SLT continues
to control international traffic a year after liberalisation.
Dominating International Traffic
Sri Lanka offers IDD Services to 226 countries. This is done
through bilateral agreements with some 80 telecom operators
in 50 countries around the world. Relationships with some of
these telecom operators are more than 100 years old.
In these six years SLT has considerably strengthened its international
network with a view to enhancing its global connectivity and
international traffic routes. Its current network consists of
three gateway exchanges, two cable landing stations, three satellite
earth stations and one mobile earth station. This network is
supplemented by the access that SLT has to two submarine cables:
SEA-ME-WE IIand SEA-ME-WE III.
Also in 2002 SLT signed an agreement with Bharti Telesonic of
India, a leading mobile operator in India in a bid to strengthen
traffic between the two countries. Interconnection will be provided
through SEA-ME-WE III and Network i2i in Singapore.
The Company’s international operations will be strengthened
by the establishment of points of presence outside Sri Lanka
to offer termination, hubbing and transit services to overseas
telecommunications service providers.
Partnering a Optical Fibre Submarine Cable
In 2002 SLT entered into an agreement with international operators
to collaborate on the construction of a new SEA-ME-WE IV submarine
cable. SLT hosted SEA-ME-WE IV management meetings in Decemeber
2003 in Sri Lanka and SLT signed the multiparty agreement with
16 international partners to the next generation submarine cabling
system for high speed data communication which is expected go
into operation in 2005.
A fresh Challenge from the New EGOs
Thirty two External Gateway Operator (EGO) licences were issued
in 2003. This is a further phase in the process of deregulation.
However, only a few of these are currently in operation. As
a consequence international calling rate were reduced drastically.
Revenue from international outgoing calls dropped immediately.
We are proud to note though that this was only temporary and
in a matter of 9 months revenue levels stabilised through an
aggressive marketing campaigns. Although rates have come down,
volume has increased progressively and that has helped stabilise
revenue levels in the medium term. SLT continues to control
international traffic a year after liberalisation.
In today’s competitive market one has to be proactive
and dynamic to survive. We cannot rest on our achievements of
the past few years but need to constantly look for new business
opportunities. The international calling market is a growing
one and shows lots of potential. Steady economic growth is likely
to help expand this market to its full potential.
SLT’s Passport Card: Exceeding
all Expectations
SLT regenerated its Passport Card in June 2003 with an intense
marketing campaign. This was launched to offer consumers a unique
international calling package and stimulate international traffic.
Its impact has exceeded all expectations and SLT has been hard
pressed to meet the demand.
A unique feature of the Passport card is that an IDD facility
is not needed. Any phone will do. Pre paid calling cards allows
a good credit control and permits consumers to regulate their
calling time precisely. This flexibility has attracted a large
number of customers.
The success of the Passport Card is also linked to the high
voice quality that the product offers, in comparison to other
cards and the value for money that comes with it. The voice
quality is on par with the conventional IDD calls. There are
no hidden costs and you get what you pay for.
In addition to the Passport Card, SLT lso introduced an ‘Extra
Time' Card to respond to the needs of cost conscious customers.
It ‘out’ competes other inferior cards on the market
by providing better voice quality at better price.
Heights unknown: The Sigiri Card
Like the Passport Card, the Sigiri Card has also exceeded all
expectations. The Sigiri Calling Card allows consumers in Australia,
Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom to call Sri Lanka at rates
that are among the lowest in those countries.
The Sigiri Card was a direct and ‘front end action’
marketing strategy that went aggressively to those markets where
traffic was originating.
Because we offered a ‘state-of-the-art’ ‘value
for money’ product the Sigiriya Card has had exceptional
success. Like the Passport Card the voice quality is exceptional
and compares with any other international calling cards. The
Sigiri Card now accounts for nearly 35% of the international
voice traffic into Sri Lanka on the SLT network.
The product also allows calls within the group of 11 countries.
Thus it is possible for a Sri Lankan based in the United Kingdom
to call his family in Canada. However, the rates are not as
competitive as the rates from any of these countries to Sri
Lanka.
Reviving the Rameshwaran - Talaimannar
Microwave Link
The radio communication link between Rameswaran and Talaimannar
was first established in 1981 and was instrumental in facilitating
telecommunication links between India and Sri Lanka during the
eighties. The link was operational till the late eighties.
In 2003 the microwave link was recommissioned as a result of
an agreement SLT signed with BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited).
The microwave link will automatically connect to Madurai and
Colombo through separate Rameshwaran - Madurai links and Talaimannar
- Colombo links.
BSNL is the seventh largest telecommunications company in the
world and has a customer base of 43 million. The link will facilitate
traffic between the two countries and make Sri Lanka a hub in
South Asia for international traffic. As a result of the link
SLT will be able to offer attractive rates for Indian telecommunications
traffic generated by BSNL. In addition to better rates the link
will provide better quality and bigger bandwidth.
