1.

Cumulative Number of Licenses granted under Section 17 of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act No
25 of 1991 as amended.
Category of Service
Licensed under Section 17 of the Act.

2011 December

Fixed Access Telephone service

Cellular Mobile phones

Data Communications (Facility based)

Data Communications (Non-facility based) & ISPs

08

Trunk Mobile Radio

Leased Circuit Providers

Licensed Payphone Service Providers

External Gateway Operators

33

Direct-to-Home Satellite Broadcasting Service

02

Cable TV Distribution Network

02

Sub Total

63

SLTL, Suntel, Lanka Bell, Dialog Broadband are entitled to provide Pay phone and Data services according to
their licences.
2. Statistical Overview of the Telecommunication Sector as at end of 2011
Number of System Licenses
Total number of Fixed phones
Teledensity (Fixed Phones per 100 inhabitants)
Number of Cellular Mobile Subscribers
Mobile Subscription per 100 people

63
3,608,392
17.5
18,319,447
88.6

Internet & Email Subscribers - Fixed

359,000*

M Internet & Email Subscribers (Mobile )

485,000*

Number of Public Pay Phone Booths

Trunk Mobile Radio Subscribers
* - Provisional

6458
206*

3. Performance of Fixed Access Telephone Operators

Year
1990
1991
1992
3.21993
Provincial
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

Province

Central
East
North

Cumulative
121,388
125,834
135,504
157,774
Distribution
of
180,724
204,350
255,049
341,622
523,529
669,113
767,411
827,195
883,108
939,013
991,239
1,243,994
1,884,076
2,742,059
3,446,411
3,435,958
3,578,463
3,608,392

Cumulative
Subscriber
base as at 2011
379,582
154,797

Provincial Distribution of Fixed Phones as at 2011

W estern
40%

Central
11%

108,520

North Central

228,423

North West

340,130

Sabaragamuwa

293,576

Southern

404,415

Uva

246,087

Western

1,450,862

Total

3,608,392

East
4%
North
3%
North
Central
6%
North West
10%

Uva
7%

Southern
11%

Sabaragamuwa
8%

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

256,655

430,202

667,662

931,403

1,393,403

2,211,158

3,361,775

5,412,496

7,983,489

11,082,454

14,264,442

17,267,407

2011

1998
174,202

18,319,447

1997
114,888

1995
51,316

1996

1994
29,182

71,029

1993
14,687

Subscri

1992

Year

2,644

4. Mobile Subscribers (1992 2011)

Cellular Subscriber Growth (1991 - 2011 )

20,000,000
18,000,000
16,000,000
14,000,000
12,000,000
10,000,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
Year

2,000,000Mobile
Fixed

1996

2,504

1997

10,195

1998

18,984

1999

25,535

2000

40,497

2001

5.

Year

Email
Subscribers (Fixed)
61,532

2002

73,468

2003

85,500*

2004

93,444*

2005

115,000*

2006

130,000*

2007

202,348*

2008

234,000*

2009
2010
2011

249,756*
302,000*
359,000*

91,359*
200,000*
485,000*

Int
ern
et
&

6. Paging Subscribers
Cumulative

1997

10,829

1998

10,511

1999

10,300

2000

7,009

2001

6,178

2002

3,541

2003

2,851

2004

1,008

2005 Nov

828

2006

N/A

Province
2007,2008,2009
,2010
Central

2011
N/A

East

Paging Sector
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
20
07

10,721

19

1996

Subscribers

Year

Year

741

Provincial Distribution 2011

360

Central
11%

North
7.
Provincial Distribution of126
Payphones
North Central

347

North West

512

Sabaragamuwa

295

Southern

738

Uva

257

Western

3082

Total

6458

East
6%
North
2%
Western
48%

North Central
5%

North West
8%

Sabaragamuwa
5%
Uva
4%

Southern
11%

8. Employment Opportunities in Telecommunication Sector

Category of Service

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2009

8,79
3

8,
648

8,
802

9,
126

8,681

8,411

7,303

7,211

7,295

7,172

7,033

6,983

47
6

814

740

783

810

822

833

814

1,053

2,154

2,852

2,532 2,388+
d

42
5

552

852

1,
016

1,124

1,063

1,699

2,207

2,360

3,525

4,985

5,716 4,969

Radio Paging

19
0

185

148

108

57

30

32

21

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

DATA Communication

28
5

318

337

337

437

277

285*

285*

242*

275*

275*

11
6

180

250

353

337

290*

236*

275*

295*

299*

299*

10,28
5

10,
697

11,
129

11,
386 11,446

10,893

Fixed Access
Telephony SLTL
- WLL (Suntel
+LankaBell + Dialog
Broadband?)
Cellular

Public
Payphones
Total

*. Provisional

6150

2,388+
2275

1995

4,595

4353

N/A

N/A

N/A

275*

275*

275*

275*

299*

299*

299*

299*

10,388 10,813 11,245 13,425 15,444 15,805 14,488 13,741 12,982

**

** - Dialog Broadband not included

NCD16308
CD 52260
68568

CDMA
NCD 53003
NCD NCD-18956
525731 NCD47219 NCD-65520
NCD2171
NCD12098
NCD25799
NCD17675
NCD42725
Non CDMA
CD 53169
CD CD490938
73285 CD 85925 CD
CD 131357
7283
CD CD
134375
61172
CD
78658
205164

NCD

106172 92241

1016669
9454
133144196877

247889
160174

96333 73270

2011

6,297

10. Provincial Distribution of Fixed Phones in Sri Lanka as at 2011

CD

6,557

2010

NCD27236
NCD
NCD-14785
NCD5326
NCD
5317
NCD
44823
17256
NCD
NCD16404
5691
NCD20249
NCD 12312
NCD NCD7124
NCD11874
9499
NCD9164
NCD 58
NCD14133
NCD11930 NCD 3728
44303
33658CD CD
36710CD
31628
32992
CD 33600
30170
19698
32982

155535
30498
131034
123973
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42838
53786
85165
47293
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CD
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CD
103798
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CD
48469
140750
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CD
148515
106717
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CD
37147
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CD73036
CD
27044
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CD 113207
61162
87056
CD 65764