEL LAUDED FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AT IESL AWARDS 2012 For the third consecutive year, Sri Lanka’s National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel won the coveted ‘Excellence in Engineering’ award, under the category ‘Infrastructure – Service Sector: Large” at the Annual Engineering Excellence Awards 2012 presented by the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL). The awards are held to encourage and celebrate the excellence in the science and the practice of engineering by rewarding the best and the finest of its members, individuals, organizations and companies in Sri Lanka for their outstanding accomplishments and achievements related to engineering. As the National Mobile Service Provider – Mobitel has continued to deliver superior mobile experiences to its customers, via cutting-edge technology. Mobitel has become the country’s technology leader and trailblazer, being the first in South Asia for embracing and deploying many state-of-the-art technologies. In June this year, Mobitel completed its stage VI of its network expansion – involving the total number of 2G and 3G Base Stations by over a mammoth 1,000 sites within record-breaking time. More recently, Mobitel also commenced stage VII of its mobile network expansion, which will see the deployment of over one thousand and four hundred 2G/3G and 4G LTE [Long Term Evolution] base stations. The additional base stations will mean a noteworthy increase in the network’s coverage, capacity and speed. “Winning this Engineering Excellence award from IESL, for the 3rd consecutive year, stands testament to our drive to adopt and employ the latest technologies in the industry. This accolade is also representative of Mobitel’s exceptional achievements encompassing effective capacity utilization, superior planning and execution, unparalleled operational excellence, technological prowess, service, consistent quality, innovative strength and high standards in productivity achieved by following world-class best practices. Our leadership in the industry comes from our consistent efforts to add value to our customers – ranging from quality, coverage, ease of use, affordability, convenience, scalability and futuristic appeal. Our latest stage of expansion will see the deployment of 4G mobile technology in the country. Our Access Network is already enabled with the latest HSPA+ powered by MIMO technology, thus empowering the country’s ICT infrastructure with the best speeds current technology can offer, leading it towards an info-com and knowledge-rich society. As our network expands, so does the country’s ICT landscape. We are at the forefront of the ICT industry, driving its growth with great technological prowess towards fulfilling the dream – to make Sri Lanka the ‘Wonder of Asia’,” said Mr. Lalith De Silva, Chief Executive Officer, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel.  Mr. Lalith De Silva, CEO, Mobitel receiving the award from Hon. Palitha Fernando PC, - Attorney General of Sri Lanka. Also pictured here is Eng. (Brig.) Dr. Ananda Ranasinghe – President of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka. DON’T MISS A SECOND OF TV WITH MOBITEL’S ‘REWIND TV’ For the first time in Sri Lanka, the National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has developed new technology to change how viewers watch TV. While most technology available to view TV on mobile devices is still growing, Mobitel’s mobile TV app offers a unique feature: the ability to rewind and catch-up on missed television programmes also referred to as ‘Rewind TV’. The newly introduced app offers 24-hours of catching up on television programmes derived from content libraries of all local TV channels and a number of foreign digital channels – all of which can be viewed on your mobile phone. TV can now be viewed in high quality, and the service will be made available as part of a phone and internet package. This easy-to-use app, works seamlessly to combine both live TV and ‘Rewind TV’ – all in the palm of your hand. The app, developed by Mobitel is targeted at consumers who increasingly want to use their mobile devices not merely as interactive companions to supplement their TV viewing experience, but as a primary device to consume TV. Mobitel is the only mobile service provider in the country to offer ‘Rewind TV’ via a mobile application. With the introduction of ‘Rewind TV’ via a mobile TV app on Mobitel, the National Mobile Service Provider continues to lead and inspire, creating new and innovative services in the industry. Being both the inspiration and catalyst of the ICT industry in Sri Lanka, Mobitel continues to work towards achieving the Government’s ICT goals – making Sri Lanka the ICT hub in South Asia.  Mobitel Rewards Top Business Partners
MOBITEL OPENS FULLY-FLEDGED SERVICE CENTER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION - COLOMBO As another contribution to the nation, the National Mobile service provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel recently opened a service center at the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Colombo. The center was ceremoniously declared open by the Department’s Controller General Mr. Chulananda Perera in the presence of Mr. Lalith De Silva, CEO of Mobitel and other distinguished guests. The newly opened service center will offer all Mobitel services available at any other Mobitel branch islandwide. Mobitel will also offer attractive IDD rates and roaming rates that directly cater towards migrant workers and others travelling abroad. Mobitel, which has maintained a long-term relationship with the Department of Immigration and Emigration, and has extended its support to the government’s ICT development programme by providing the Department with the necessary technology to commence the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, has once again shown its steadfast support by opening this state-of-the-art service center. As the country experiences an increase in migrant workers and those travelling abroad, the Department of Immigration and Emigration is a hotspot of activity with over 6,000 people coming through it daily. The waiting area has been made more comfortable for them, via a contribution made by Mobitel. The presence of this service center at the Department of Immigration and Emigration will not only benefit visitors to the Department, but will benefit businesses located in and around the area. The service center will be a valuable addition to the cafés, travel agencies and other businesses that are located in close proximity. The public will have an easy access point, where they can make bill payments, get SIM replacements and new connections and even buy devices such as mobile phones, dongles, headsets, etc. that would be offered through Mobitel. Furthermore, this center will be a counter where train tickets will be issued through Mobitel’s mTicket platform. Speaking at the event, Mr. Lalith De Silva, CEO of Mobitel said, “We at Mobitel are proud to be partnering with the Department of Immigration and Emigration once again. We have always been committed towards the development of the public sector, by providing the latest ICT tools to enhance their efficiency and productivity – which in turn, improves their service to the general public. This is yet another project that stands testament to this. Mobitel has been a steadfast, prominent operator servicing the entire island, and this rapid expansion is further enhanced by opening these Service Centers in order to further extend our service offering to people hailing from different parts of the country. We feel that partnering with the Department of Immigration and Emigration will be the best way to increase our exposure outside of Sri Lanka, whilst also strongly supporting the Government’s development strategies, especially those concerning the ICT industry.” “Mobitel has worked closely with us over a number of years. We share a strong partnership that has grown from strength to strength. The opening of this center is a boon for the Department and its patrons – and is yet another feature that we can offer them at our premises. Mobitel’s association with us, the tools they have provided us, have helped us to make our work far more efficient. We will continue to work towards more efficient and effective processes, making us one of the best-performing departments in the country,” said Mr. Chulananda Perera, Controller General, Department of Immigration and Emigration.  Photo Caption: Mr. Lalith De Silva, CEO, Mobitel and Mr. Chulananda Perera, Controller General, Department of Immigration & Emigration cutting the ribbon at the opening of Mobitel’s Service Center at the Department’s premises in Colombo. MOBITEL LAUNCHES FIVE NEW PROJECTS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO. Initiatives launched towards uplifting higher education in Sri Lanka The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel recently announced the launch of several new initiatives with the University of Colombo. The new projects will not only further strengthen the long-standing relationship Mobitel has with the University, but also becomes part of its efforts to build an ICT-enhanced knowledge economy. Commenting on the partnership, Mobitel’s CEO, Mr. Lalith De Silva stated, “Our objective has always been to connect the unconnected. Having achieved that with the University of Colombo through previous projects, we wanted to do something more - rendering an even bigger service to the nation, and further increasing our commitment to empowering today’s youth. Positioned as a brand that ‘Cares. Always.’ – these initiatives further reiterate Mobitel’s commitment towards building a tech-savvy and knowledge-rich society. The five initiatives we are launching today are all based on one principle: uplifting the higher education sector in Sri Lanka.” Mobitel will work alongside the University of Colombo, to develop its own Project Management programme – which will be subsequently added to the University’s curriculum. The programme will also be made available via Mobitel’s mLearning platform, which was initially launched together with the University of Colombo. The mLearning platform acts as a catalyst which fosters a knowledge economy - overcoming traditional classroom methods. An internship programme will also be launched between Mobitel and the University of Colombo. This initiative will give students a chance to further their studies and career, with crucial ‘on-the-job’ training being provided. These internships will ensure that University students who require an internship on their resume in order to graduate, will not only have a chance to fulfil that requirement, but will also be given an opportunity to make a name for themselves within the company - leading to job opportunities further down the line. All research work, carried out by Mobitel, will also be outsourced to students from the University of Colombo as and when applicable. The National Mobile Service Provider will also facilitate the set-up of a research laboratory for the University’s Science Faculty. Finally, to show its support towards the academics of Sri Lanka, Mobitel intends on setting up an Annual Peace Award. This project will consist of an award, which will be given to a member of the Academic staff at the University of Colombo - responsible for maintaining a cordial environment within the University premises. Mobitel feels that furthering this initiative will be an ideal way to encourage academics to set an example for the youth in order to maintain peace and harmony among the undergraduates of the university to carry out their academic and co-curriculum activities uninterrupted. “Mobitel has taken a keen interest towards working with us on several new initiatives. These projects have all been carefully selected to target several areas with regards to the University. The implementation of these projects will help us to strengthen our offering to our students, giving them more opportunities with regards to their higher education,” said Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama, Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo.  L-R: Prof. T.R. Ariyaratne, Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo; Prof. Sunil Chandrasiri, Dean - Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo; Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama, Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo; Mr. Lalith De Silva, Chief Executive Officer, Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd.; Mr. Namal Ratnayake, Senior General Manager - Legal/Regulatory Affairs, Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd.; Mr. Isuru Disssanayake, General Manager - Product Marketing, Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd. Recharge and Win with Mobitel Prepaid Internet Top-up Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has on offer three Netbooks every month to be won, through its Internet Top-Up promotion. Simply by recharging their prepaid connection through ‘My Account’ will entitle them to enter this draw - based on their accumulated recharge value. Customers will have the chance to win one of three laptops every month, with the promotion being carried out from June till December this year. The Internet Top-Up mode introduced by the National Mobile Service Provider has quickly become the most convenient and faster mode to recharge prepaid connections. As such, Mobitel prepaid internet users with a total accumulated recharge value of Rs.100 within a calendar month will stand one (01) chance to win a laptop between June 1st, 2012 and December 31st, 2012 - providing more winning chances to customers by giving them the opportunity to enjoy multiple chances to win during a calendar month. Winners for the month of July 2012 included, Ms. Purnima Bhagya Samarathunga from Denipitiya, Mr. K.H.A. Surendra from Panadura and Mr. Muhammadhu Asfar from Colombo 15, whilst winners for August 2012 comprised of Mr. N.W.M.S. Gayan from Homagama, Ms. A. Dharshanan from Dehiwela and Mr. Nandana Jayathilake from Karandana.  L-R: Mr. N.W.M.S. Gayan (Homagama); Mr. Nandana Jayathilake (Karandana); Mr. Isuru Disssanayake, General Manager - Product Marketing, Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd.; Mr. K.H.A. Surendra (Panadura) and Mr. Muhammadhu Asfar (Col 15) MOBITEL LENDS A HAND TOWARDS ERADICATING CHILD ABUSE IN SRI LANKA Comes forward to assist the National Child Protection Authority The National Mobile Service Provider Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has come forward to lend their support to the National Child Protection Authority. This will involve a number of projects, which will be undertaken by Mobitel, to help develop and build the National Child Protection Authority’s (NCPA) programme and its work, and achieving its vision of creating child-friendly and protective environments for children. Mobitel will initially work on promoting the NCPA’s 24-hour hotline: ‘Child Line’ – 1929. Subsequently, Mobitel will also work closely with the NCPA, towards strengthening their call centre, via training programmes as well as an infrastructure upgrade. Furthermore, Mobitel will carry out several fund-raising initiatives on behalf of the NCPA, which will lead towards the set-up of safe houses, which are aimed at ensuring the highest level of security to child witnesses and abused children. “It is important that we protect our children and their rights. We are responsible for their protection and development, and we must ensure that they are able to achieve their fullest potential. We, at Mobitel, have taken it upon ourselves to go over and beyond our mandate of being the National Mobile Service Provider, fulfilling our brand promise of ‘We Care. Always.’ - lending our fullest support to the National Child Protection Authority towards achieving its vision. This CSR project is of utmost importance to us, and falls well in line with our mission to ‘Care, Share and Deliver’,” said Mr. Nimal Welgama, Chairman, Mobitel. Commenting on this, Mrs. Anoma Dissanayake, Chairperson, NCPA stated, “It is truly heartening to see a corporate giant such as Mobitel, take the initiative to reach out to the community. The projects that Mobitel will carry out with us, will strengthen and develop our staff, our programme – helping us to work towards eradicating child abuse in Sri Lanka, while giving our children a childhood that they can be proud of.”  Pictured here L-R: Mr. Nimal Welgama, Chairman, Mobitel along with Mrs. Anoma Dissanayake, Chairperson, NCPA MOBITEL VENTURES INTO AN UNPRECEDENTED NETWORK EXPANSION AND TECHNOLOGY DRIVE SIGNS STRATEGIC DEALS WITH ZTE AND HUAWEI The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel signed strategic cooperation agreements with ZTE Corporation and Huawei Technologies in the presence of H.E. President Mahinda Rajapaksa and China’s Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Wu Bangguo, during his recent visit to Sri Lanka on the 17th of September 2012. The agreement was signed by Mr. Nimal Welgama, Chairman, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel along with representatives from ZTE Corporation and Huawei Technologies. As per the agreements, ZTE and Huawei will collectively deploy over one thousand and four hundred 2G/3G and 4G LTE [Long Term Evolution] base stations as well as transmission equipment for Mobitel. The additional base stations will mean an increase in the network’s coverage, capacity and speed, making it South Asia’s first commercial 4G (FDD-LTE) network. Commenting on the strategic deals signed, Mobitel’s Chairman, Mr. Nimal Welgama said, “Our partnerships with ZTE and Huawei are further strengthened by the signing of these agreements. We have worked closely with them, on many large-scale initiatives. This stage of our network expansion is crucial, and I am confident that both ZTE and Huawei will extend their support towards making this network expansion successful.” “The successful completion of the expansion of our network in June has been a mammoth task. One thousand sites for 2G and 3G base stations were set up, all in record time. The new deals signed today, with ZTE and Huawei signal that crucial, next phase of development for Mobitel. This will help us expand our technological footprint, the network’s coverage to 100% population coverage, an increase in the network’s capacity and speed – all of which make up the deployment of 4G mobile technology in Sri Lanka. We have already enabled our core network with the latest HSPA+ powered by MIMO technology, thus developing the country’s ICT infrastructure, leading it towards an info-com and knowledge-rich society. As our network expands, so does the country’s ICT landscape. Each step we take, we do so, working keenly towards fulfilling the Government’s ICT goals,” said Mr. Lalith De Silva, Chief Executive Officer, Mobitel. Mr. Zhang Sen, Vice President, Huawei - South East Asia said, “It is a great honour to be the strategic partner of the national mobile service provider of Sri Lanka since 2006. Huawei has a strong willingness to cooperate with Mobitel to enrich the quality of life of Sri Lankan’s through the deployment of our state-of-the-art technologies as well as services.” “We are very glad to ink this deal with Mobitel. It is an honour for ZTE to conduct this network expansion project for Mobitel once again, which is also proof that our technologies, products as well as services are worthy to be trusted,” said Mr. Zhang Renjun, Senior Vice President, ZTE Corporation. Huawei and Mobitel commenced business relationships from 2006 by introducing the first 3.5 Generation network for the South Asian region under Mobitel’s stage III network expansion. From then onwards, Huawei successfully delivered three turnkey projects consecutively to expand Mobitel’s 2G and 3G network. Huawei has also introduced a state-of-the-art Packet Core Network with the latest Policy Control Capability and Online Charging System (OCS) under stage VI. In 2001, ZTE entered the Sri Lankan market, and set up a subsidiary in 2007. In June 2012, ZTE successfully completed Mobitel’s stage VI mobile network expansion project – the largest ever expansion project in the Sri Lankan telecom sector to-date, becoming the top telecommunication equipment vendor for Mobitel. According to stage VII of Mobitel’s network expansion contract; ZTE will deploy the first FDD-LTE based 4G commercial network in South Asia. This expansion programme will further strengthen Mobitel’s dominance as the preferred mobile service provider in the North and East, which is a priority development area of the government – post-war.  Mr. Zhang Renjun, Senior Vice President, ZTE and Mr. Nimal Welgama, Chairman, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel signing the agreement, while Mr. Wijesiri Ambawatta, Director, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel looks on  Mr. Zhangsen, Senior Vice President, Huawei South East Asia and Mr. Wijesiri Ambawatta, Director, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel signing the agreement, while Mr. Nimal Welgama, Chairman, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel looks on About ZTE Corporation ZTE Corporation is a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions. Through its network of operators across 140 countries, the company delivers innovative products and business solutions. It connects global customers via voice, data, multimedia and WLAN. Founded in 1985, ZTE is listed on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges and is China’s largest listed telecoms equipment company. About Huawei Technologies Huawei is a leading global provider of commercial telecom networks and currently serves 45 of the world's top 50 telecom operators. Through continuous customer-centric innovation, Huawei responds quickly to customers' needs with a comprehensive, customized set of offerings. Huawei's products and solutions are deployed in over 140 countries and are supporting the communication needs of one-third of the world's population. As of December 2010, Huawei employed over 110,000 employees, 51,000 of whom are based outside of China. Huawei's international operations have an average localization rate of 69 percent. ‘Ease of mind’ for parents from Mobitel’s iCard NFC-enabled student ID card launched for the first time in Sri Lanka The National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel launched a student identity card solution that works on NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, for the first time in Sri Lanka. The student identity card named iCard was launched at Royal College. The NFC card reader devices set up at entrance points at the school allow students to ‘tap’ in their attendance. A pre-defined cut off time ensures that absentees’ parents are informed of such via SMS. The iCard bears vital information of the student, such as: name, school admission number, photograph, validity period, emergency contact number and card number. The card will serve as means to monitor attendance, control access to buildings, a travel card, canteen card and library card, while the iCard management system will generate valuable management reports increasing the productivity and efficiency of the administration of the school. Speaking at the launch, Royal College’s Principal, Mr. H.A. Upali Gunasekara stated, “We have a long-standing partnership with Mobitel, and the launching of this project only means that this partnership grows in strength. The iCard project developed by Mobitel is certainly one that we needed to increase the levels of safety and security of our students and also reiterate to parents that their children are safe. This technology also helps us to address truancy, which is a common issue amongst all schools. This multi-faceted project has much potential and we are proud to be the first school in this endeavor.” “iCard is more than just a new student ID card. It offers the much sought-after solution using the latest technologies like NFC for administration and management of schools serving many stakeholders such as students, academic staff, parents, and service providers. It helps parents to monitor their children while assisting Principals and the Senior Management of Schools to make their operations more efficient. This project will do away with cumbersome manual reports, creating a digital, paperless environment in schools,” said Mr. Lalith De Silva, CEO, Mobitel. “As a nation which lost 30 years to a civil war, we now have to catch up rapidly and ICT will become a key catalyst, taking the country towards fully embracing the digital age. We have taken the initiative to rise above the call of being the national mobile service provider, by developing new technologies and introducing them to much-needed areas to improve quality of life and to bridge the digital divide, fulfilling one key area addressed by the Government’s ICT policy.” iCard is the second NFC based solution following the NFC fuel management solution and is an outcome of Mobitel’s multi-tenant and state-of-the art NFC platform infrastructure that is ISO/IEC 18092 and ISO/IEC 14443-A compliant. The iCard solution will be expanded to a number of schools in the near future, in order to increase efficiency in administration duties. Following the launch of the initial phase, the functionality of the iCard will also be expanded.  L-R: Mr. Prabhath Gamage, General Manager – Product Development, Mobitel; Mr. Isuru Disssanayake, General Manager - Product Marketing, Mobitel; Mr. Manju Fernando, Chief Officer – Enterprise Business Development, Mobitel; Mr. Lalith De Silva, Chief Executive Officer, Mobitel; Mr. Upali Gunasekara, Principal, Royal College; Mr. G.D.S. Keerthisena, Senior Deputy Principal, Royal College; Mr. Y.M. Jayasuriya, Assistant Principal, Royal College. Mobitel presents ‘MBus’ – its Master of Business course via mLearning The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel announced its partnership with the Department of Accountancy of the Kelaniya University to introduce ‘MBus’ – the Master of Business curriculum via its mLearning platform. With the introduction of this new initiative, students will now have the ability to access faculty on the internet via a Mobitel Dongle - making the mLearning ‘MBus’ programme a unique mode of education which enriches and exceeds the traditional classroom experience. Positioned as a brand that cares always - this initiative further reiterates Mobitel’s commitment towards building an info-com and knowledge-rich society by enriching the education sector in the country. “We, at Mobitel, further enhance our commitment to introduce more and more mobile enterprise applications aspiring to make education increasingly accessible across the country. By pioneering initiatives such as these we are opening up new vistas of opportunities, both local and global; nurturing students to readily meet real-world challenges, and also encouraging the adoption and usage of new technologies – thus, rapidly building a digitally savvy population. MBus will certainly be a welcome mode of learning for busy executives, as it doesn’t require them to be physically present at the university, yet gives them a degree of flexibility and the opportunity to listen to lectures live or in time-shift mode,” commented the CEO of Mobitel, Mr. Lalith De Silva. “It is already evident how Mobile Communication has revolutionized the way humans learn and interact. Being able to partner this initiative with the National Mobile Service provider is only going to open all new vistas of opportunities to the people who will contribute towards taking Sri Lanka to its next growth level,” stated the Deputy Dean of the University of Kelaniya, Professor Sarath Amunugama. Launched in 2008, mLearning intends to act as a catalyst in fostering a knowledge rich economy. The University of Colombo and Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel launched mLearning, an innovative concept that provides a new gateway to higher education, which was later extended to partnerships with the Open University of Sri Lanka, CIMA Sri Lanka, Edinburgh Napier University of Scotland, the Ministry of Higher Education as well as the Medical College of Sri Lanka. ‘mLearning,' also known as Mobile Learning, is the process of teaching and learning through the use of mobile and handheld devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), laptops and tablet PCs. Mobitel sponsors Annual NCE Export Awards for 7th consecutive year Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel is proud to announce that it is the Main Sponsor of the 20th Annual National Chamber of Export Awards to be held on the 21st of September this year. This is the 7th consecutive year that the National Mobile Service Provider will be supporting this endeavour of the NCE as its main sponsor, as they honor the ‘best of the best’ within the export sector. Positioned as a telecom brand that cares always, Mobitel expressed the brand’s commitment to nurture and promote local exporters who continuously contribute to the development of the nation’s economy. Mobitel also recognized the Chamber’s efforts to widen the reach of this year’s awards to regional SMEs, commenting that it was this outlook and willingness to recognize true champions that has helped the NCE grow from strength to strength over the years. Speaking at the event, Mr. Chandika Vitharana, Mobitel’s Senior General Manager – Sales and Distribution stated, “Our vision is ‘to lead Sri Lanka towards an info-com and knowledge-rich society through our service offerings’, and as technology evolves, we are proud to say that Mobitel has always been at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s mobile services industry. As a result, we are consistently equipped with the latest technology, and thus, we are able to offer these unrivalled facilities to export enterprises, service providers and exporters across the board, spanning any industry via our suite of business enterprise solutions, offering them access to a number of facilities and services. This drives them towards a knowledge-enhanced society which is ready to face the challenges of a dynamic industry. We strongly believe that adapting technologies that reflect excellent solutions and tools can support the economy’s progress. This stands true especially for a Chamber such as the NCE which spans over 450 export-oriented companies covering a wide sector of products and services, all of which could benefit immensely from adapting a host of business solutions that best suits each company.” In Sri Lanka’s telecommunications sector, Mobitel leads the way in delivering unmatchable business solutions to both the public and private sectors. Being the first to introduce ground breaking 3.5G technologies to the country, Mobitel has opened new vistas of opportunity to the entire population. Through its ever evolving suite of Enterprise Solutions, Mobitel truly lives up to its promise of ‘We Care. Always.’ by providing a host of solutions ranging from customer communication to problem solving, increasing efficiency levels – ensuring that every touch point is an engaging and optimal experience.  Mobitel handing over the sponsorship cheque to Dr. Jagath Peiris, President, NCE. Also pictured here are Mr. Patrick Amarasinghe, President Emeritus, NCE and Mr. Rasa Weerasingham, Executive Director, NCE. Mobitel supports Civil Defence Force ‘NANDIMITHRA’ Football Team Mobitel, the national mobile service provider has announced its sponsorship of the Nandimithra Football team for a period of 3 years. The sponsorship is part of its ongoing commitment to support the youth of this country to attain global heights and usher in a positive team building initiative at a national level. Football is a popular sport amongst the youth in the country and Mobitel is confident that Nandimithra would be a strong team; being enthusiastic and passionate to compete in games of its league. The Nandimithra football team sponsorship goes hand-in-hand with the mobile service provider’s drive to support local sports activities. Mobitel came forward to support Cricket and has been doing so for the last decade, staying deeply committed towards the nation’s pride and joy. Mobitel extends its support to the game of football, contributing its best resources to uplift yet another youth-centric sport in Sri Lanka, in the true spirit of the Mobitel brand "We care. Always." The agreement between the Civil Defence Force and Mobitel was signed recently in the presence of Lt. U.M. Perera - Chairman CSD Football Committee, Rear Admiral Ananda Peiris – Director General CSD, Mr. Shalinda Gayashanth – Skipper, Football Team CSD, Mr. Lalith De Silva – CEO, Mobitel and Mr. Manju Fernando - Chief Officer - Enterprise Business Development, Mobitel.  Taking IT to the Villages, Mobitel opens its Regional IT Centre in Kegalle As yet another step in its mission to lead Sri Lanka’s ICT transformation across the rural areas, the National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel recently announced the unveiling of their de-centralized IT Centre in Kegalle. The Centre was recently, ceremoniously declared open by the Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya in the presence of Mr. Lalith De Silva, CEO of Mobitel and other distinguished guests. The initiative was born out of a concept of the Minister – in line with His Excellency’s vision on the Mahinda Chinthanaya Idiri Dekma programme. Mr. De Silva handed over a token of appreciation to Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya for the opportunity created and the immense support rendered towards Mobitel to make this a reality. Positioned as a brand that cares always, Mobitel strongly believes that this project further reiterates the Company’s national responsibility and commitment to develop the ICT transformation in the country, and thereby brings it one step closer to fulfilling its vision of ‘leading Sri Lanka towards an info-com and knowledge-rich society’. An establishment of this nature will also benefit the residents and locals of the Kegalle area by introducing technology to the region whilst creating a significant number of job opportunities. This in return will help create IT awareness as well as knowledge-enhanced individuals. Mr. Lalith De Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel stated that, “Our prime responsibility is to ensure that a world class, state of the art network with widest reach is in place. We have always been a prominent operator servicing the entire island. And what better way to mark this rapid expansion than by opening these IT Centres in order to further extend our support to the people of different regions. We constantly strive to equip ourselves with world class ICT capabilities and to maintain the technology leadership position in the Country. And while we are making profits, as a government entity, it is our duty to fulfill National objectives as well. As such, in the recent past, Mobitel also opened the first regional call centre in Sooriyawewa – one that today stands as the first call centre opened out of Colombo by a mobile operator. I strongly believe that such initiatives further reinforce the fact that many who live out of the urban areas may also have the right skills in terms of knowledge, talent and efficiency to serve our valuable customers.” Caption: Mobitel’s CEO Mr. Lalith De Silva handing over a token of appreciation to Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya at the Mobitel IT Centre in Kegalle. Also seen in the picture is Mobitel’s Senior General Manager Information Systems - Mr. Saman Perera.  National Transport Commission signs up with Mobitel for Mobile Enterprise Solutions Constantly striving to empower all government institutions to be conversant in technology, the leader of the ICT transformation in the Country, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel – who incidentally also pioneered the exclusive ‘Upahara’ package to the government sector - today takes pride in signing up with the National Transport commission to supply Mobile Enterprise Solutions with the latest technology driven mobile communications services. The signing of the MOU took place at the National Transport Commission Auditorium in Colombo 05, under the presence of Minister C.B Rathnayake, along with Mr. Roshan Gunawardena, Chairman of NTC and CEO of Mobitel Mr. Lalith De Silva. According to Mr. Lalith De Silva, “It gives me great pleasure to venture in to a strong relationship with a leading government institution such as the National Transport Commission. As the National mobile service provider we believe in creating synergies within the key government sector institutions in order to drive the country to the next level of growth and development. We look forward to building similar associations with other key government stakeholders and thereby provide an even better and more convenient service to the entire nation.” In Sri Lanka’s telecommunications sector Mobitel leads the way in delivering broadband services to both the public and private sectors. Understanding the vital contribution the commission makes to transform the transport sector of the country, Mobitel’s custom designed mobile enterprise solutions will undoubtedly enhance in most effective and efficient manner the delivery of the transport commission services to their stake holders. Event Photo and the caption  Mobitel MyAstro offers unique astrology forecasts to customers The VAS receives recognition at e-Swabhimani annual awards. Endorsing its commitment towards building an info-com and knowledge-rich society destined for improving life-styles, the National Mobile Service Provider Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel today announced a partnership with Astrology Specialist Mr. Sumanadasa Abeygunawardene to enhance its revolutionary ‘My Astro’ value added service. Mr. Sumanadasa Abeygunawardana developed this astrological reading which is based on actual, unique details of individuals such as Birth Date, Birth Time and Birth Place which is unique to each person. Whilst the MyAstro service was highly recognized at the e-Swabhimani awards ceremony held recently, the certificate received at the e-Swabhimani awards was ceremoniously handed over to Mr. Sumanadasa Abeygunawardana by CEO of Mobitel, Mr. Lalith de Silva to mark the partnership between the parties. As the mobile communication market has matured, new and exciting trends are beginning to appear where mobile communication is used for services other than voice and text messages. Mobitel is proud to be actively involved in this trend, inspiring innovation according to wants and needs of its customers. The CEO of Mobitel, Mr. Lalith De Silva commented “Today the Mobitel Value Added Services team stands committed to introduce ICT applications with the view of facilitating growth in the lifestyles of the people of the Country at the most affordable packages. This is indeed a remarkable achievement, showcasing Mobitel’s ability to innovate, whilst offering the latest and best services to its customers. ’’ Caption: CEO of Mobitel, Mr. Lalith de Silva ceremoniously handing over the certificate which was received at the e-Swabhimani Awards held recently to Mr. Sumanadasa Abeygunawardana to mark the partnership.  Mobitel crowns Miss. Sri Lanka 2012 as Brand Ambassador for Liyasara As the National Mobile Services Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has continuously been committed to honoring and paying tribute to women of Sri Lanka, whose contributions towards their families and society have not gone unobserved. With this in mind, Mobitel created the ‘Liyasara’ package - an initiative that was a fitting tribute to these remarkable women – one that would help empower their lives and add value to their daily engagements - be it relating to motherhood, health, professional commitments or domestic situations. In an unprecedented move to strengthen this initiative, Mobitel has now announced that Sumudu Prasadini, Miss. Sri Lanka for the year 2012 has been appointed as the official Brand Ambassador for Liyasara. A television show host, actress, fashion model and beautician by profession, Sumudu will represent our Nation at the Miss. World competition to be held in Mongolia, China in July this year. Expressing her views on the appointment, Sumudu commented that whilst being honored to be associated with the country’s National Mobile Service Provider, as the official Brand Ambassador, she will be promoting the Liyasara brand to her highest capability in the future. As an additional feature ‘Liyasara’ customers can access the ‘Liyasara’ Portal by simply dialing 222 which will provide Mobitel customers with information on nutrition and dieting, recipes, fashion and beauty tips, household remedies, child psychology, cerebral palsy, maternal and new born health, cancer awareness and celebrity news among many others. Through the exclusive ‘Liyasara’ voice portal Mobitel customers also have the opportunity to enjoy free talk time, SMS, VAS and Data. Caption - From Left: Mobitel’s Senior General Manager Sales and Distribution – Chandika Witharana along with Head of Corporate Sales Ravi Sivasidambaram exchanging the partnership Agreement with Miss Sri Lanka 2012 - Sumudu Prasadini as the “Liyasara Brand Ambassador”.  Mobitel helps Health Ministry to eradicate Dengue Positioned as a telecom brand that cares always, the country’s National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has continuously participated in development of various activities related to education, environment and health with a humanitarian spirit. With the growing epidemic of Dengue, Mobitel has now embarked on an awareness and facilitation campaign together with the Ministry of Health. Speaking at the occasion where Mobitel announced their partnership with the Health Ministry, Additional Secretary of Health Services, Dr. Palitha Maheepala explained that eradicating Dengue from our country needs to be a collective effort. “In wake of the Dengue Fever widespread different corporate organizations should come forward to collectively fight against it. I’m grateful to Mobitel for leading the way in this effort. The spreading of Dengue fever is a result of none other than maintaining an unclean environment – and the best way of making one’s contribution to this effort is to simply keep your surroundings clean. As a collective effort we need to show more concern towards controlling the pertaining situation. The Ministry’s efforts to decrease the number of deaths thus far have been very successful. We have further strengthened our treatment units to support the initiative.” He further added, “If you have high fever for more than 2 days, it is advisable to consult a doctor immediately.” CEO of Mobitel, Mr. Lalith de Silva explained, “Denue is now a National Epidemic. Keeping our brand promise ‘We Care. Always,’ Mobitel in partnership with the Ministry of Health has come forward in this mission to create awareness amongst the public of our country. Mobitel’s recent introduction of the “Doc Call” service will be a timely initiative to help dengue victims. As such, the service will enable all mobitel customers to obtain initial medical advice at any given time from a professional doctor.” “In addition to the above, banners have been put on display and leaflets are being distributed at branch level. We have also embarked on a campaign to build awareness via electronic mediums as well as SMS.” The partnership between Mobitel and the Ministry of Health is being established at a time when July has been declared as the Dengue Eradication Month. This will further invigorate the message that is being sent out to the public. Caption: CEO of Mobitel Mr. Lalith De Silva exchanging the Agreement for cooperation on ‘The Dengue Eradication Awareness Programme’ with Additional Secretary to the Health Ministry Dr. Palitha Mahipala.  Mobitel commemorates International Widows Day 2012 Pledges its commitment to better the lives of widows across the island Women play many roles in the lives of any individual, be it as a mother, sister, daughter or wife and should be given the credit and respect they deserve from society. Women face many hardships today in the event of the death of their husband, as the security of the family stands at stake. As Sri Lanka’s National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel, has come forward to commemorate International Widow’s Day with a series of initiatives to support the livelihood of widows, thereby giving them a form of self employment. Under the initial stages of the project, widows living in any part of the country can register themselves as a Mobitel freelance dealer in their area. Mobitel believes that widows play a crucial role in a family by being the sole parent and only bread winner, and the company is looking out to ensure the protection, welfare and development of widows to build up a prosperous and secure family unit. Positioned as a telecom brand that cares always, Mobitel has always been committed to support and strengthen the different segments of customers who will in turn form the people quotient that will power Sri Lanka’s growth to be the Wonder of Asia. By pioneering initiatives that specifically target the role of a woman in enriching our society, the company has continuously been a part of international forums such as the GSMA mWoman programme. International Widows Day is the UN’s annual global day of action to address the poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries. International Widows Day was initiated by the Loomba Foundation in 2005 and officially recognised by the United Nations General Assembly, on a motion by the Government of Gabon, on 22 December 2010. The first International Widows Day was launched by Lord Loomba and the Foundation’s President, Cherie Blair. Mobitel pledges to support the actions of these courageous widows by providing them with the security that they deserve and consider it part of their national responsibility to the country and economy. Mobitel Successfully Concludes a Large-Scale Network Expansion Drive to lead the ICT transformation of Sri Lanka. No other invention has had a greater impact on social interaction than the advent of mobile communications. How Mobile Communication has revolutionized the way businesses and humans interact needs no elaboration. Yet what we witness around is just the change that has been brought in by the facility of voice communication and to a smaller extent the textural messages which is only the first phase of the revolution. We have now stepped on to the second rung of mobile data communications and Mobitel as has always been in the past is leading in the forefront. Mobitel is determined to be the leader of the ICT transformation of Sri Lanka and as the national service provider consider it as its bounden duty. Mr. Lalith de Silva, CEO of Mobitel commenting on the expansion drive said that “My prime responsibility is to ensure that a world class, state of the art network with widest reach is in place. I have to align Mobitel with the broader vision of the Government of making Sri Lanka the knowledge hub of Asia. We are proud to announce that we have just completed our biggest stage of expansion by increasing our total number of 2G and 3G base stations by over a mammoth 1000 sites within a record breaking period. We have now become a dominant operator servicing North and East following the liberation of those areas which is a priority component of the Government’s development strategy. Mobitel network excels in coverage, but also in quality, capacity and speed. We are planning even bigger investments to further extend our network as well as equip ourselves with world class ICT capabilities and to maintain the technology leadership position in South Asia. Finally, it is not the technology for its own sake but the customer experience that matters. We are committed to deliver that as our tag line loudly says ‘We Care Always.” Rasantha Hettithanthrige , Senior General Manager – Engineering & Operations gave us another glimpse of this gigantic undertaking just completed. “This expansion project involved more than 70 partner companies, 200 engineers and more than 1500 skilled and unskilled labor,” This massive expansion is indeed a remarkable achievement, showcasing Mobitel’s ability to innovate and operate profitably whilst offering the latest and best services to its customers. Further he added “we consider the Productivity, Cost Optimization & Safe & Pleasant Working Environment as 3 pillars of Engineering Excellence and we try to uphold these values so that Engineering Excellence is meaningful to all stake-holders” Mr. Chandana Gunasekara, General Manager – Projects & Network Planning of Mobitel further elaborated on the next stage. “LTE or Long Term Evolution is the 4th generation (4G) mobile technology which will be the next leading technology for mobile broadband services globally. All our new base stations will be LTE ready. We are also on a further drive to educate and demonstrate LTE to our customers and we are indeed proud to say that we are the first in South Asia to do so. All the base stations are connected through SLT nationwide fibre network ensuring high reliability, high quality and high capacity bandwidth connectivity” As technology evolves, new and exciting possibilities are created. The development of infrastructure is both the inspiration and the catalyst for the country’s advancement. Mobitel is determined to be a major partner of the government’s effort to transform Sri Lanka towards a new era. Mobitel Women’s Basketball team crowned Champions at the Mercantile Knockout Basketball Tournament 2012 National Mobile Communications Service Provider, Mobitel Women’s Basketball Team became the Champions in the Basketball B Division Tournament after winning the finals against HSBC in the Mercantile Knockout Basketball Tournament 2012, which was held recently at Otters Aquatic Club. The Mobitel team led in all four quarters of the game, which resulted in the final score being 61 - 54. All team members put in an outstanding performance while the Captain Gayani Wijesiri and the Vice Captain Prabhanthi Rupasinghe respectively scored 28 and 18 for the team. The team was coached by Mr. Gerald Jacobs.  Team Members: Standing From Left - Shashika Gooniyangoda, Vithya Vasu, Maduka Fonseka, Coach Mr. Gerald Jacobs, Gayani Wijesiri – Captain, Kaushalya Rupasinghe and Dushyanthi Mathan. Seated from left : Shirangi Perera, Sonali Liyaanarachchi, Roshini Palihakkara and Chathura Kodithuwakku. Mobitel webcasts the Regional Project Management Conference 2012 unveiling mEvent Platform  Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel unveils its truly mobile event web-casting platform “m-Event”, with the recently held Regional Project Management Conference 2012, in Colombo. The Conference themed “Accelerate National Development through Best Practices of Project Management” was hosted by the Project Management Institute-Sri Lanka Chapter, aimed at promoting best practices of Project Management as Sri Lanka is well poised to embark on many large and complex projects with the dawn of the post-war development era. The National Mobile Telecom Service Provider and the exclusive communications partner of the Conference, Mobitel, having realized the importance of this timely event extended its fullest support by webcasting the Key note speeches all over the world via internet using Mobitel’s novel product m-Event which enabled thousands of professionals around the world to participate virtually. mEvent facilitates event organizers with a fully fledged web-casting platform which includes services such as event scheduling, creating list of invitees, composing and sending invitations. Such email invitations contain the web link for the selected Invitees to access and watch the event live as and when it happens. In addition to web-casting, m-Event allows event organizers and invitees to watch the event, as recorded, within a pre-specified period of time. m-Event provides the convenience of virtually participating at the event live from wherever they are for those who are interested but unable to physically attend the event. Marking the launch of m-Event, the CEO of Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel and the Founder Chairman of PMI-Sri Lanka Chapter, Mr. Lalith De Silva stated “I believe that promoting best practices of Project management can help to bring out business benefits from projects of any nature, magnitude and complexity. This will have a significant and positive impact on national economy and society at large. I am delighted to see PMI Sri Lanka chapter organizing such an important event and I am so happy that mEvent platform was able to capture the audience beyond the conference hall and provide access to a global audience. I am certain that mEvent will help many event organizers to effectively manage webcasting of their events to their own audiences conveniently.” Mobitel mLearning to empower General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, the National Mobile Services Provider, signed a strategic agreement with the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) to facilitate online learning of the university’s professional studies through the Mobitel mLearning platform, a breakthrough method of pursuing higher studies via advanced technology and a brainchild of Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel. The partnership between the two entities enables Mobitel to step forward as the facilitator of an online platform for academics of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University to pursue their professional studies in their respective fields. The higher education programmes offered via the mLearning platform include Master of Philosophy/Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Law, Master of Business Administration in E-Governance, Master of Business Administration in Logistic Management, MSc. Degree in Military Science and Technology and MSc. Degree in Management. As a result, those interested in pursuing certified qualifications in these fields can now sign up at the Kotelawala Defence University and follow it online via the Mobitel mLearning platform at their ease. Mobitel mLearning is an exclusive, globally accessible content delivery online learning platform solely conceived, designed, developed and deployed by Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel. mLearning enables academics and lecturers to connect to live real time virtual classrooms from anywhere in the world allowing students to engage with the teachers as they would in normal classrooms, with all aspects of the learning classrooms being complete for full interaction. mLearning helps eliminate traditional barriers regarding education such as wealth, remoteness and lack of infrastructure and is considered a best of the breed solution to overcome barriers of distant learning systems used throughout the world today. Many recognized academic institutions both in Sri Lanka and overseas have partnered with Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel to facilitate study courses on the mLearning platform, to empower students to pursue higher studies from any part of the world. Commenting on the partnership Mr. Lalith De Silva, Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel said, “The latest partner to come onboard the mLearning initiative and a notably significant partner at that, it give us great pleasure to be associated with the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University to facilitate its students with the mLearning online learning portal to pursue their higher studies. mLearning is a unique and convenient method of online learning, enabling students to engage in other activities irrespective of time and location, without hampering their education. The concept and execution was solely powered by Mobitel, as we strongly follow our vision of leading Sri Lanka towards an info-com and knowledge rich society through our service offerings, and empowering society with educated individuals is primary to fortifying this vision in Sri Lanka.” He further added, “We warmly welcome the Kotelawala Defence University onboard with the rest of our eminent partner educational institutes and look forward to a long term partnership which will undoubtedly uplift the education standards in our country.” The General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University was initially established as the "General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy" by the Parliamentary Act No 68 of 1981 and subsequently elevated to University status by the amendment Act No 27 of 1988, thereby empowering it to award Bachelors' and Postgraduate degrees in Defence Studies. KDU is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (United Kingdom) and maintains necessary standards for educating and grooming Officer Cadets to meet the challenges of modern defence management. The Officers with exceptional performance can pursue postgraduate studies in reputed universities/institutions in accordance with the requirements of the Service to which they belong. Mobitel launches ‘Liyasara’, a special package to empower Sri Lankan Women on International Women’s Day International Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide on 8th of March with the sole intention of paying tribute to the remarkable women across the world for their economic, social and political achievements. As the National Mobile Services Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel believes that women are a vital element in society and its development, from the upbringing of a family’s offspring to being a pillar in every family and organization. Mobitel has over the years, supported this belief by providing special facilities and services for women in Sri Lanka. In line with this initiative, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel launched ‘Liyasara’, a special package for all women in Sri Lanka which enables customers to have easy access to information relating to Child Psychology, Cerebral Palsy, Maternal & New Born Health and Cancer Awareness, to name a few among a host of other areas. In addition to these information services, all customers under 65 years of age obtaining the Mobitel ‘Liyasara’ package would be covered with a special life insurance cover. The premium for the insurance cover is included into the monthly rental, which is provided at a nominal fee. Mobitel ‘Liyasara’ customers will be able to enjoy the benefits of a Rs. 100,000 worth Life Insurance cover and a Rs. 500,000 Accidental Death cover. National Mobile Services Provider Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel launched the Mobitel ‘Liyasara’ package on International Women’s Day in the honored presence of Sri Lanka’s respected First Lady Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa and other dignitaries at a special event at Temple Trees. The first Liyasara SIM card was presented to the First Lady, Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa. Mobitel ‘Liyasara’ package is inclusive of a limited bundle offer granting free Mobitel to Mobitel voice calls and SMS to its users and a free data bundle of 10 MB. Further Mobitel ‘Liyasara’ customers are entitled to free minutes to access the ‘Liyasara’ voice portal, powered by Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel and can also use the mTunes facility free of any monthly subscription. ‘Liyasara’ voice portal is a lifestyle portal providing Mobitel customers with information on Nutrition & Dieting, Cooking Recipes, Fashion & Beauty Tips, Household Remedies, Child Psychology & Health and Celebrity News. Mobitel ‘Liyasara’ customers can access the ‘Liyasara’ Portal by simply dialing 222. Mobitel conducted extensive research with its partners prior to designing the Mobitel ‘Liyasara’ package exclusively for women. Observations made during this exercise showed that women based in rural areas in the country have no access to reliable and consistent information relating to Maternal Health, Child Psychology, Cancer Awareness and other important health concerns, which are essential to their daily lives. Facing great inconvenience and discomfort, these hard-working women would have to make unnecessary trips to central parts of Sri Lanka for proper guidance from experts relating to their issues. The Mobitel ‘Liyasara’ special package was therefore created with the aim of empowering Sri Lankan women by granting unlimited and convenient access to credible information disseminated in all three languages by expert institutions such as the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Cerebral Palsy Lanka Foundation, Sri Lanka College of Oncologists and the Perinatal Society of Sri Lanka. Women find themselves playing the demanding roles of daughter, wife, mother, friend and caregiver in society and attend to varying situations in their daily routines. In order to empower the lives of all women in Sri Lanka as the National Mobile Services Provider that consistently follows it brand promise of ‘We Care.Always.’, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel launched the ‘Liyasara’ Package with the sanction of First Lady, Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa and aspires to carry forward similar initiatives in the future for the betterment of all women in the country. Commenting on the occasion Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, Mr. Lalith De Silva said, “As the National Mobile Services Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel remains committed to honoring and paying tribute to women of Sri Lanka, whose contributions towards their families and society have not gone unobserved. As a nationally aligned mobile services provider, we worked towards an initiative that would be a fitting tribute to these remarkable women that would help empower their lives and add value to their daily engagements. With this in mind, we created the Mobitel ‘Liyasara’ package that has been customized to suit the needs of all women, be it relating to motherhood, health, professional commitments or domestic situations. With this new package, we envision a more empowered Sri Lankan woman who can better achieve her goals by having ready access to the world of information knowledge and communication.” In the honored presence of First Lady, Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa and other distinguished female guests at the ceremony, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel gave special highlight to the service bestowed on society by all women and acknowledged the invaluable support women have demonstrated over centuries as supportive wives, nurturing mothers and noteworthy individuals in society contributing towards the development of the nation.  About Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, the National Mobile Service Provider is a fully owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom. In January 2004, the company launched its fully-fledged 2.5G GSM network that is EDGE/GPRS enabled and designed to operate on dual band. In December 2007, the company launched its 3.5G HSPA network - the first Super 3.5G network in South Asia. Further, Mobitel successfully demonstrated HSPA + MIMO technology with down link speed up to 28.8 Mbps and carried out successful trial of 4G/LTE technology with downlink speed exceeding 96 Mbps, for the first time in the South Asian Region. Investments committed to date in the 2.5G/3.5G/4G networks and service offering amounts to over US$ 400 mn. Mobitel was also recognized at the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2011 as the Brand of the Year and Most Innovative Brand of the Year. Mobitel’s Customer Care can be reached by dialing 1717 from any network in Sri Lanka. Visit http://www.mobitel.lk/en/web/mobitel/press-releases for further details. MOBITEL – THE OFFICIAL MOBILE SERVICES PROVIDER FOR ‘DEYATA KIRULA’ 2012 Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has come forward as the Official Mobile Services Provider for the ‘Deyata Kirula 2012’ exhibition. The national exhibition, held for the 6th consecutive year, will be declared open by the President His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksha at Oyamaduwa in Anuradhapura on Independence Day the 4th of February and will continue until the 10th of this month. Mobitel, Sri Lanka’s National Mobile Services Provider under the guidance of the Honorable Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, who has played a pivotal role in empowering the ICT sector in Sri Lanka, is keen to drive the nation towards a more technology-enabled future in line with His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksha’s vision of increasing ICT literacy levels to 75% and making Sri Lanka the knowledge hub in Asia. Mobitel, the national mobile services provider of Sri Lanka will showcase the endless possibilities in mobile technology through its latest products and services to the general public at the Deyata Kirula 2012 exhibition stall. This is the 4th year that Mobitel has extended its support towards this national exhibition, which has consistently upheld its objective of enlightening the public on national pride and the nation’s development targets.  Photo Caption: Hon. Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology Ranjith Siyambalapitiya accepts the sponsorship from Mr. Lalith De Silva, Chief Executive Officer of Mobitel as Mr. Janaka Jayalath, Senior General Manager Corporate Planning and Marketing, Mobitel and Mr. Chandika Vitharana Senior General Manager Sales & Distribution, Mobitel looks on. Mobitel Bags “Youth Brand of the Year” at SLIM Nielsen People’s Choice Awards 2012 The National Mobile Services provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has once again been endorsed by the nation in recognition of the excellence in services and evolutionary strides made in the recent past as Sri Lanka’s leader in the mobile telephony industry. Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel bagged the ‘Youth Brand of the Year’ award at the recently concluded SLIM Nielsen People’s Choice Awards 2012 held at Waters Edge rang out as the choice of the people across the country. The Awards reflect consumer loyalty, commitment and preference of a brand, competing amongst many other corporate giants. As the National Mobile services provider, Mobitel acts as a pioneer in the telecommunication arena through many industry firsts and groundbreaking technology endeavors. Youth from the ages of 18- 25, from 23 districts determined Mobitel as the brand worthy of the ‘Youth Brand’ accolade. Every year the SLIM-Nielsen People’s Awards is held to elevate the brands and personalities that have left a lasting impact on the people of the nation. Awards play a significant role in giving voice to the people’s choices and selections in brand and personalities. This year’s awards ceremony boasts of a significant specialty in ‘people’s representation’ as it includes the North and East of the country in the research for the very first time. The SLIM- Nielsen People’s Awards saw its inception in 2006 and has been since held annually, encouraging best practices amongst corporates in the local industry, and supports key research and marketing functions in Sri Lanka. Mobitel once again bares testament to its excellence in striving to serve customers with an ‘element of care’. The Youth Brand award of the year was another accolade amongst many that entail the national mobile services provider’s journey in dedicatedly serving the nation.  Photo Caption: Mr. Chandika Vitharana, Senior General Manager, Sales & Distribution Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel and Mr. Manju Fernando, Chief Administration Officer, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel seen in picture accepting the SLIM People’s Award for ‘Youth Brand of the Year’ from Mr. Ruwan Liyanagamage – Treasurer, Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing. Mobitel and Laugfs Supermarkets partner to enable Reload and Bill Payment facility for customers National Mobile Service Provider Mobitel recently partnered with Laugfs Supermarkets to offer its customers the added convenience of making bill payments, purchasing Smart Prepaid recharge cards and reloads at any of the Laugfs Supermarkets in its extended retail supermarket network. As a result, Mobitel customers in both prepaid and postpaid segments can now vastly benefit from this alliance. A brand that has always been very attentive towards its customers’ needs, Mobitel extended its services to include the Laugfs Supermarket network reaching out to customers in greater Colombo and the outskirts including Negombo, Seeduwa and Marawila. This will enable all Mobitel prepaid and postpaid customers to visit any of the Laugfs Supermarket outlets at the most convenient locations and engage in reloading their connections or settling their payments. Speaking on the partnership, Mr.Nishantha Weerakoon, Senior General Manager Finance & Procurement of Mobitel said, “Partnering with a rapidly expanding retail supermarket network such as Laugfs gives us the opportunity to extend our payment facilities to our customers who can, as a result easily access any outlet with the least amount of hassle. As a customer centric brand, our customers’ convenience and satisfaction is core to our organization and we believe that this partnership paves a way for us to deliver this offering.” Mr. Ravi Dahanayake – Director - Chief Executive Officer of Laugfs commenting on the alliance said, “It’s truly a pleasure for us to be in a partnership with a leading mobile service provider such as Mobitel and offer our service outlets to enable reload and bill payments to all their customers. We are well established as a supermarket network and will continue to expand our services and our reach to significant locations in Sri Lanka. We believe that Mobitel customers will as a result greatly benefit from this venture.”  Photo Caption: (L-R) Mr.Manju Fernando - Chief Administrative Officer Mobitel , Mr. Saman Perera – Senior General Manager Information Systems Mobitel , Mr. Chandika Vitharana, Senior General Manager Sales & Distribution, Mobitel, Mr. Nishantha Weerakoon, Senior General Manager Finance and procurement Mobitel, seen in picture exchanging agreements with Mr. Ravi Dahanayake, Director/Chief Executive Officer, Laugfs Supermarkets, Mr. T.T. Gunasinghe, Director/General Manager, Laugfs Supermarkets, Mr. A. Wickramage, Chief Operating Officer, Laugfs Supermarkets and Mr. Chaminda Wijesinghe, Assistant General Manager Laugfs Supermarkets A Christmas to remember – Mobitel celebrates the Season with Maharagama Cancer Hospital Paediatric Ward for Children Children all around the world look forward to Christmas, that one special occasion of the year with great anticipation and excitement, with the pleasure of knowing that they will be showered with presents while partaking in all the festivities that are part and parcel of this significant celebration. Sadly however, not all children are able to celebrate this festive season in a similar fashion; especially the little ones undergoing treatment at the Paediatric Ward at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital, who are valiantly battling various stages of cancer. As a Corporate that genuinely cares about the welfare of these brave young fighters, under the direction of its CEO, Mr. Lalith De Silva, the National Mobile Telecommunication Service Provider Mobitel in line with its mission to “Care, Share and Deliver” took on the task of ensuring that these young children enjoyed this year’s Christmas just like every other child. With this in mind, a team of Mobitel’s employees headed by Mr. Nilanjith Gunawardena (President of the Mobitel mClub – an association set up amongst Mobitel employees that promotes social, sports and entertainment activities among staff) together with Mr. & Mrs. De Silva paid a visit to the Paediatric Ward of the Maharagama Cancer Hospital, bearing gifts, nutritional supplements and medical items to present to the resident children at a special Christmas function, prepared solely with the intention of giving these children the opportunity of celebrating the seasonal festivities amidst family and friends. Speaking on the initiative, Mr. De Silva said, “It’s truly a moving sight to see the joy and excitement of these brave young children, who despite the poignant circumstances they find themselves in, choose to enjoy the best of what life has to offer them. It was a personal endeavour of mine to take forward this initiative with an equally passionate team at Mobitel to ensure that this will be a memorable Christmas that will linger in those young minds and hearts as they celebrate it with their family and all of us at Mobitel. This is one of the many socially responsible endeavours Mobitel will be partaking in, under the company brand promise, ‘We Care. Always.’ with the intention of enhancing the lives of our community and our nation.” A choir of talented Mobitel employees sang a medley of popular Christmas Carols while the highlight of the event was the arrival of a much-anticipated Santa Claus that entertained the children. The Paediatric Cancer Ward at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital comprises of over 120 resident children ranging from infants to 14 year olds. As a socially responsible corporate entity, Mobitel will continue to conduct similar activities in the near future with the objective of uplifting the lives of Sri Lankans across the nation.  Photo Caption: Lalith De Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, Mrs. De Silva (Center) and Nilanjith Gunawardena, President of the Mobitel mClub seen in picture with the Mobitel Christmas Carolers & other members of the Mobitel Family Lalith De Silva takes over the reins for the second time as CEO of Mobitel Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, Sri Lanka’s National Mobile Service Provider recently announced the reappointment of Lalith De Silva as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. No stranger to the mobile telecommunications industry in Sri Lanka, Mr. De Silva was also Mobitel’s first CEO to assume duty following the acquisition of the company by Sri Lanka Telecom in 2002 and was instrumental in laying the foundation for the company’s rapid technological and market growth. Hailed as a global ICT and project management specialist, Mr. De Silva brings with him a vast bank of experience gained as a Senior Consultant at SLT, a Board Director at SriLankan Airlines and Senior Advisor at Saudi Telecom. Enjoying a successful year decorated with numerous awards and high growth, his appointment comes at a crucial juncture not just in the history of Mobitel, but also in Sri Lanka. Mobitel’s timely introduction of the latest in mobile technology to Sri Lanka is testimony to the telecommunication service provider’s vision of leading Sri Lanka towards an Info-Com and knowledge rich society through its service offerings. Mobitel was the first in Asia to launch a Super 3.5G HSPA network and the first in Sri Lanka to demonstrate HSPA+ MIMO and 4G/LTE. Constantly striving to create unparalleled communication solutions and implement new technology to boost the country, Mobitel has taken giant strides to make ICT technology affordable and accessible to everyone. The appointment of an ICT specialist in the calibre of Mr. De Silva also further reinforces Mobitel’s vision alignment with the ICT development goals of the nation. Mr. Nimal Welgama, Chairman – SLT & Mobitel, speaking on the appointment said, “With proven expertise as an inspirational leader with high performing team building skills, I am confident that Lalith together with the able support of the forward thinking, dynamic and highly committed team at Mobitel, would be able to steer the Mobitel brand towards even greater heights in the Sri Lankan Mobile ICT landscape”. Mr. De Silva talking about his appointment and aspirations for the company said “Returning to Sri Lanka after many years I am delighted to see the transformation of our nation not only in terms of infrastructure and economic development but also in terms of its people and their social and spiritual progression. We are now a free and united nation under a strong and visionary leader. From an industry perspective, within a short span of six years, our mobile penetration has grown from less than 20% to the current level of over 90%. Internet penetration too has grown by ten fold. It is certainly a promising time for the country and I consider it both a privilege and a pleasure to have the opportunity to once again lead the Mobitel team and help contribute towards the further development of our nation.” Mobitel clinches the ‘Brand of the Year’ title – the Highest Recognition in Brand Excellence at the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2011 Mobitel, National Mobile Service Provider, clinched the most coveted award ‘the Brand of the Year’ at the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards held on 18th October at Waters Edge, re-iterating the brand’s commitment towards maintaining exemplary business practices whilst portraying the position Mobitel holds as a leading brand in the country. The highly anticipated evening for the Sri Lankan marketers organized by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) progressed with Mobitel sweeping the boards, clinching the Gold Awards for the ‘Service Brand of the Year’ and the ‘Innovative Brand of the Year’, a Bronze Award for Mobitel mTunes as ‘Turnaround Brand of the Year’ and drew to a close with the exciting climax of receiving the ‘Brand of the Year’ award - the Highest Recognition in Brand Excellence at SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2011. Mobitel first entered the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards in 2009, clinching 2 Gold Awards for ‘Innovative Brand of the Year’ (for M3) and ‘Best New Entrant of the Year’ (for UPAHARA) and 2 Silver Awards for ‘Service Brand of the Year’ and ‘Turnaround Brand of the Year’ (for SMART). At the 2010 Awards ceremony, Mobitel further improved on its previous performance by clinching the Gold award for the ‘Service Brand of the Year’ - the highest recognition in the Service category. As such, the winning of the ‘Brand of the Year’ title this year, which is the overall highest recognition given to the best performing brand of both product and service categories, is testimony to the accelerated growth momentum Mobitel as a brand has been able to achieve and maintain over the years. Speaking on the company’s success at SLIM Brand Excellence 2011, Mr. Janaka Jayalath, Senior General Manager Corporate Planning & Marketing of Mobitel said, “It was truly a moment of great pride for the entire team at Mobitel as well as for our valued partners, when we were presented with the ‘Brand of the Year’ award at this year’s SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2011, as it inspires us to further commit towards taking our brand to even greater heights. We will ensure that we will consistently maintain best practices and effectively deliver our brand promise of ‘We Care. Always.’ to our loyal customers who have been a pillar of strength and an inspiration to us to continuously strive to enhance our services.” He further added, “We would like to extend our gratitude to SLIM for its pivotal role in endorsing brand excellence and the eminent panel of judges for their professionalism in awarding the ‘the best of the best’.”  The SLIM Brand Excellence Awards is an awarding body fashioned to distinguish Business Organizations making significant contribution towards the corporate arena, through exemplary business practices. A team of best professionals have premeditated on the criteria for the marking scheme, judging and noting many other minute details critical to the excellence of the award ceremony. The awards ceremony celebrates brand excellence at a national level and annually recognizes and rewards the motivation, dedication, and hard work of great marketers in crafting brand champions. Since its docile beginnings, the awards have grown to recognize Sri Lanka’s top class businesses that have thrived amongst contemporaries. Mobitel constantly strives to ensure that best practices remain part of its corporate culture, reflecting the company’s success in upholding high levels of customer satisfaction. As a leading mobile service provider in Sri Lanka, Mobitel’s success at this year’s SLIM Brand Excellence is a true testament to the organization’s thriving business philosophy. Mobitel Celebrates Third Anniversary of ‘Upahara’ Three lucky customers to be rewarded with brand new houses worth Rs. 4 Million each The National Mobile Service Provider Mobitel will be rewarding three privileged Upahara customers with houses worth Rs. 4 Million each, in celebrating the third year anniversary of the the launch of Upahara in 2008. The Upahara package was specially designed for State Sector employees and Pensioners in recognition of their vital service to the nation and provides its users with many exclusive benefits that are unparalleled within the industry. All Upahara customers who have their mobile connections active during the month of December will be eligible for this draw. Additionally, Mobitel registered customers with active connections should have their bills settled of all outstanding payments by December 2011. With the launch of the Upahara package in 2008, Mobitel provided the State sector employees, pensioners and clergy with unique offerings that were unpararalled in the telecommunications industry. State sector employees have contributed immensely towards the welfare of the country in their respective fields and are considered a valuable asset to the nation as a whole. As a result, with the objective of acknowledging their valuable service, Mobitel introduced the revolutionary Upahara package For the first time in the mobile service industry, as part of the Upahara package, Mobitel enabled its customers to make outgoing calls to other Mobitel lines and fixed lines completely free of charge daily between midnight to 6pm. In addition to this incredible offer, Mobitel’s Value added services such as 3G, Video Calls, GPRS, CLI, IDD, Missed Call Alerts, WAP, SMS were offered without any activation fee or a monthly rental fee. As a result of these unique benefits that were inclusive in the Upahara package, it soon became a highly valued and popular mobile package among the state sector employees, pensioners and clergy in the country. As a customer centric brand that is consistently upgrading its services and facilities for the betterment of its customers and the nation, Mobitel has time and time again proved its prowess as a leader in the industry. Keeping in line with the company brand promise ‘We care. Always’ and creating a revolution once again with Upahara, Mobitel is proud be able to contribute and reward its valued customers with three houses at the end of the draw. Mobitel once again emerges as the ‘Best Engineering Organisation’ at Engineering Excellence Awards
At the Engineering Excellence awards hosted recently by the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL), Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, the technology leader in mobile telephony in Sri Lanka, reemerged winner of the coveted “Best Engineering Organisation” in the category “Infrastructure – Service Sector”. This is the second time that Mobitel won this award for excellence in engineering, presented by IESL in its biennial Enginnering Awards ceremony that recognises outstanding engineering achievements. Mobitel won this award in the year 2008 as well. As the National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel has committed itself to delivering a superior service and mobile experience to its customers through cutting edge developments in engineering. The company was the first in South Asia to launch a high speed 3.5G HSPA network. This was followed by becoming first again in Sri Lanka to demonstrate HSPA+ MIMO, and in 2011, Mobitel yet again secured a place as first in the South Asian region to demonstrate 4G/LTE, exceeding speeds of 96 Mbps. With a distinct reputation for service and quality through innovation and technology, Mobitel, is at present the lead mobile broadband provider in Sri Lanka and has lead the country in breaking new frontiers in the international ICT space using its technological prowess and advantage in the broadband front. The value of technology is greater if it can be used for the benefit of larger society, and fully appreciative of the role of technology in improving quality of life, Mobitel constantly strives to use its technology leadership towards adding value to its customers, be it quality, coverage, ease and breadth of use, affordability, convenience, scalability and futuristic appeal. The Excellence in Engineering Award epitomizes Mobitel’s exceptional achievements encompassing effective capacity utilization, superior planning and execution, unparalleled operational excellence, technological prowess, service breadth, consistent quality, innovative strength and high standards in productivity. IESL, the premier professional body for engineers of Sri Lanka prides a history of over 100 years and has a growing membership which at present covers almost all specialties in engineering. The biennial Engineering Excellence Awards of the IESL is primarily motivated to encourage and celebrate the excellence of the science and best practices of engineering by rewarding the best and finest of its members, individuals, organisations and companies for their outstanding accomplishments and achievements in engineering. For Mobitel, the proud recipients of many awards and accolades in excellence, the IESL Excellence in Engineering Award is an important recognition of its drive to adopt and employ technology for the advancement of society. Mobitel is in the forefront of leading Sri Lanka towards an info com and knowledge rich society, and in its pursuit to reinvent and innovate for the future, Mobitel is at present transforming into a Next Generation Network, and this, it is confident, will influence Sri Lanka’s emergence into its next phase of ICT powered growth. Mobitel introduces the first LG 3D Smartphone in Sri Lanka with Abans  Mobitel, the National Mobile Service Provider announced the launch of the first 3D smartphone in the country in association with Abans Lanka, sole distributor for LG mobile phones in Sri Lanka. A ground breaking mobile unit, LG Optimus 3D is an innovative smartphone with second-generation dual core technology and an advanced “Tri-Dual” architecture. The first of its kind to be launched in Sri Lanka, Abans together with LG Electronics partnered with Mobitel as the official network provider for the launch. As the national mobile service provider, Mobitel has committed to embrace and offer the latest and the most advanced technologies that are needed for Sri Lanka’s rapid development. Being the first in Asia to successfully demonstrate 4G LTE technology, achieving a data rate of 96 Mbps, Mobitel has proven that it has constantly been at the peak of adapting to and offering the latest technology, in line with international trends. The partnership between LG Electronics and Mobitel in launching the first 3D mobile phone in Sri Lanka is therefore testimony to the telecom provider’s ability to offer the most advanced technology. The LG Optimus 3D guarantees a full 3D experience in creating, sharing, and viewing -in a smartphone form factor. This unique mobile device takes the smartphone experience into new territory with its Tri-Dual configuration – dual-core, dual-channel and dual-memory – which allows for improved performance when multi-tasking, viewing graphics-intensive websites, enjoying a movie or playing graphics-intensive games. The LG Optimus 3D is also a major step forward in the utilization of full 3D functionality in everyday life – users can record and immediately view content in 3D without the need for special glasses. The 4.3 inch WVGA display offers bright and flicker-free images in HD, up to 1080p in 2D and up to 720p in 3D. Special software allows for real-time conversion of 2D to 3D for photo and video content. Free software for converting 2D games will be available for download (details to be announced soon) enabling users to enjoy a variety of multimedia content in 3D. The captured 3D content can be shared with 3D TVs via and HDMI 1.4 connection and the phone can also send content to any DLNA certified device. In addition, users can upload and stream 3D content on YouTube’s dedicated 3D channel (www.youtube.com/3D). In line with this partnership, Mobitel offers a specially designed value pack for all those who purchase the LG Optimus 3D, which is exclusively available at Mobitel outlets. This unique offer provides the users with a monthly quota of 150 minutes of talk time to all Mobitel lines, while another 50 minutes to call other networks, 100 SMS to Mobitel numbers and enables data usage up to 600 MB per month. Customers will be able to enjoy these benefits for a period of six months. Speaking at the launch event, Mr. Janaka Jayalath, Senior General Manager Corporate Planning & Marketing of Mobitel said, “We are well equipped with the infrastructure and technology to suit the advanced features of all smartphones, specifically those in the likes of the LG Optimus 3D. We believe our corporate clientele will immensely benefit from our service offerings and renowned customer service Commenting on behalf of Abans/ LG Electronics Mrs. Aban Pestonjee, Chairperson of Abans, said, “It’s truly a great pleasure for us to launch this remarkable mobile device in partnership with the national mobile service provider, Mobitel. LG Electronics, a global leader, has over decades been at the forefront of designing electronic devices that have assisted mankind in improving their daily routines. With our vision being ‘to deliver innovative digital products and services that make our customers’ lives better, easier and happier through increased functionality and fun’ we constantly strive to introduce highly advanced devices such as the LG Optimus 3D.” She further added, “This is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka and we are enthusiastic to see the response from our local community towards this device, which we believe will prove to be an experience out of this world.” About the LG Optimus 3D Peak Efficiency and Performance Powered by Unique Tri-Dual Configuration LG’s Tri-Dual architecture pushes the LG Optimus 3D’s performance well beyond simple clock speed improvements. Other smartphones – even those with higher clock speeds and dual-core technology – suffer when it comes to actual performance because of the inefficiency inherent in a single-channel configuration. With a dual-channel configuration, data transfers take place simultaneously between the dual-core and dual-memory, resulting in noticeably faster performance. As a result, the LG Optimus 3D maximizes run-time efficiency leading to noticeably smoother, faster, and longer multi-tasking, browsing, gaming and multimedia enjoyment than ever before. Full 3D Experience: 3D Recording-Viewing-Sharing LG’s full 3D concept transforms 3D technology from a novelty to a practical tool. 3D recording, viewing and sharing is faster and more convenient in the Optimus 3D and can be enjoyed without cumbersome glasses. LG’s latest smartphone enables owners to capture high quality 3D content with 3D video stabilization technology and real-time misalignment correction algorithm which automatically corrects for shake during recording. The smartphone’s wide viewing angle makes watching videos and movies much more convenient and comfortable. Edinburgh Napier University and Mobitel mLearning launch ‘global first’ MBA Colombo - 12th September 2011 A UNIQUELY flexible MBA for aspiring Sri Lankan executives has been launched by Scotland’s Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) and Sri Lanka Telecom, Mobitel. In a global first, the new MBA programme will be delivered via Mobitel’s mLearning platform, allowing students to follow lectures in an interactive virtual classroom environment. Students enrolled in the course will be able to interact with lecturers on a face-to-face level through the mLearning platform, and will graduate with a UK qualification. The online degree programme is on par with other Edinburgh Napier University MBA degrees and has been designed to fit the busy working life of Executives and to be as flexible as possible. Students also have the option to add further value to their studies by spending a Semester at the Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland. Commenting on the unique partnership, Professor George Stonehouse, Dean of Edinburgh Napier University’s Business School, said: “As a university rated among the best for employability in the UK, with a significant international presence including in India, Hong Kong and other countries, we are delighted to extend one of our post graduate programmes to Sri Lanka as well. The unique feature about pursuing your studies via the mLearning platform is that all environments have been created to promote interactivity among students and lecturers whilst enhancing a student’s learning experience without requiring physical presence in the university.” Professor Stonehouse added: “The most important fact is that due to its design and unparalleled functionalities, ambitious students with the thirst to broaden their knowledge can now confidently do so with the help of Mobitel’s mLearning platform.” Students enrolled in the course will learn and acquire a variety of skills related to business, including creative problem solving, critical reasoning and strategic thinking. Global Economic principles, strategic business issues, organisational management and the realities of the competitive marketplace will be studied. Communication techniques, both written and verbal, will also be highlighted. Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel’s Senior General Manager, Corporate Planning & Marketing Mr. Janaka Jayalath said: “Sri Lanka has immense potential to emerge as a prominent knowledge hub in the region and Mobitel as a national minded entity, is constantly on the look out to support and foster our country’s welfare. Through Mobitel’s mLearning platform, we have harnessed the education pertaining to many industries in our nation, via partnerships with prominent educational institutes. Following in the wake of our national partnerships, our next step was to facilitate students to follow courses with international patronage, which resulted in our partnering with a reputed university such as the Edinburgh Napier University, to enable students to pursue their higher studies at their own convenience by bridging the gap between time and accessibility, via mLearning.” The British High Commissioner, John Rankin, sharing his views on the partnership said, "I congratulate the Edinburgh Napier University and Mobitel (Pvt.) Ltd. for pioneering this unique educational service. British education is held in high regard in Sri Lanka and I am delighted that both Britain and Sri Lanka are looking for new ways to make British education accessible to Sri Lankan students." About Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh Napier University is a dynamic, innovative and forward-looking institution dedicated to supplying educational services which are relevant to the needs of today's students and employers. By offering creatively designed courses, flexible study methods and accessible routes to higher education ENU equips its graduates for success in a competitive job market. GSMA mWomen Working Group Meeting to be held in Colombo this September hosted by Mobitel Colombo - 7-8th September 2011
Mobile network operators along with representatives from the wider mobile ecosystem, vendors and academic experts from around the world will be travelling to Colombo, Sri Lanka this week for the latest meeting of the GSMA mWomen Working Group, hosted by Mobitel on 7-8th September 2011. The interactive two day programme consists of thought-provoking discussion on recent research, and case studies, with lively debates and interactive workshops. The programme will present a forum for mobile operators and related industry experts to jointly explore opportunities to bring women into their customer base as well as partnering with expert content providers to create useful, relevant and reliable content to benefit women’s lives in order to expand on how mobile technology can sustainably empower women in the developing world. The GSMA Development Fund created the ‘GSMA mWomen Programme’ after identifying a sizeable gender gap in mobile phone ownership in low- to middle-income countries in a comprehensive study produced in 2010 in partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. The research ignited a desire amongst mobile operators and the development community to close the mobile phone gender gap and to generate both new commercial opportunity and social development. The official launch of the GSMA mWomen Programme was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, at the U.S State Department, Washington DC, USA in October 2010. In pursuit of its vision of ushering the Nation towards an “Infocom and Knowledge rich Society”, and building on the framework developed by the GSMA, Mobitel, Sri Lanka’s National Mobile Service Provider launched its own initiative to support the global GSMA mWomen Programme, styled under the theme “SHE” following the GSMA mWomen global launch, to enhance the lives of Sri Lankan women through the infusion of mobile ICT among them. As an initial phase, Mobitel introduced a suite of tailored services for the Sri Lankan woman, which included preferential tariff plans for voice and broadband, priority service counter for ladies at main branches, as well as, an interactive voice based lifestyle portal named ‘Liya Waruna’, that can be accessed by simply dialing 222, on any Mobitel phone. In pursuit of re-iterating its commitment in empowering women at the bottom of the pyramid, and in line with the GSMA mWomen Programme, Mobitel recently partnered with the Ruhuna Economic Development Agency (RUEDA) to provide women with an opportunity to create a livelihood by providing the necessary training and guidance to become Women Community Communication Promoters of Mobitel. As part of its commitment to supporting the GSMA mWomen Programme, Mobitel is also being represented in the Programme’s ‘Working Group', established to unite operator members committed to closing the mobile phone gender gap in the developing world. Mrs. Anoma Laphir – Director Mobitel said "Mobitel is committed to making a valuable and measurable contribution to uplift the living standards of the various communities in Sri Lanka, through our service offerings. The GSMA mWomen programme furthers that objective. Further, as the National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel is delighted to have been given the opportunity of hosting this programme in Sri Lanka as it provides us an ideal platform to ensure that the needs and aspirations of women in particularly the rural areas of our country are well-represented in this initiative." ”Working Group meetings are a key part of our programme activities and we are delighted to be working with Mobitel at this September meeting,” said Trina DasGupta, mWomen Programme Director, GSMA. “We look forward to a productive meeting with all our members from the mobile industry who have committed to closing the mobile phone gender gap and creating life-enhancing services for women.” As of September 2011 the following mobile operators have pledged their support to close the mobile phone gender gap by 50 per cent over the next three years, enabling ownership of mobile phones for women in the developing world: AT&T, Banglalink, Bharti Airtel, Cell C, Dialog, Digicel, France Telecom/Orange, IDEA Cellular, Maxis, Mobitel, Mobilink, MTN, Orascom, Qtel, Roshan, Safaricom, SMART, Telenor, Telefónica O2, Trilogy International, Umniah, Uninor, Vodacom, Vodafone Group, Vodafone Essar and Vodafone Turkey. From the wider mobile ecosystem, the following partners have joined the GSMA mWomen Working Group: Ericsson, Google, Microsoft and Nokia. Mobitel receives highest award for excellence in Service Sector at CNCI Achiever Awards 2011 Colombo - 31st August 2011 At the recently concluded CNCI Achiever Awards 2011 ceremony, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel walked away with the Gold for National Level - Industrial and Service Excellence in the Extra Large category and the CNCI Top Ten Award for Industrial and Service Excellence in the Extra Large category, becoming the only Mobile Service Provider to be awarded at the esteemed awards presentation organized by The Ceylon National Chamber of Industries. Graced by Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Mr. Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the event concluded on a high note with some of the most respected industrial and service enterprises receiving prestigious achiever awards for Industrial Excellence. Established five decades ago, The Ceylon National Chamber of Industries was the pioneer Chamber of the Industrial Sector in Sri Lanka and has been a key driver behind industrial growth and excellence in the country. The CNCI Achiever Awards held for the 10th consecutive time this year is considered one of its main initiatives directed at encouraging and empowering manufacturing and service sector companies to reach greater heights in performance. The evaluation of the entries were made out on a number of criteria encompassing Turnover, Value Addition, Productivity and Responsibilities towards employees, Growth and Future, R & D, Quality Assurance, Environmental Responsibilities, Health and Safety and Social Responsibility, carried out by a panel of judges of well respected industry professionals. The awards ceremony celebrates Industry and Service excellence at a national level and annually provides a public stage for the crystallization of multifaceted achievements at all levels of industry and recognizes organizations for their spirit of resilience, hard work, dedication and upholding of well-honored professional ethics. Mobitel constantly strives to ensure that best practices remain part of its corporate culture, reflecting a company’s success in upholding high levels of customer satisfaction. As the leading mobile service provider in Sri Lanka, Mobitel’s success at this year’s CNCI Achiever Awards is a true testament to the organization’s thriving business philosophy.  Photo Caption: (L-R) Mr. Preethi Jayawardena – Deputy Chairman, Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI), Mr. Ajith Nivard Cabraal – Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Mr. Sunil Liyanage – Chairman, Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) and Mr. Nishantha Weerakoon – Senior General Manager Finance, Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd at the CNCI Achiever Awards. | |
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