International telecom giant Etisalat arrives in Sri Lanka

All customers will be treated with the same care and dedication by Etisalat and no person or group will provided special privileges over others, said Etisalat Lanka Chief Executive Officer Dumindra Ratnayaka.

 

In reply to a question by Adaderana regarding claims by certain telecom providers that new comers into the field were being resisted by established companies, Dumindra Ratnayaka said that it was a fabricated story and that the providers already in the market had not resorted to any such steps and will not do so in the future too.

 

“There were several telecom service providers who entered the market at several times. Did you at any time hear such a claim? So how can certain providers suddenly accuse the established service providers of such acts?� Mr. Rantayaka queried.

 

The launch of Etisalat was celebrated at Waters Edge this morning. The newest telecom provider’s Lankan CEO Dumindra Ratnayaka, Deputy CEO Etisalat Lanka Riyaaz Rasheed, Chief Technical Officer Sanath Pilapitiya, Chief Sales Officer Sanjeeva Samarasinghe, Group Chief Marketing Officer Etisalat Essa Al Haddad, Group General Counsel & Corporate Secretary Etisalat, Isam Akrat and Group Senior Vice President Brand Management Etisalat Ahmed Ali Al Hashmi were present.

 

 

 

A media release by Etisalat states:

 

A dawn of a new era arrived in Sri Lanka as the United Arab Emirate’s telecom giant launched their brand Etisalat in the local market this morning (February 25). This new entry will bring in experience and expertise from three continents, with pioneering technology, ground-breaking innovations and a brand new customer experience.

 

Etisalat takes on Sri Lanka’s first ever cellular service provider, which played an avant-garde role in giving the nation access and exposure to novel and revolutionary aspects of communication, information and services. It further embraces the vision of enabling people access to their world, and creating “a world where mobile services are affordable, accessible and available, everywhere and to all�.

 

With the focus on “Bringing the World Together�, Etisalat stands l40th among the Financial Times Top 500 Corporations in the world in terms of market capitalization, and is ranked by The Middle East magazine as the 6th largest company in the Middle East in terms of capitalization and revenues.

 

Etisalat has been in the telecom business in the UAE since 1976, and having built up a modern telecom infrastructure and established itself as an innovative operator, it has extended operations into Saudi Arabia, Egypt, West Africa and further into the Asian markets such as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia and now Sri Lanka, recording over 100 million subscribers across 18 countries.

 

In 2009, Etisalat reported an annual Net Revenue of AED 30.831 billion and Net Profits of AED 8.836 billion, marking a 5% and 16% increase respectively.

 

Apart from the basic telecommunication services, Etisalat also offers a range of innovative and modem services that have served to position its parent country, the UAE as one of the most advanced nations in terms of telecom services. Mobile users enjoy the benefits of excellent voice and data applications like WAP, GPRS, 3G, MMS, Push To Talk, BlackBerry services and others.

 

Enterpriseand individual customers on the fixed line network also benefit from services such as ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), Frame Relay, VSAT and ISDN. It is this experience, exposure and expertise that Etisalat brings with it, as it initiates a revolution in the local telecom industry.

 

Etisalat Lanka will embrace these technologies bringing about advancements in the local telephonic arena, under a dynamic and dedicated Etisalat Lanka team. Starting today, Etisalat coverage will steadily expand to all parts of the country, including the North and East, with operations already commenced in Jaffira. With the immediate commencement of an impressive investment roll out, Etisalat intends to expand its current network in Sri Lanka, with a coverage expansion resulting in a total of over 1500 2G sites and 5003G sites this year.

 

Etisalat Lanka CEO, Dumindra Ratnayaka said that he is delighted with this development. “We are now part of a large international telecommunication company; fulfilling a vision of joining the league of major telecommunication players in the world. The Etisalat Lanka management recognizes the importance and responsibility of balancing profitabillty and growth with long-term sustainability, and now, with the backing of a well resourced international parent, we will take Sri Lanka’s operations to the highest level.�

 

He added, “Over the years, Etisalat’s brand equity has grown in profile, but what is most important is that Sri Lankan consumers will benefit in terms of investments in product and service development and fullest expansion of our services to every part of the island. Given Etisalat’s investments in various telecom technologies, its work in the integration of voice, data and video, its telecom training canters and technology transfers and widespread roaming agreements our consumers can be assured of further improvements and value additions to our service in the future. At the end of the day, Etisalat Lanka believes that “it’s about you�.

 

Notably, the expertise and specialized proficiency of the Tigo (Pvt.) Ltd team will permeate Etisalat Lanka, as the management team and employee force remain unchanged. While Etisalat’s entry into the Sri Lankan market spells optimism and hope for the consumer, country and industry. The strength and regional synergy of Etisalat Lanka ensures a strong traction of superior products and services, especially on an international sphere, including IDD and Roaming. With their vast, versatile expertise and experience, Etisalat Lanka promises the consumer products, services and an experience far beyond their biggest expectations.

 

The new Etisalat Lanka team is excited about the new prospects and the boost they would receive to continue their good work in delivering the best in customer service, coverage and affordable and attractive products to their customers.