Bharti Airtel said that the company will continue to invest heavily on network expansion with the objective of giving Airtel customers located in urban, sub-urban and rural pockets a better internet experience.
Bharti Airtel Lanka's Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director Jinesh Hegde confirmed that the company would continue to invest on network expansion and would focus on customer data experience.
This expansion project would thereby see Airtel Lanka increasing its 3G presence to over 75 % of its network across the island which is amongst the highest 3G ratio available across the sub-continent. As part of this extensive expansion project, Airtel will continue to deploy robust and world class network infrastructure and equipment to strengthen its customers' high speed data connectivity and mobile internet experience.
Continuing on the momentum of being the fastest expanding network in Sri Lanka, Bharti Airtel Lanka boasts of the fact that during the last two quarters of the 2014/15 financial year, the company has invested over Rs. 1 billion on enhancing and upgrading the existing 3G footprint ensuring superior data experience to customers. The company further detailed that it would continue to invest on a regular basis and further strengthen its network connectivity with Internet having multiple interconnection points which willinvariably help customers have a superior 3G experience.
Commenting on this, Bharti Airtel Lanka's Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director Jinesh Hegde said that "Within a short period of market operation in Sri Lanka, we have been and still continue to be the fastest expanding network. This proves that our customers experience the best coverage which is in par with competitors located not only in Sri Lanka but within the subcontinent. Airtel has always changed the way the telecom business operates within the country and we will continue to ensure that our customers feel our presence within the telecom landscape in Sri Lanka".
Hegde said, "It is now time for us to change the language of the telecom business from being a basic mobile telecommunication organization to a specialized mobile internet organization. With this in mind, we will continuously invest heavily on our 3G network.
Our new HSPA+ network infrastructure uses cutting edge technology and is designed to deliver a world class data experience for our customers in Sri Lanka. We are confident that this network expansion and upgrade will empower our customers living at any part of the island to experience high speed and seamless access to Internet services -allowing them to enjoy the best online experience across a host of activities including emailing, downloading, uploading, live streaming, social networking etc".
Along with the commitment towards enhancing Airtel's network presence across Sri Lanka and continuing to work towards new ways of delivering a seamless network experience to customers, Hegde added, "According to a report from Cyber Media Research, smartphones shipments in Sri Lanka has increased by 100% to account for more than 20 % of total mobile phone sales.
This proves that that the Sri Lankan customer is now ready for Internet options that suits his/her needs. In keeping to this new trend of digital empowerment, we will continue to explore new opportunities and connect with those who are yet to be connected - facilitating, enriching and uplifting their lives to get closer to what they love. We have also started increasing the number of customer touch points across the island thus delivering on a promise hinged on reliability, affordability and accessibility".
Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=business/airtel-lanka-increase-3g-presence