• Sri Lanka has awarded 5G licences to Dialog Axiata and SLT Mobitel
• Both have already launched commercial 5G services 
• Dialog Axiata also struck a satellite broadband agreement with Starlink

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) last week awarded licences for 100 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band to both Dialog Axiata and SLT Mobitel and a licence for 200 MHz of spectrum in the 27 GHz band to mobile market leader Dialog Axiata. The country's third main telco, Hutch Sri Lanka, did not participate in the auction.

The regulator reportedly raised about 10bn Sri Lankan rupees ($32.3m) from the auction.

Dialog Axiata, the leading service provider in a market of 29 million mobile connections, announced it has more than 220 active 5G sites already delivering ‘Dialog 5G Ultra’ services to more than 1.5 million customers. “By leveraging both 3500 MHz spectrum for wide-area mobile coverage and 27 GHz spectrum for high-capacity, gigabit-speed use cases, Dialog is uniquely positioned to support future-ready consumer and enterprise applications,” the operator noted. 

Group CEO Supun Weerasinghe stated: “The launch of Dialog 5G Ultra represents a defining step in strengthening Sri Lanka’s digital infrastructure for the future. Beyond faster connectivity, 5G is a critical enabler of innovation, productivity, and inclusion across the digital economy. As Sri Lanka’s largest 5G network, we are committed to investing $100m over the next two years to expand 5G connectivity across the country and ensure that individuals, businesses, and industries can fully participate in a digital Sri Lanka.”

Dialog Axiata has also struck a satellite broadband agreement with global low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite network operator Starlink. “As an authorised agent for Starlink in Sri Lanka, Dialog will enable access to the world’s most advanced satellite technology, delivering high-speed, low-latency internet to areas beyond the reach of conventional network infrastructure and further strengthening the country’s digital connectivity landscape,” the operator noted in this announcement.  

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV