Sri Lanka Mobile Users Grow by 25.4pct to 15.86mn While Wireline Use Go Down

04th October 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka's mobile subscribers grew 25.4 percent to 15.86 million in the second quarter of 2010 from a year earlier and a wireline contraction has bottomed out, official data shows.

At the end of the second quarter of 2010 Sri Lanka had 15.86 million mobile users up from 11.49 million a year earlier.

Mobile users grew 5.1 percent from the first quarter figure of 15.04 million, according to data released by the Central Bank.

Sri Lanka's regulator imposed floor prices on mobiles after intense price competition and an economic downturn pushed operators into losses. But operators had become leaner during the period.

Wireline users, sold mainly by Sri Lanka Telecom, a affiliate of Malaysia's UT group grew 1.0 percent to 879,690 in the second quarter from a year earlier. Users were up from the first quarter number of 875,509. In the first quarter of 2010 users fell to 875,509.

Fixed wireless users grew 3.8 percent to 2.61 million in the second quarter from a year earlier. Total fixed users grew 3.1 percent to 3.4 million.

Internet and email connections grew 8.3 percent to 260,000 in the second quarter from a year earlier.