November 14th, 2022: Airtel Sri Lanka’s enterprise partnerships continue to gain domestic traction, following the telco’s recent partnership with the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) to provide exclusive telco solutions to the association and its 23,000-strong membership.

In attendance at a special ceremony to mark the occasion was GMOA President, Dr. Darshana Sirisena, Secretary, Dr. Haritha Aluthge, Vice President, Dr. Chandika Epitakaduwa, Assistant Secretary, Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa together with Airtel Sri Lanka CEO/MD, Ashish Chandra, Head of Sales, Athula Dissanayake, Chief Marketing Officer, Shantha Fernando, Chief Service Office, Fawaz Nizamdeen and Manager Postpaid Sales, Indunil Sandaruwan.

Through the partnership, the entire membership of the GMOA across 126 national hospitals will be eligible for unlimited calling plans for a period of 1 year. Airtel will also supply the GMOA with office connections and other services through Airtel’s Enterprise Solutions and Value Added Services. Airtel’s innovative enterprise services empower businesses across a wide range of industries to gain more efficiency and productivity, which is inherently accepted as a crucial requirement in the field of healthcare.

“We are grateful to the GMOA for the confidence that they have placed in our service and network by choosing Airtel as a preferred telecommunications provider. Healthcare is one of the most essential public services, and we therefore consider it an honour to be supporting public sector medical officers in carrying out their duties. We also take this opportunity to reiterate Airtel’s commitment to building on this partnership based on the unique requirements of the GMOA, and in alignment with national priorities for the further development of healthcare services island-wide,” Airtel Sri Lanka CEO/MD, Ashish Chandra stated.

Moving forward, he also noted that there was significant potential for further collaboration with the GMOA, drawing on Airtel’s global tech-expertise to support the digitalization of basic healthcare services.

Airtel’s partnership with the GMOA is the most recent in a serious of pioneering initiatives aimed at expanding access to superior telco experiences while delivering holistic value for end users.

Photo captions
Image 01: Airtel Lanka, CEO/MD, Ashish Chandra with GMOA President, Dr. Dharshana Sirisena, and GMOA Secretary, Dr. Haritha Aluthge
Image 02: Airtel Lanka, CEO/MD, Ashish Chandra with GMOA President, Dr. Dharshana Sirisena, GMOA Secretary, Dr. Haritha Aluthge, and team

9th November 2022, Colombo: Airtel, Sri Lanka’s fastest growing telecommunication provider, announces its strategic partnership with Daraz as the ‘official telecom partner’ for the Daraz 11.11 sale.
The partnership with local e-commerce giant Daraz.lk will provide Airtel users with exclusive benefits, discounts, and giveaways during the promotion period 11th to 17th November 2022.
Gearing up for the 11.11 sale, the Daraz app has been ‘whitelisted’ on the Airtel network, allowing users to access the app free of charge. This will give shoppers on the Airtel network plenty of time to browse their favourite retailers on the app, and take their time filling their shopping carts without worrying about data charges. This will be a unique benefit to all Airtel and Daraz customers.

During the week, new and existing Airtel Rs. 749 users will be given a chance to win a brand new smartphone each. Additionally, customers who purchase a new Airtel Rs. 749 connection will enjoy free delivery to anywhere in the country.

Airtel’s mission in Sri Lanka revolves around a single goal of delivering maximum value to our customers. We are therefore excited to serve as official telecommunications partner for one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most preferred e-commerce events, the Daraz 11.11 sale. We warmly invite all of our users to make maximum use of the exclusive benefits Airtel Sri Lanka will be providing over and above the massive discounts on offer from Daraz,” Airtel Sri Lanka CEO/MD, Ashish Chandra stated.

Caption (From left): Daraz, Managing Director Rakhil Fernando, Airtel Lanka, CEO/MD Ashish Chandra, and Daraz, Founder & CEO Bjarke Mikkelsen

November 24th, 2022: The nation’s fastest growing telco, Airtel Sri Lanka, announced another landmark agreement with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) that will channel foreign currency investments towards the development of national telecommunications infrastructure, with emphasis on expansion and optimization of networks and IT systems.

Accordingly, over the next two years, Airtel will be channeling its latest round of investments towards additional enhancements to its network, in addition to introducing significant software upgrades, in order to strengthen 2G and 4G services island-wide.

“Since our entry into Sri Lanka in 2007, Airtel has continuously invested to develop a world class network. Today, these efforts are empowering more than 3 million Sri Lankans to stay connected, in addition to providing more than 2,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities and generating income for a further 65,000 Sri Lankans through our extensive distribution network.

“Particularly at a time when every foreign direct investment into Sri Lanka has become vital, our investment demonstrates Airtel’s continuing confidence in the resilience and vast potential of the Sri Lankan people, and recommit ourselves to the nation-wide efforts to help revive the Sri Lankan economy,” Airtel Sri Lanka MD/CEO, Ashish Chandra stated.

Airtel will also be replacing or upgrading existing network infrastructure including but not limited to its core network, as well as introducing significant software upgrades.

Moving forward, Ashish also stated that Airtel Sri Lanka will continue to pursue every opportunity to support the development of the Sri Lankan telco sector. In particular he noted that the company would leverage on Airtel’s unique strength as one of the top 3 largest telco’s in the world in order to create cross-border synergies and facilitate strategic investments towards the creation of vibrant 5G ecosystems in Sri Lanka.

“We are grateful to Airtel Sri Lanka for stepping forward at a crucial moment for the nation, and with such a substantial foreign direct investment. This major contribution towards the enhancement of Sri Lanka’s ICT infrastructure will also create new opportunities across all sectors of the economy, and stands as an ideal example of the kind of FDI inflows we are working to generate,” stated Chairman, BOI, Mr. Raja Edirisuriya stated.

The recent agreement marks the latest in a series of foreign direct investments made by Airtel Sri Lanka into enhancing mobile telco experiences for the average Sri Lankan. These measures follow on upgrades made by Airtel to its presence, capacity and capabilities in the Sri Lankan market. Most recently, these included the launch of Airtel’s revolutionary 4G Freedom Unlimited packages, and its record-breaking 5G trials.

Photo caption: (L-R) Airtel Lanka, CEO/Managing Director, Ashish Chandra with BOI, Chairman, Raja Edirisuriya

If the past 2 years have taught us anything, it’s the value of staying connected. While we’re all using our phones for everything, from watching TV to WFH, many are now looking for ways to get the most bang for their buck.

It seems like Airtel for one has been paying attention. They were the first telecom provider to offer unlimited free local voice calls between any network, and some very generous social media deals. We decided to ask some of you who switched to Airtel Unlimited Freedom packs what it’s been like and whether Airtel is delivering as promised.
Having heard about the Airtel Rs. 749 through a friend on social media, Bhagya – a young professional in banking – was at first hesitant to try out a new connection, but given the need to save more, she decided to try it out.

“I didn’t want to change my number but I have a dual SIM phone so I eventually gave it a try as a secondary SIM. It’s been a month now and I can safely say that it was exactly the right fit for me. I have used countless packages from other providers previously, but none gave this kind of value for money. The unlimited calls to other networks help during a time like this, when we look for the best value. The signal coverage, call quality and reliability of data are also a definite bonus. I even recommended the package to my brother, who uses it to conduct his Zoom lessons online.” she said.

Tyrone Athapattu, who hails from a finance background is a new Airtel user, but already one of its most enthusiastic. “I was not an Airtel user until a few months ago, but now I’m known for always recommending the Airtel Rs. 749 package to all my family and colleagues. I’ve been using the Airtel Rs. 749 package for over 3 months and have zero complaints. My wife uses it for teaching, I use it to do my office work thanks to the extra 30 GB, and we both use it for social media with no worry at all because it gives unlimited access to Facebook, Messenger, YouTube and WhatsApp. We are honestly happy to see Airtel take an initiative to make this happen; it is a huge relief at a time like this!”

Especially for those who needed to rely on their mobile internet while Working From Home like Chamara who works in advertising, Airtel’s Unlimited Freedom Packs have been a lifesaver. “Following the COVID outbreak, we all had to adapt to a Work from Home culture. This was not so easy, and it took a while for me to adjust, and even longer to realize how much I was spending on data as a result. Thankfully, my friend recommended Airtel’s Rs. 749 package which she had been using for Work from Home. The unlimited data makes it a lot easier to plan my expenses, and the convenience of activating the package once a month is a definite advantage. I usually find myself reloading weekly, sometimes even daily, which I don’t do anymore, thanks to Airtel Rs. 749. Happy to see Airtel step up for its customers!”

Airtel has recently been expanding their island-wide coverage, which is another area we wanted to get feedback on. Dilrukshi from Kiribathgoda said, “I was one of the first in line to get an Airtel connection when they first came to Sri Lanka. Sadly, the coverage was limited and it was a real disappointment. If you’re someone who works in sales, you’ll know that a dropped call is almost equal to a dropped client itself. But more recently, I heard about the Unlimited Freedom packs, and it sounded like a great deal, so I decided to try them out again. I am quite thrilled to see the improvement in coverage and that its now available island-wide. Since I work in Sales, uninterrupted service is definitely an underrated blessing!”

The switch back to Airtel has not been easy since Sri Lanka does not yet offer mobile number portability. “I’ve been using my current number for 10 years now, for both personal and work calls, and switching numbers is not easy. If there was a way to keep my number but only switch operators, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. So here I am, stuck using my current SIM and Airtel. Although, I must say, with Airtel’s freedom packs giving a deal too good to deny, I’ve now started to slowly move my personal contacts to my new Airtel number. My work-related contacts will be next!”

Enabling unlimited access to local voice calls to any network as well as unlimited Social Media (YouTube, Facebook, FB Messenger and WhatsApp), Airtel’s Rs 749 Unlimited Freedom package provides 30GB of 4G anytime data for 30 days in addition to SMS benefits.

• Revolutionizes the telco industry once again by offering unlimited voice calls to postpaid users.
• Only telco to continue to offer ‘Data Rollover’ facility; where unused data can be carried forward to the next month.

September 10th, 2022: After completing its nationwide 4G rollout to provide coverage to all 24 districts of the Island, in yet another industry first, Airtel Lanka is the first telco to introduce unlimited calls to any network for all of its postpaid users. Earlier this year, Airtel was the first to introduce unlimited calls to any network for prepaid users through their Freedom Unlimited packs.

As a part of the telco’s mission to disrupt the Sri Lankan mobile industry by delivering maximum value to customers, the latest iteration of Airtel’s Unlimited Freedom Postpaid Plans is the Unlimited 1098. Priced at Rs. 1,098, this newly crafted Unlimited Plan, allows postpaid users to now be able to enjoy unlimited voice calls to any network, coupled with 40GB 4G anytime data with full HD quality video and social media and SMS facilities to any network to suffice a month’s requirements.

Furthermore, Airtel is also the only telco to continue to offer ‘Data Rollover’ facility to postpaid users, allowing unused data of the month to be carried onto the next month, saving data and expenses for a user. Users can accumulate up to 200GB of data which help them use it for unrestricted HD quality social media, work from home and downloads.

Ideal for individuals, corporates and entrepreneurs alike, Airtel’s Unlimited Plans are designed to deliver maximum value to its users. In addition to providing the highest quality voice call facilities and mobile data services, Airtel’s 1098 package also enables a reduction in monthly telco expenses by at least 50%.

“Airtel’s core mission is to deliver a world class mobile broadband experience to all our users, while driving product innovations that ensure every customer segment has access to a fair deal. Especially at a time of such significant economic hardships, we are seeing a tremendous response from our prepaid users for the unlimited offers, and we are excited to offer the same kind of freedom to our valued postpaid customers,” Airtel Lanka MD/CEO, Ashish Chandra stated.

Airtel Lanka has been part of implementing many industry-firsts in Sri Lanka’s telco space, and was the first to introduce unlimited on-net calling and now the first to introduce unlimited calls for any network in Sri Lanka. With the launch of Airtel Freedom, the company offers its users the ultimate convenience for all their voice, SMS and data needs, offering even greater savings compared to the competition. With the introduction of Unlimited, Airtel Lanka undoubtedly serves as a clear trendsetter for the country’s telecommunications industry.

Airtel’s rollout of groundbreaking value-focused products follows on the telco’s substantial investments into further enhancing its 4G experience. Through the installation of state-of-the-art infrastructure, and it’s recent boosting of its mobile-broadband network to following the sunset of the telco’s 3G services, Airtel Lanka now offers coverage to more than 90% of Sri Lankan telco users island-wide.

September 22nd, 2022: One year after the launch of Airtel Lanka’s industry-disrupting prepaid packs ‘Freedom’, the company announced a staggering 1.7 million users have switched to Airtel Freedom, as at the end of August 2022.

“We serve around three million customers in Sri Lanka, aided mainly by this unprecedented adoption of our Freedom packs. The overwhelming customer endorsement reaffirms our strategy of bringing simplicity and value through our products.” notes Airtel Lanka Managing Director/CEO Ashish Chandra.

Powered by Airtel’s world-class 5G-ready mobile broadband network, the telco has reimagined the overall offering and experience for customers, with a strong focus on ensuring value for money, and an advanced network experience. These factors undoubtedly resonate with most users, who are either data-heavy or call-heavy users.

Airtel Lanka’s initial innovation in facilitating unlimited, affordable access to the internet through Freedom Packs continued to evolve, with the telco introducing new world-class features to both its prepaid Freedom Packs and postpaid Freedom Plans Airtel also disrupted the local telco market with the entrance of the Freedom Unlimited Rs.749 package, which is aimed at prepaid users. For a very affordable cost, users can now make unlimited calls to any network, with unlimited access to favourite social media platforms such as Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and stream superior quality videos on YouTube for 30 days in addition to receiving additional 30GB anytime date.

Airtel was also the first telco to introduce unlimited calls for any network for a postpaid customer through Unlimited 1098. Priced at Rs. 1,098, an Airtel user has access to unlimited calls to any network, 40GB anytime data and SMS facilities. Additionally, Airtel is also the only telco to offer data rollover service for postpaid customers, allowing up to 200GB to be carried onto the next month’s billing cycle, saving data and expenses for the end-consumer.

Airtel Lanka has been part of implementing many industry-firsts in Sri Lanka’s telco space, and was also the first to introduce unlimited calls in Sri Lanka, on calls made to the same network. With the launch of Airtel Freedom, the company offers its users the ultimate convenience for all their voice, SMS and data needs, offering even greater savings compared to the competition. With the introduction of Unlimited, Airtel Lanka undoubtedly serves as a clear trendsetter for the country’s telecommunications industry.

August 18th, 2022: In an effort to provide even greater value and choice to its valued customers, Airtel Lanka announced the launch of a new range of dedicated weekly Study and Work from Home (WFH) and Social Media (SM) packs in addition to its monthly packs. The new packs are launched to ensure that all users will continue to have access to their superior 4G network during the current crisis.

Airtel’s new weekly packs are designed to ensure that all users continue to benefit from affordable access to a superior 4G experience, at a time when internet access has become an absolute essential for all Sri Lankans.

“With the ongoing economic crisis, we knew we had to take every possible measure to ensure that pricing would not be an obstacle to customers who depend on our world class network to stay connected to their studies, work, friends and family. Our hope is that these new packs will help to ease their burden at this difficult time,” Airtel Lanka MD/CEO, Ashish Chandra stated.

With just Rs. 85, Airtel users can purchase a basic WFH pack to gain access to 7GB of data for MS Teams, Zoom, and Office 365, while Airtel’s Rs. 145 pack offers Unlimited Access to all three platforms, in addition to Google Classroom.

Meanwhile, the telco is also launching a new social media pack at just Rs. 128, which will provide unlimited access to Whatsapp, Facebook, Youtube and Facebook Messenger for 7 days.

Airtel’s launch of weekly Study, WFH and social packs follows the telco’s recent introduction of its Unlimited Freedom Packs, a first-of-its-kind telco product in the Sri Lankan market that provides users with unlimited free local voice calls to any operator and Social Media to its range of Freedom Plans, starting from as low as Rs. 749.

Airtel’s ‘Freedom Packs/Plans’ are backed by the telco’s single largest investment in Sri Lanka since its entry into the island in 2009. Airtel’s purpose-built 4G network promises a superior user experience including 99% buffer-free streaming, noticeably quicker loading times and improved indoor coverage with 4G signals. Notably, this state of the art tech infrastructure is also built on a 5G ready network.

• Lockdowns and the economic crisis has resulted in a sharp increase in mental health related issues
• A growing demand for chat based solutions aligned to the needs of Sri Lanka’s youth

The nation’s preferred telco among youth, Airtel Lanka in partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), announced a major expansion of the 1926 Mental Health Helpline to now include a dedicated Whatsapp service. Anyone in need of mental health assistance can now reach NIMH’s Mental Health Helpline via WhatsApp on 075 555 1926.

“The recent lockdowns and the increased isolation that it caused has led to an increase in mental health related issues. Hence, the need for a WhatsApp based solution is very much the need of the hour. The majority who reach out through the chat-line tend to be young Sri Lankans who are struggling to cope”

“Text messaging is of course a great solution, especially for young people, who tend to be more comfortable chatting instead of speaking, especially when starting a conversation with us, and we are grateful to the Airtel team for supporting our efforts to expand access to mental health,” NIMH Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Pushpa Ranasinghe said.

Since going live on World Mental Health Day 2020, the text-based service alone has helped to initiate over 100 life-saving interventions, in addition to providing support, comfort and guidance to many individuals facing challenges with their mental health.

“Airtel is proud to continue supporting the incredible work being done by the team at NIMH, and we hope that the expansion of the 1926 service to Whatsapp will encourage even more Sri Lankans to reach out, knowing that there is always someone there to listen,” said Ashish Chandra, CEO/MD, Airtel Sri Lanka.

He noted that Airtel’s decision to expand the service to Whatsapp was a direct response to young users of the text-based service themselves who tend to show a clear preference for data over voice or text. The additional functionality enabled by the app could also open up new possibilities for the life-saving service – potentially including video-calls, sharing of prescriptions, and voice notes.

“With this latest expansion of the 1926 service, Airtel hopes to reiterate the need for an open and understanding culture around mental health that encourages more young people to reach out to professionals. This is particularly important when they are experiencing times of crisis and may benefit from guidance on their mental health concerns in a safe and anonymous environment. Ultimately, whether you or someone you know is going through a crisis, or just feel like you need a little support, the ability to easily reach out can make all the difference. We hope that by creating the spaces for these conversations to take place, we can help be a part of that change,” Ashish stated.

The expansion of the service, easily accessible for all Airtel users, and everyone on any
mobile network is as a result of the significant success of the Airtel-NIMH 1926 text-based helpline. The 1926 Mental Health Call Line and SMS Line continues to be free for all Airtel users.

In pursuit of that goal, Airtel announced that it would also be committing itself to raising awareness on mental health and all of the available NIMH 1926 helplines across its entire user base, leveraging Airtel’s social media platforms, and the My Airtel App.

Photo caption: (From Left) NIMH, Deputy Director, Dr. Arosha Wijewikrama, Ministry of Health, Additional Secretary – Medical Services, Dr. Sunil De Alwis, Ministry of Health, Secretary, Janaka S Chandraguptha, Airtel Lanka, CEO/Managing Director, Ashish Chandra, NIMH, Director, Dr. Dhammika Wijesinghe, NIMH, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Pushpa Ransinghe.

Sri Lanka’s youth focused-telco, Airtel Lanka, recently partnered with the College of Technology, Galle (COT, Galle) to support a new generation of tech-experts and entrepreneurs with learning and development in both technical and soft skills.

Through the partnership, Airtel Lanka will be providing 30 students from COT, Galle’s junior and senior batches with access to training and skills development, as well as new computers and equipment. Airtel will also be offering student’s real world experience through the establishment of a 6-12 month paid internship programme for the best and brightest final year students.

“Like many countries across the globe, Sri Lanka is facing a period of deep economic uncertainty. It is exactly these kind of moments in which all corporates must rally together in order optimize productivity, and uncover new opportunities for growth. We believe that the ICT and telco sector have an instrumental role to play in catalyzing this recovery.” Airtel Sri Lanka Managing Director/CEO, Ashish Chandra stated.

Ashish further stated, “To succeed, we need to train young Sri Lankans and equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to excel in these fields. This in turn will give rise to a new paradigm in rapid, decentralized economic development and job creation, across Sri Lanka. Our partnership with the College of Technology, Galle is another significant milestone in this vital journey,”

Leveraging Airtel’s existing relationships with strategic business partners like Huawei, students will also be provided with technical training on data communication, microwave installation and configuration, and BSS Networks. Additionally, COT, Galle’s graduates will also receive soft skills training and mentoring on the professional journey of telco engineers, personal brand building, expectations when entering the corporate world and practical advice on facing interviews, as well as opportunities to visit the Airtel Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) at Maligawatta to get a hands-on experience with core operational aspects of the telco industry.

Photo Caption: Team Airtel lends its support to students and teachers of College of Technology, Galle, with launch of internship programme and donation of computer equipment

Gone are the days where a user had to constantly check their mobile balance in the midst of some important conversations or be worried about higher cost for making a call outside of their network. In yet another historic industry first initiative, Airtel Lanka announced unlimited free local voice calls to any operator and Social Media to its range of Freedom Plans. Since the launch of Airtel Freedom, the telco has consistently been pushing for reforms that would enable free calls to all in order to provide a worry free calling experience.

This historic move provides true freedom for users wanting to make local calls to their friends and family without having to worry for the voice call charges. No matter what operator the call is made to, it’s absolutely free and unlimited.

“Especially in light of the current volatility that all Sri Lankans are grappling with, we hope that the launch of our Unlimited Plans will also help steer the industry towards delivering greater value to Sri Lanka’s vibrant mobile user base, in addition to providing them with the best value in the market” Airtel Sri Lanka CEO/MD, Ashish Chandra stated.

Airtel has been instrumental for many industry firsts in Sri Lanka, and was also the first to introduce Sri Lanka to unlimited on net calls (same operator). With the launch of Airtel Freedom, Airtel offered its users great convenience, with a single recharge, for all their usage with even greater savings compared to competition. With the introduction of unlimited free call to any operator, Airtel becomes a clear trend setter for the telecom industry.

“By updating our business model, we are working towards reshaping the Sri Lankan telco landscape towards greater competition, and customer-centric value. As a result we are the only network that can provide our customers with unlimited voice and social media, in addition to generous allocations for data outside of social media, meaning that a single recharge will still serve all of their monthly needs,” Ashish further explained.

Users can select from two price options of Rs 749 and Rs 1,249. Both packs allows Airtel users access to unlimited local voice calls to any network as well as unlimited Social Media (YouTube, Facebook, FB Messenger and WhatsApp). Additionally, Rs 749 provides 30GB of 4G anytime data whereas the Rs 1,249 pack offers 60GB of 4G anytime data. Both packs are valid for a period of 30 days and have additionally SMS benefits as well.

Airtel’s ‘Freedom Packs/Plans’ are backed by the telco’s single largest investment in Sri Lanka since its entry into the island in 2009. Airtel’s purpose-built 4G network promises a superior user experience including 99% buffer-free streaming, noticeably quicker loading times and improved indoor coverage with 4G signals. Notably, this state of the art tech infrastructure is also built on a 5G ready network.