It is from such an excellent platform of network and technology that SLT launches a complete portfolio of
highly innovative services to customers. The development of this platform has provided the Company with a firm base from which to launch its strategic journey through the coming years.
Wireline and Wireless Services - Voice
In the wireline category, SLT was able to add approximately 25,000 new connections for the year 2008. Our customer base thus swells towards 900,000.
During the year, the Company launched SLT Megaline, a suite of four packaged service offerings, wherein a host of value additions such as CLI, SLTPlus, SMS, SLTnet and ADSL were offered as different options for wireline fixed phone connection. Megaline was introduced with the aim of increasing fixed line sales. It is interesting to note that over 50% of customer preference has been for wireline with broadband facilities.
In the wireless category, our CDMA services under the brand SLT Citylink was able to attract excess of 100,000 new connections for the year under review. A highly competitive market place in respect of CDMA exerted downward pressure on prices, which in turn adversely affected the number of new connections and revenues for SLT this year, fairly significantly.
Our CDMA customer base as at end 2008 exceeding 500,000.
In terms of products, Citylink offers a range of pre-paid and post-paid options, with different service configurations (e.g. - Voice only or Data and Voice) to suit customer preference.
The Company also offers SLT Passport - a pre-paid card product which has been enhanced to incorporate all related services such as local and IDD calls.
During the latter period of 2008, strong competition in the IDD market prevailed. This led to SLT announcing significant reductions to its IDD rates by, up to 86% to Australia, Japan and European countries, up to 80% to all SAARC countries, up to 72% to Middle Eastern countries, up to 71% to Russia and South East Asian countries and up to 45% to the USA, Canada, Singapore, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong whilst 60% to Gulf and South American countries.
The Company operates Payphone Booths across the country. At the close of the year, the total number of such booths stood at 2,734 which number includes 95 new booths (caretaker basis indoor type booths) situated basically across all districts in the island. The SLT Payphone booth is ubiquitous across the island, and has effectively brought telecommunications facilities within reach of the wider community. During the year 2008, these booths were upgraded to render a better service to customers. SLT is the Nation’s leading Payphone booth operator, with more functioning booths across a wider geographical spread of the country than any other operator.
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| SLT’s ubiquitous pay phone booths across the island were upgraded in the year under review |
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At the Bandaranaike International Airport SLT continues to provide travellers with FOC internet facilities on a 24-hour basis. |
We have expanded our presence at the Bandaranaike International Airport through the establishment of several new locations offering free of charge Internet surfing facilities adjacent to and inside boarding areas. These new developments offer more service facilities to passengers, whilst also enhancing airport facilities.
Internet
An Exciting New Arrival - IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)
The Company’s ISP network service arm SLTNet received a huge boost this year with the successful deployment of IPv6, the world’s latest Internet Protocol version.
SLTNet becomes the first ISP in Sri Lanka to implement IPv6 providing ever faster access to information anytime, anywhere and on any device, via SLT’s NGN architecture.
This step by SLT is actually ahead of time and is an example of the Company’s strategic focus on keeping its business and customers at the cutting edge of world trends and services. The currently deployed IPv4 is moving towards obsolescence.
What IPv6 provides is the foundation and flexibility necessary to develop and deliver applications and services that are required not only to meet future functionality, but also to fill any void in critical capabilities that exist in today’s portfolio of services.
SLT is Sri Lanka’s largest Internet service provider with a market share in excess of 60%. With the increased capacity added to its Internet backbone, SLT now has a capacity of 3.8 Gbps of IPBB (Internet Protocol Broadband connectivity).
Our product portfolio includes dial-up Internet, broadband internet via ADSL technology, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), international internet roaming facilities, broadband internet support for corporate clients via IP-VPN (Internet Protocol-Virtual Private Networks), VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and international IP transit services, the latter as part of our global services. Other customer centric services we continue to offer are the extension of our Internet services to the customers of our mobile telephony subsidiary, Mobitel. A pre-paid Internet account can be enjoyed by a Mobitel customer at attractive rates, Our SLTNet-E-mail to SMS service is provided to customers of Mobitel as well as those of Dialog and Tigo.
SLT’s Internet network also supports services to other Internet Service Providers. These include a Domestic Internet Exchange Service, IP-Transit Service (which is the sale of Internet bandwidth on a megabit per second per month basis), Wi-Fi Mobile Internet Zones (which are Wi-Fi ‘Hotspots’ typically located in major Hotels and Airport) and Peering.
Our state-of-the-art Data Centre Services, offered under our brand name SLTiDC, continue to be Sri Lanka’s most advanced and sophisticated, offering world class data centre solutions to the corporate customer.
I-Root Server hosted by SLTThis year, SLT was selected as the host for the Asia Pacific I-Root Server in partnership with Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), Netnod and Autonomica.
This is just one of very limited Root Servers available globally and being selected to host this server is testament to SLT’s skilled professionals as well as to the state-of-the-art Data Centre, SLTiDC.
The root server will facilitate the increased performance of the DNS (Data Naming Service) server systems in Sri Lanka and in surrounding countries. This server is connected to all ISPs in Sri Lanka who are connected via SLT’s Internet Exchange.
Thus, this development is also a further strengthening of SLT’s commitment to the enhancement of the country’s Internet infrastructure.
Broadband
Broadband delivered via ADSL access technology is viewed as the gateway to the coming years. With a customer base approaching to 100,000, which is over 50% of market share, and a coverage extending across 248 cities in
21 districts, SLT is the clear leader in this category.
It is envisaged that, over the ensuing years, more service providers will enter the market, particularly the mobile operators using wireless technology, which will see SLT’s market share eroded to some extent. However, the Company believes that with the head-start it has achieved and the constant search for optimisation of the broadband medium, particularly with products such as IP-TV, we are well placed to hold market ground.
The Company offers three packaged products, which are distinguished by differing mixes of three factors - download speeds, upload speeds and monthly volumes.
The Company’s Metro Ethernet Network is a prime enabler in the broadband services to Enterprise and SME customers where high speed services are delivered through highly resilient ring access networks, supporting triple play services that bring voice, broadband Internet, IPTV, PABX, MoD (Media on Demand), VoD (Video on Demand) to the residential consumer, whilst delivering IP-VPN (Internet Protocol-Virtual Private Network services), VPLS (Virtual Private Local Area Network Services), LAN (Local Area Network), Multi Media, MLLN (Managed Lease Line Networks), IPLC (International Private Leased Circuits) - in short, delivering fully enabled broadband connectivity.
IPTV - the 'Hot' New Kid on the Block
SLT launched on 22 September 2008 through its subsidiary SLT VisionCom (Pvt) Limited, the Company’s Internet Protocol- Television which brought a next generation TV experience into the homes of Sri Lankans across the island.
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| SLT entered the exciting and promising entertainment segment with the launch of IPTV in Sri Lanka |
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One of SLT’s many initiatives in 2008 to promote awareness on corporate solutions among its employees |
PEO TV (Personal Entertainment Option TV) brings customers a single product that can deliver never before enjoyed features such as video-on-demand, Time Shift TV - which allows the watching of programmes at a time chosen by the customer, Trick Play - which allows viewers to control and play live TV, just as they would a DVD or video, with facilities such as pause, play in slow motion, fast forward and rewind, plus a host of other interactive features.
PEO delivers digital quality TV viewing, over a telephone line via a broadband/ADSL platform.
This product will also allow access to e-mail, internet directory services, telephony and all other business communications through one converged IP broadband network, delivered through a single converged line offering triple services - data, voice and multimedia.
SLT aims to make IP-TV accessible to more customers across the country, and thus making a very real contribution to the upliftment of education and infotainment throughout the land.
Corporate Solutions
Each year, a growing number of business enterprises approach SLT for premium quality packaged service, which includes voice, data, video, Internet and centralised communication options. Some customers also wanted SLT to provide them with enterprise solutions such as enterprise networks, servers, systems and security enforcements, based on CAPEX and OPEX models in addition to traditional networking and connecting services. The reality is that they seek a total communications solution, which they entrust with confidence to SLT to deliver.
For the year under review, SLT has been able to support several key enterprises in the sectors of Banking, Education, Finance, Healthcare, IT, Research, Automobiles, Media and Manufacturing. |
