Mobile network operator (MNO) Bharti Airtel Lanka is to deploy 37 new cell sites in Ratnapura, the provincial capital of Sabaragamuwa Province in south-central Sri Lanka, as part of a wider drive to eliminate ‘dark spots’ on the island. The MNO’s deployment forms part of the first phase initiative being led by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), dubbed ‘Gamata Sanniwedanaya’, which seeks to eliminate the digital divide in the country, providing equal access to mobile connectivity for all Sri Lankans.
Commenting on the initiative, Airtel CEO and managing director, Ashish Chandra, said: ‘Airtel’s mission is centred on enriching lives for all Sri Lankans. With [digitisation] expanding to cover every facet of daily life at an exponential rate, it is essential and empowering to ensure that reliable mobile connectivity is available to all our citizens. We are therefore proud to partner with TRCSL on this vital and visionary initiative’.