Institutional Capital

Institutional capital is the foundation on which SLT’s business is built, which includes the culture and core values, systems, deep industry knowledge, expertise, innovations, brand strength and investments in technology. These aspects enable SLT to be the leading digital services provider in Sri Lanka.

Corporate culture

There are seven core values that lie at the heart of SLT and form the foundation of its institutional capital. They permeate the SLT Group, encompassing every aspect of the corporate culture. SLT nurtures a culture that is open, transparent and conducive, inspiring employees to perform, innovate and create the future by working together. It is a culture of utmost professionalism and respect between individuals. The Company also supports and fosters a culture of inclusivity with zero tolerance towards discrimination, corruption and child labour. Workmanship, efficiency, employee discipline and behaviour are key areas given high emphasis as the Company transforms into an excellent organisation through integrity-led behaviour. These aspects are inculcated into employees through training programmes. The Company hosts a variety of team building activities and refresher programmes to help enrich and uphold the unique corporate culture. New employees are inculcated into this environment through induction schemes. Through suggestion schemes, registers, and brainstorming sessions, employees are encouraged to make their own contribution to SLT’s culture.

Towards a digital Sri Lanka

The Government’s vision of building a “Digitally Inclusive and Prosperous Sri Lanka”, is based on four core areas – setting up a citizen centric digital government, establishing a digitally inclusive Sri Lanka, promoting IT entrepreneurship and establishing Sri Lanka as a global innovation hub. The ultimate goal of digital transformation is to achieve a digital society which is citizen focused and citizen centered, providing the benefits of the information and communication technologies to every person in Sri Lanka. In this transformation, all essential services irrevocably require communication to ensure the smooth functionality of operations.

As the national Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions provider and the leading broadband and backbone infrastructure services provider in Sri Lanka, SLT has established service coverage across the dimensions of land, sea and air. The Company serves an important function with a fibre optic system, an underground network running 60,000 km as the island’s network backbone with the capacity to connect one million premises and provide coverage to essential services, and enterprises across the Nation. By developing the industry vertical applications such as hospitality, education, healthcare and agriculture, SLT offers network infrastructure connectivity with the hosting environment developed through data centres and cloud. In collaboration with the Company’s mobile arm, Mobitel is consolidating and developing one 4G and 5G network to offer fixed wireless broadband services and mobile broadband services. Under the LGN project, SLT has already connected government establishments into a single unified network through the fibre-optic cable network.

By leveraging on the network infrastructure, the Company has created government service layers to develop and expand citizen services. The fact that SLT connected a large number of government organisations during the lockdown is a strong testament of the resilience and competence of the Company even through challenging conditions.

Establishing its excellence beyond the Nation, SLT has positioned itself as a key global player by connecting Sri Lanka to the world through international submarine cable systems through SEA-ME-WE cable consortium.

Through all these initiatives, SLT is proud to lead responsibly, contributing towards the Government’s vision of a digitally inclusive Sri Lanka.

Initiatives implemented during 2020 towards a digitally inclusive Sri Lanka

In line with SLT’s vision of being the preferred digital lifestyle partner, the following innovative digital services were introduced that enhance the living standards of all Sri Lankan citizens.

Supporting digital education

Exemplifying its commitment to enhance the knowledge and education facilities for future generations of Sri Lankans, through digital education, with the increasing dependency on online teaching and learning at present, SLT launched “SLT eSiphala”, the online teaching platform that would enhance the digital teaching learning experience. The advanced e-learning technologies available on SLT eSiphala, allows teachers to connect up to 20,000 students in a session as well as create virtual classrooms to organise their teaching. SLT introduced special data bundles for students across the Nation to continue their studies uninterrupted by providing special data packages for Advance Level (AL) students to access “AL Kuppiya”, the e-learning platform. SLT has developed platforms to facilitate online education to support the educational landscape. By providing access to reading materials through e-learning and m-learning platforms, SLT has empowered thousands of students, graduates and other knowledge seekers in Sri Lanka. By donating IT equipment and setting up smart classroom solutions in remote schools in the island SLT makes an immense contribution to uplifting inclusive digital education in Sri Lanka.

Facilitating a digital economy by empowering SMEs

SME sector is one of the most strategic sectors in the economy. To facilitate a digital economy and to empower this sector to make a greater contribution to the local economy, SLT launched a special project to empower the SMEs through advanced technology and communication. A range of services including digital marketing solutions, software development solutions, communication solutions, network & network infrastructure solutions, entertainment & IoT solutions and data hosting & storage solutions are provided as a one-stop-shop collaborating with over 25 leading Sri Lankan firms.

Facilitating e-commerce

Supporting Government’s objective of promoting the retail operations of Sri Lanka, SLT created an efficient and comprehensive online retail store for Lanka Sathosa Limited; the largest state-owned retail network. Customer experience was greatly enhanced through the technical infrastructure in the form of developing, hosting and managing the online site on behalf of Lanka Sathosa.

Establishing smart villages

In line with the Government’s vision of digitising Sri Lanka, and empowering the Nation with superior connectivity solutions to lead towards an info com society, SLT successfully connected rural villages with high speed 4G/LTE broadband and voice services. The residents are enabled to connect in a hassle-free manner through 4G broadband/LTE internet and improved voice services. As the pioneering telecommunication service provider, that has uplifted millions of people with superior technological solutions, SLT will continue to lead Sri Lanka towards the next phase of digital revolution.

Developing a smart port

SLT developed the key communication infrastructure of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) powered by its fibre and digitalisation programme to realise a smart port. The voice and data solutions has facilitated a high experience to SLPA employees, customers and partners.

Facilitating smart agriculture

For the first time in South Asia, the Helaviru Digital Economic Centre Online Platform was launched which would revolutionise the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka. The cloud-based digital marketplace facilitates trading activities of agriculture and farm produce and commodities among diverse stakeholders on a seamlessly connected supply chain. SLT has partnered with Epic Technology Group, to operationalise the Helaviru platform, by hosting the platform in the Company’s state-of-the-art SLT iDC ensuring reliability and security, backed by professional support.

Brand unification

Forming a formidable force and creating a lasting legacy as the national Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions leader, SLT and Mobitel created a unified brand identity; SLT-MOBITEL. This unification is an impetus to the Government’s effort to create a technology driven economy and a technology-based society, with SLT-MOBITEL contributing immensely towards the digitalisation of Sri Lanka. Together, SLT and Mobitel has strengthened the Nation’s ICT infrastructure, empowering people and transforming businesses with digitalisation. For over 163 years SLT has provided connectivity, operating on Fixed, Mobile and other operational segments and is recognised as the fixed line powerhouse brand. Mobitel has set the benchmark for mobile services in Sri Lanka as the frontrunner in digital mobile technology.

SLT and Mobitel joining forces signals to the consumers the strength of its offering and its undisputed leadership in telecommunication services in Sri Lanka, providing customer-first innovative services and driving an unparalleled customer experience. The common brand identity has positioned SLT-Mobitel at the helm, as the leading telecommunication services provider to the Nation. Through synergised brand value SLT-MOBITEL will expand its 4G, 5G and wireless broadband offering under a unified brand umbrella, creating value for the customers and the Group.

Digital transformation

SLT is on a transformational journey to become a digital service provider (DSP) from a communication service provider (CSP), and become Sri Lanka’s most preferred digital lifestyle solutions provider by the year 2022. This is in line with the digital transformation of
Sri Lanka, which would transform the island to be the Digital Hub of South Asia by 2025. The Company aims to provide superior, world-class digital services to the public, radically transforming peoples’ lifestyles for the better, through digitalisation and the effective use of ICTs.

The Company aims to empower Sri Lankans and elevate our Nation’s standing in the global arena and provide a variety of services and solutions that cater to a digital lifestyle. These digital initiatives will transform customer experience and revamp service offerings whilst optimising costs for the company, improving efficiencies, and automating backend services. The digital initiatives that are expected to bring about these enhancements focus on improvements to SLT Self Care App, web portal, Omni channel access by customers as well as enhancements to the SLT Contact Centre that will support the Company to serve its customers on a totally different level altogether in the near future.

SLT aims to build an inclusive digital society, across all ages and socio-economic groups, making technology relevant and accessible to everyone, in the island. This will enable citizens to access an ever-growing range of services in real-time and businesses to develop new products and services to meet the needs of future generations. Even as connectivity, communications services and digital solutions have become even more crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, SLT has become a lifeline for citizens, companies and public authorities in Sri Lanka.

To support the digital transformation of the Organisation, SLT has adopted to new ways of working and developing digital talent and skills whilst setting up an agile operating model focused on digital marketing and sales, modern technology architecture, automation and artificial intelligence (“AI”) in customer operations and shared services. Digitalisation has facilitated cost savings, improved efficiency, simplified processes and achieve a higher level of operational excellence.

Digital excellence

The Company successfully concluded the third edition of the trailblazing awards programme to recognize digital initiatives - the SLT Zero One Awards for Digital Excellence. It is an unique awards scheme dedicated to recognize digital excellence in institutions, individuals and brands with regards to significant achievements made by leveraging digital technologies. The competition saw the receipt of entries from a large number of applicants spread across a wide spectrum of industries and sectors including financial, information, travel & leisure, media & publishing, healthcare & personal services, professional services, retail, manufacturing, transportation, storage & logistics, Government institutions, NGOs and even individuals and teams. Awards were given away this year for institutional category/sector, lifetime awards and a lifetime memorial award to individuals who have made unique contributions to the digital sphere in Sri Lanka.

Organisational knowledge

As the national Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions provider and the leading broadband and backbone infrastructure services provider in Sri Lanka. SLT has acquired a wealth of tacit knowledge. Majority of the employees have been with the organisation for a long period and their accumulated knowledge is an asset for the Company. A pool of expertise has been created by operating in the industry for over one and a half centuries. SLT strives to harness and share this vast reservoir of organisational knowledge, through knowledge-sharing sessions, documenting and using other human capital management resource tools. Approximately, 38% of employees have served the Company for over 20 years.

Awards and recognitions

SLT Group has been recognised in the local and global arena through awards and accolades showcasing the extent its services have benefited the Nation and its people.

SLT Group has been recognised in the local and global arena through awards and accolades showcasing the extent its services have benefited the Nation and its people.

Compliance

SLT takes every effort to comply with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards. The corporate policies, procedures, and guidelines are developed in compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements. There are separate regulatory and legal divisions to monitor all regulatory and statutory ratifications. The Company complies with all Government regulations and adhere to the rules and regulations of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). All activities of the Company are compliant with established guidelines on environmental protection. The level of compliance is audited by Auditors, internally and externally. For the period under review, there were no defaults in relation to issues of non-compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to the provision and use of SLT’s products and services. No complaints were received regarding discordances on customer privacy either.

Innovation

Innovation is a key strategic enabler and source of competitive advantage for the Company. As the leading digital services provider in the country, SLT constantly strives to offer an innovative proposition to enable customers to connect, communicate, share, be entertained and do business more effectively. The Company uses customer insight and technical skills to create new connectivity-based digital products, services and propositions. During the year, a dedicated Research and Development Division was established to focus solely on innovation.

Quality management

Quality management is an integral aspect of SLT, with the Company being the first ICT organisation in Sri Lanka to receive the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) certification issued by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) for all SLT Business Units. During the year, a quality strategy framework was formulated. This includes quality standards, material standardisation, workmanship rules and guidelines, research and development, data analysis for quality improvements, platform performance, IT systems and communications. A quality management forum was convened with top officials of the organisation to enhance the standard of service quality, material quality, process quality and network and system quality to ensure a high customer experience every time.

Information security

The Company’s information security policy complies with the
ISO/IEC 27001:2013 International Standard. SLT continually evaluates its infrastructure and take appropriate measures to maintain compliance.

Future outlook

With the aim of becoming, the most preferred digital services provider in Sri Lanka, SLT will focus on the global telecom trends, regulatory requirements and local market requirements to deliver services in par with international standards. The Company will continue to launch major ICT initiatives aligned to the Government’s vision of a digitally inclusive Sri Lanka, with a citizen-centric digital government for the convenience of every Sri Lankan. SLT will continue to strengthen its brand reputation through brand unification and delivering unparalleled customer experiences. Business ethics, innovation and compliance will continue to be important aspects of the Organisation.